# validating when form labels don't match table fields

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/validating-when-form-labels-dont-match-table-fields/6548>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [December 31, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/validating-when-form-labels-dont-match-table-fields/6548 "2006-12-31T14:03:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mike13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Mike13](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Mike13)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/validating-when-form-labels-dont-match-table-fields/6548/1 "2006-12-31T14:03:22Z")

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Hi,

(I posted this topic last night, but it never showed up.)

I have a model where the attribute names don't match exactly what I'd like to use for labels for the input s on my view. For example, my model order has an attribute "ordered\_by\_first\_name" and I'd like the label on the view to be "Your first name". Fine. Except that if I use really nice validation helpers I can't fully override the error message. I can use :message but it always sticks in the model attribute name. This will cause some confusion and I was hoping to make things a little more user friendly on the view.

My order model has other attributes that refer to people's names in them (no, I'm not entirely normalized).

I guess it goes without saying that I was hoping to use error\_messages\_for in the view.

Anyone have any suggestions for when the model names don't match what you'd want to present to a user?

TIA, Mike