Rails: How to check if "update_attributes" is going to fail? - ruby-on-rails

Question

To check if buyer.save is going to fail I use buyer.valid?:
def create
#buyer = Buyer.new(params[:buyer])
if #buyer.valid?
my_update_database_method
#buyer.save
else
...
end
end
How could I check if update_attributes is going to fail ?
def update
#buyer = Buyer.find(params[:id])
if <what should be here?>
my_update_database_method
#buyer.update_attributes(params[:buyer])
else
...
end
end

Answer 1

it returns false if it was not done, same with save. save! will throw exceptions if you like that better. I'm not sure if there is update_attributes!, but it would be logical.
just do
if #foo.update_attributes(params)
# life is good
else
# something is wrong
end
http://apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/Base/update_attributes
Edit
Then you want this method you have to write. If you want to pre check params sanitation.
def params_are_sanitary?
# return true if and only if all our checks are met
# else return false
end
Edit 2
Alternatively, depending on your constraints
if Foo.new(params).valid? # Only works on Creates, not Updates
#foo.update_attributes(params)
else
# it won't be valid.
end

Answer 2

The method update_attributes returns false if object is invalid. So just use this construction
def update
if #buyer.update_attributes(param[:buyer])
my_update_database_method
else
...
end
end
If your my_update_database_method has to be call only before update_attributes, then you shoud use merge way, probably like this:
def update
#buyer = Buyer.find(params[:id])
#buyer.merge(params[:buyer])
if #buyer.valid?
my_update_database_method
#buyer.save
else
...
end
end

Answer 3

This may not be the best answer, but it seems to answer your question.
def self.validate_before_update(buyer)#parameters AKA Buyer.validate_before_update(params[:buyer])
# creates temporary buyer which will be filled with parameters
# the temporary buyer is then check to see if valid, if valid returns fail.
temp_buyer = Buyer.new
# populate temporary buyer object with data from parameters
temp_buyer.name = buyer["name"]
# fill other required parameters with valid data
temp_buyer.description = "filler desc"
temp_buyer.id = 999999
# if the temp_buyer is not valid with the provided parameters, validation fails
if temp_buyer.valid? == false
temp_buyer.errors.full_messages.each do |msg|
logger.info msg
end
# Return false or temp_buyer.errors depending on your need.
return false
end
return true
end

Answer 4

you'd better check it in your model through a before_save
before_save :ensure_is_valid
private
def ensure_is_valid
if self.valid?
else
end
end

Answer 5

I've run into the same scenario - needed to know if record is valid and do some actions before update save. I've found out that there is assign_attributes(attributes) method which update method uses before save. So nowadays it's likely correct to do:
def update
#buyer = Buyer.find(params[:id])
#buyer.assign_attributes(params[:buyer])
if #buyer.valid?
my_update_database_method
#buyer.save
else
...
end
end