customize active record attribute display name in error message

rubyonrails-talk
1

Is there an easy way to customize the display name of the attributed used in a validation error message. For example, let's say I have an active record with the attribute :msg that is validated for presence. If is doesn't exist I don't want the user to see "msg can't be blank!" I want it to say "Message can't be blank!" Is there an easy way to do that?

2

Hi drewB,

You can change the "humanized" version of that symbol when it's accessed via human_attribute_name.

Try this:

class Post < ActiveRecord::Base

  HUMANIZED_COLUMNS = {:msg => "Message"}

  def self.human_attribute_name(attribute)     HUMANIZED_COLUMNS[attribute.to_sym] || super   end end

HTH, Richard

3

I responded just a bit ago, but I don't see my response, so hopefully there won't be two responses...

Essentially, Drew, you can map the column to be something else when you call "humanize" on it. Try this:

class Post < ActiveRecord::Base

  HUMANIZED_COLUMNS = {:msg => "Message"}

  def self.human_attribute_name(attribute)     HUMANIZED_COLUMNS[attribute.to_sym] || super   end end

HTH, Richard

4

Have you read the validation documentation?

All of the Rails validators support a :message option, for example look at validates_presence_of:

http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Validations/ClassMethods.html#M002164

See where it says "message - A custom error message (default is: "can‘t be blank")." ? That means when you write

validates_presence_of :foo, :message => "Message can't be blank!"

5

I am aware of the :message option. What I was hoping to do is be able to use many of the default messages and just change the attribute name displayed. For example, something like:

attr_display_name :msg "Message"

6

I responded just a bit ago, but I don’t see my response, so hopefully there won’t be two responses…

Essentially, Drew, you can map the column to be something else when you call “humanize” on it. Try this:

class Post < ActiveRecord::Base

HUMANIZED_COLUMNS = {:msg => “Message”}

def self.human_attribute_name(attribute) HUMANIZED_COLUMNS[attribute.to_sym] || super end end

HTH, Richard

7

That is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!

8

Hi     I was just trying this My models and relations are as company has_many users user belongs_to company

      And when saving a user a company is also saved So in user model I have validates_associated :company

         The solution works perfectly for user model attributes. But it is not working for company attributes. For example in companies table i have address_city field And as the solution suggests I add to company model below code

HUMANIZED_COLUMNS = {:address_city => "City"}

  def self.human_attribute_name(attribute)     HUMANIZED_COLUMNS[attribute.to_sym] || super   end

            But this is not working It shows Address city .But I need is City. Please help

Thanks Tom

9

Hi     One more thing is ,in order to show validates_associated error message than the regular message "is invalid" I am using the hack in environment.rb like

module ActiveRecord::Validations::ClassMethods   def validates_associated(*associations)       associations.each do |association|         class_eval do           validates_each(associations) do |record, associate_name, value>             associates = record.send(associate_name)             associates = [associates] unless associates.respond_to?('each')             associates.each do |associate|               if associate && !associate.valid?                 associate.errors.each do |key, value|                   record.errors.add(key, value)                 end               end             end           end         end       end   end end

10

I could solve the problem the following way. But I dont know whether this the right approach.Please correct if wrong

module ActiveRecord::Validations::ClassMethods   def validates_associated(*associations)       associations.each do |association|         class_eval do           validates_each(associations) do |record, associate_name, value>             associates = record.send(associate_name)             associates = [associates] unless associates.respond_to?('each')             associates.each do |associate|               if associate && !associate.valid?                 associate.errors.each do |key, value|

                    humanized_columns = {:address_city => "City",:phone_oofice => "Office Phone Number"}                     record.errors.add(key, value,{:attribute => humanized[key.to_sym] || human_attribute_name(key.to_s)})

                end               end             end           end         end       end   end end

Thanks Tom

11

I would just like to add that those who uses I18n can easily add these model "translations" to the localization file like so:

en:   activerecord:     models:       user: "User"       company: "Company"     attributes:       user:         login: "Username"         password. "Password"       company:         name: "Company name"

I prefer this method over having the HUMANIZED_COLUMNS in every model.

I18n can also be used to customize error messages, if you dont like the default ones (like "is invalid"). This is certanly a lot cleaner than hacking active record.

12

Hi Thanks for replying back.Can you please paste a good link explains how to do this?

Tom

13

You mean how to use I18n? Ryan Bates has a screen cast on it:

And then there's the official I18n guide

14

Sharagoz -- wrote:

You mean how to use I18n? Ryan Bates has a screen cast on it: #138 I18n - RailsCasts And then there's the official I18n guide Rails Internationalization (I18n) API — Ruby on Rails Guides

Unfortunately, Rails' official I18N is quite cumbersome. I highly recommend fast_gettext.

Best,