Rails - Mar 2008 - validating parts of a model step-by-step in a wizard flow

I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and I''d like to
validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page let''s the user
build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be validated.

In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with the params
from that page, but there are attributes we haven''t gotten to yet on
following pages that fail the validation because they haven''t been
filled in yet.

A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag on the model
from the controller that would be checked in the model''s validate
method so that only the appropriate attributes would be checked at
each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.

Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is handled that
I''ve missed in my reading?
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The AR validation methods support an :if option. Try something like
this:

class Model < ActiveRecord::Base
  attr_accessor :validation_stage

  validates_presence_of :something, :if => Proc.new{|m|
m.validation_stage == :first}
  validates_confirmation_of :else, :if => Proc.new{|m|
m.validation_stage == :second}
end

In your controller you can do something along the lines of:

class WizardController < ActionController::Base
  def step1
    if request.method == :post
      @model = Model.new(params[:model])
      @model.validation_stage = :first

      if @model.save
        redirect_to step2_url(@model)
      end
    end

    @model ||= Model.new
  end
end

On Mar 20, 9:09 pm, lunaclaire
<szager...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and I''d like
to
> validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page let''s the
user
> build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be validated.
>
> In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with the params
> from that page, but there are attributes we haven''t gotten to yet
on
> following pages that fail the validation because they haven''t been
> filled in yet.
>
> A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag on the model
> from the controller that would be checked in the model''s validate
> method so that only the appropriate attributes would be checked at
> each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.
>
> Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is handled that
> I''ve missed in my reading?
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Thanks, Andrew!

I''m on vacation, so I apologize for the delay in responding...

I''m having trouble finding docs on use of :if with validation helpers,
but this looks like it would work... maybe you can pt me to some docs.
I ask because I wonder if it''s necessary to do the check in a Proc
block like that or if I can just have the logic (I dont know why, but
I''m not crazy about the Proc style) or can call a method from the :if
statement.

Funny, but while waiting to see a reply to my posting, I''d already
come up with validation_stage (named it the same, too), but put it in
a validate method. But the conciseness of validation helpers is nice.


On Mar 20, 7:51 pm, Andrew Bloom
<akbl...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> The AR validation methods support an :if option. Try something like
> this:
>
> class Model < ActiveRecord::Base
>   attr_accessor :validation_stage
>
>   validates_presence_of :something, :if => Proc.new{|m|
> m.validation_stage == :first}
>   validates_confirmation_of :else, :if => Proc.new{|m|
> m.validation_stage == :second}
> end
>
> In your controller you can do something along the lines of:
>
> class WizardController < ActionController::Base
>   def step1
>     if request.method == :post
>       @model = Model.new(params[:model])
>       @model.validation_stage = :first
>
>       if @model.save
>         redirect_to step2_url(@model)
>       end
>     end
>
>     @model ||= Model.new
>   end
> end
>
> On Mar 20, 9:09 pm, lunaclaire
<szager...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>
> > I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and I''d
like to
> > validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page let''s
the user
> > build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be validated.
>
> > In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with the params
> > from that page, but there are attributes we haven''t gotten to
yet on
> > following pages that fail the validation because they haven''t
been
> > filled in yet.
>
> > A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag on the model
> > from the controller that would be checked in the model''s
validate
> > method so that only the appropriate attributes would be checked at
> > each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.
>
> > Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is handled that
> > I''ve missed in my reading?
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On 26 Mar 2008, at 16:23, lunaclaire wrote:
>
> Thanks, Andrew!
>
> I''m on vacation, so I apologize for the delay in responding...
>
> I''m having trouble finding docs on use of :if with validation
helpers,
> but this looks like it would work... maybe you can pt me to some docs.
> I ask because I wonder if it''s necessary to do the check in a Proc
> block like that or if I can just have the logic (I dont know why, but
> I''m not crazy about the Proc style) or can call a method from the
:if
> statement.
>
Sure, you can just stick :if => :my_method

Fred

> Funny, but while waiting to see a reply to my posting, I''d already
> come up with validation_stage (named it the same, too), but put it in
> a validate method. But the conciseness of validation helpers is nice.
>
>
> On Mar 20, 7:51 pm, Andrew Bloom
<akbl...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>> The AR validation methods support an :if option. Try something like
>> this:
>>
>> class Model < ActiveRecord::Base
>>  attr_accessor :validation_stage
>>
>>  validates_presence_of :something, :if => Proc.new{|m|
>> m.validation_stage == :first}
>>  validates_confirmation_of :else, :if => Proc.new{|m|
>> m.validation_stage == :second}
>> end
>>
>> In your controller you can do something along the lines of:
>>
>> class WizardController < ActionController::Base
>>  def step1
>>    if request.method == :post
>>      @model = Model.new(params[:model])
>>      @model.validation_stage = :first
>>
>>      if @model.save
>>        redirect_to step2_url(@model)
>>      end
>>    end
>>
>>    @model ||= Model.new
>>  end
>> end
>>
>> On Mar 20, 9:09 pm, lunaclaire
<szager...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and
I''d like to
>>> validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page
let''s the
>>> user
>>> build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be  
>>> validated.
>>
>>> In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with the  
>>> params
>>> from that page, but there are attributes we haven''t gotten
to yet on
>>> following pages that fail the validation because they
haven''t been
>>> filled in yet.
>>
>>> A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag on the  
>>> model
>>> from the controller that would be checked in the model''s
validate
>>> method so that only the appropriate attributes would be checked at
>>> each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.
>>
>>> Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is handled  
>>> that
>>> I''ve missed in my reading?
> >

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Thanks, Fred.

Any ptrs to where to find docs for the "if clause in these helpers?

(BTW - You''re a great resource on this list. I''ve noticed how
often
you respond to those of us begging for help. Thanks for that.)

