Add AR::Base#valid! method

[bogdan]

This is helper method in case when some operations should be done on a record before saving. But they doesn't make sence if record is invalid.

def create_developer_from_linkedin(parameters)
  d = Developer.new(parameters)
  d.valid!
  d.import_linkedin_profile
  d.save!
end

[rrouse]

Why would this be preferred over just doing "if valid?...."?

[gmile]

Indeed, @bogdan, can you show a case where #valid? wouldn't be sufficient?

[PikachuEXE]

@bogdan I can rewrite the code provided with this:

def create_developer_from_linkedin(parameters)
  d = Developer.new(parameters)
  if d.valid?
    d.import_linkedin_profile
    d.save!
  end
  # d # if you still want the invalid record returned
end

So you might want to provide another example where valid? does not work but valid! does

[bogdan]

I need to raise exception instead of returning something. This required me to reverse engineer AR::RecordInvalid and see in source how it works. Currently my code looks like this:

def create_developer_from_linkedin(parameters)
  d = Developer.new(parameters)
  if d.valid?
    d.import_linkedin_profile
    d.save!
  else
    raise ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid.new(d)
  end
end

[PikachuEXE]

I think you might want to post the code the make use of the exception raised
Then we can start discussing whether the exception is needed or not

[bogdan]

@PikachuEXE There are a lot of factors why it's raised including subjective ones like "someone did that long time ago with 0% test coverage". I don't want to explain those details. But I think rails should be flexible enough to give a developer ability to choose between raise exception or return value.

[PikachuEXE]

Well since rails 4 are having new destroy! and other bang methods
I think adding this method should be ok
But the name might better be validate! instead of valid!

Anyway it's up to the core members to decide.

[timraymond]

I believe this needs a CHANGELOG entry. Also, could you please document valid!

[rafaelfranca]

We are going to review all this API in the next release so we'll not accept this right now.

I'll leave this issue open to remember.

[JonRowe]

Now that the Rails 4 beta is out, has this been reviewed?

[rafaelfranca]

Yeah, we will revisit this one form 4.1

[vipulnsward]

@rafaelfranca This can be reviewed now I guess?

[egilburg]

I think .validate! makes more sense than .valid!. But I agree it's a nice PR.

I wonder if save! can be refactored to just call validate! then. Essentially no new code would be added, just the invalid error raising message would be pushed from .save! method to .validate! method.

[mikegee]

This is quite stale now. What is the current blocker to merging this?

I also prefer #validate! over #valid!.

[bogdan]

Renamed method to validate! as most people voted for it.
@rafaelfranca waiting for your review whenever you have time.