On Mar 26, 9:29 am, Frederick Cheung
<frederick.che...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> On 26 Mar 2008, at 16:23, lunaclaire wrote:
>
>
>
> > Thanks, Andrew!
>
> > I''m on vacation, so I apologize for the delay in
responding...
>
> > I''m having trouble finding docs on use of :if with validation
helpers,
> > but this looks like it would work... maybe you can pt me to some docs.
> > I ask because I wonder if it''s necessary to do the check in a
Proc
> > block like that or if I can just have the logic (I dont know why, but
> > I''m not crazy about the Proc style) or can call a method from
the :if
> > statement.
>
> Sure, you can just stick :if => :my_method
>
> Fred
>
> > Funny, but while waiting to see a reply to my posting, I''d
already
> > come up with validation_stage (named it the same, too), but put it in
> > a validate method. But the conciseness of validation helpers is nice.
>
> > On Mar 20, 7:51 pm, Andrew Bloom
<akbl...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> >> The AR validation methods support an :if option. Try something
like
> >> this:
>
> >> class Model < ActiveRecord::Base
> >>  attr_accessor :validation_stage
>
> >>  validates_presence_of :something, :if => Proc.new{|m|
> >> m.validation_stage == :first}
> >>  validates_confirmation_of :else, :if => Proc.new{|m|
> >> m.validation_stage == :second}
> >> end
>
> >> In your controller you can do something along the lines of:
>
> >> class WizardController < ActionController::Base
> >>  def step1
> >>    if request.method == :post
> >>      @model = Model.new(params[:model])
> >>      @model.validation_stage = :first
>
> >>      if @model.save
> >>        redirect_to step2_url(@model)
> >>      end
> >>    end
>
> >>    @model ||= Model.new
> >>  end
> >> end
>
> >> On Mar 20, 9:09 pm, lunaclaire
<szager...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>
> >>> I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and
I''d like to
> >>> validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page
let''s the
> >>> user
> >>> build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be
> >>> validated.
>
> >>> In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with the
> >>> params
> >>> from that page, but there are attributes we haven''t
gotten to yet on
> >>> following pages that fail the validation because they
haven''t been
> >>> filled in yet.
>
> >>> A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag on
the
> >>> model
> >>> from the controller that would be checked in the
model''s validate
> >>> method so that only the appropriate attributes would be
checked at
> >>> each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.
>
> >>> Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is
handled
> >>> that
> >>> I''ve missed in my reading?
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On 26 Mar 2008, at 16:39, lunaclaire wrote:
>
> Thanks, Fred.
>
> Any ptrs to where to find docs for the "if clause in these helpers?
>
Well it''s in the rdoc for all of the validation helpers

Fred
> (BTW - You''re a great resource on this list. I''ve noticed
how often
> you respond to those of us begging for help. Thanks for that.)
>
> On Mar 26, 9:29 am, Frederick Cheung
<frederick.che...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
> wrote:
>> On 26 Mar 2008, at 16:23, lunaclaire wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Thanks, Andrew!
>>
>>> I''m on vacation, so I apologize for the delay in
responding...
>>
>>> I''m having trouble finding docs on use of :if with
validation
>>> helpers,
>>> but this looks like it would work... maybe you can pt me to some  
>>> docs.
>>> I ask because I wonder if it''s necessary to do the check
in a Proc
>>> block like that or if I can just have the logic (I dont know why,  
>>> but
>>> I''m not crazy about the Proc style) or can call a method
from
>>> the :if
>>> statement.
>>
>> Sure, you can just stick :if => :my_method
>>
>> Fred
>>
>>> Funny, but while waiting to see a reply to my posting, I''d
already
>>> come up with validation_stage (named it the same, too), but put it
>>> in
>>> a validate method. But the conciseness of validation helpers is  
>>> nice.
>>
>>> On Mar 20, 7:51 pm, Andrew Bloom
<akbl...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>>>> The AR validation methods support an :if option. Try something
like
>>>> this:
>>
>>>> class Model < ActiveRecord::Base
>>>> attr_accessor :validation_stage
>>
>>>> validates_presence_of :something, :if => Proc.new{|m|
>>>> m.validation_stage == :first}
>>>> validates_confirmation_of :else, :if => Proc.new{|m|
>>>> m.validation_stage == :second}
>>>> end
>>
>>>> In your controller you can do something along the lines of:
>>
>>>> class WizardController < ActionController::Base
>>>> def step1
>>>>   if request.method == :post
>>>>     @model = Model.new(params[:model])
>>>>     @model.validation_stage = :first
>>
>>>>     if @model.save
>>>>       redirect_to step2_url(@model)
>>>>     end
>>>>   end
>>
>>>>   @model ||= Model.new
>>>> end
>>>> end
>>
>>>> On Mar 20, 9:09 pm, lunaclaire
<szager...-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>>
>>>>> I have multistep wizard path for creation of a model and
I''d
>>>>> like to
>>>>> validate each page as the user moves forward. Each page
let''s the
>>>>> user
>>>>> build up parts of the model with attributes that need to be
>>>>> validated.
>>
>>>>> In the controller, I make a call to update_attributes with
the
>>>>> params
>>>>> from that page, but there are attributes we
haven''t gotten to
>>>>> yet on
>>>>> following pages that fail the validation because they
haven''t been
>>>>> filled in yet.
>>
>>>>> A kludge that might address this is to set some attr flag
on the
>>>>> model
>>>>> from the controller that would be checked in the
model''s validate
>>>>> method so that only the appropriate attributes would be
checked at
>>>>> each step, but that doesn''t seem very clean.
>>
>>>>> Is there a best practices way that this kind of thing is
handled
>>>>> that
>>>>> I''ve missed in my reading?
> >

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