Clarification of ActiveRecord ActiveModel validation documentation

9 files changed, 24 insertions, 11 deletions

diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
index efd071fedc..5e2c7b411d 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ module ActiveModel
       #   end
       #
       # Options:
-      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is
-      #   <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies the context where this validation is active 
+      #   (e.g. <tt>:on => :create</tt> or <tt>:on => :special_rules</tt>)
       # * <tt>:allow_nil</tt> - Skip validation if attribute is +nil+.
       # * <tt>:allow_blank</tt> - Skip validation if attribute is blank.
       # * <tt>:if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/acceptance.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/acceptance.rb
index a7296d8e1d..fba44defc1 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/acceptance.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/acceptance.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       # * <tt>:message</tt> - A custom error message (default is: "must be
       #   accepted").
       # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is
-      #   <tt>:save</tt>, other options are <tt>:create</tt> and
+      #   <tt>nil</tt>, other options are <tt>:create</tt> and
       #   <tt>:update</tt>).
       # * <tt>:allow_nil</tt> - Skip validation if attribute is +nil+ (default
       #   is true).
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/confirmation.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/confirmation.rb
index 00df10cef0..bcefc7d888 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/confirmation.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/confirmation.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       # * <tt>:message</tt> - A custom error message (default is: "doesn't match
       #   confirmation").
       # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is
-      #   <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      #   <tt>:nil</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
       # * <tt>:if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine
       #   if the validation should occur (e.g. <tt>:if => :allow_validation</tt>,
       #   or <tt>:if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }</tt>).  The
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/format.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/format.rb
index 104f403492..ca8920bce6 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/format.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/format.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       # * <tt>:allow_blank</tt> - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is blank (default is +false+).
       # * <tt>:with</tt> - Regular expression that if the attribute matches will result in a successful validation.
       # * <tt>:without</tt> - Regular expression that if the attribute does not match will result in a successful validation.
-      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>nil</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
       # * <tt>:if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should
       #   occur (e.g. <tt>:if => :allow_validation</tt>, or <tt>:if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }</tt>).  The
       #   method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/length.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/length.rb
index 5a46ecb4ac..97a5cb012e 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/length.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/length.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       # * <tt>:too_short</tt> - The error message if the attribute goes under the minimum (default is: "is too short (min is %{count} characters)").
       # * <tt>:wrong_length</tt> - The error message if using the <tt>:is</tt> method and the attribute is the wrong size (default is: "is the wrong length (should be %{count} characters)").
       # * <tt>:message</tt> - The error message to use for a <tt>:minimum</tt>, <tt>:maximum</tt>, or <tt>:is</tt> violation.  An alias of the appropriate <tt>too_long</tt>/<tt>too_short</tt>/<tt>wrong_length</tt> message.
-      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies the context where this validation is active (e.g. <tt>:on => :create</tt> or <tt>:on => :special_rules</tt>)
       # * <tt>:if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should
       #   occur (e.g. <tt>:if => :allow_validation</tt>, or <tt>:if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }</tt>).  The
       #   method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/numericality.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/numericality.rb
index 95fe20de75..7b155bb7f7 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/numericality.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/numericality.rb
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       #
       # Configuration options:
       # * <tt>:message</tt> - A custom error message (default is: "is not a number").
-      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies the context where this validation is active (e.g. <tt>:on => :create</tt> or <tt>:on => :special_rules</tt>)
       # * <tt>:only_integer</tt> - Specifies whether the value has to be an integer, e.g. an integral value (default is +false+).
       # * <tt>:allow_nil</tt> - Skip validation if attribute is +nil+ (default is +false+). Notice that for fixnum and float columns empty strings are converted to +nil+.
       # * <tt>:greater_than</tt> - Specifies the value must be greater than the supplied value.
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/presence.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/presence.rb
index 28c4640b17..3bfd6f15d1 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/presence.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/presence.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       #
       # Configuration options:
       # * <tt>message</tt> - A custom error message (default is: "can't be blank").
-      # * <tt>on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>,
-      #   <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies the context where this validation is active (e.g. <tt>:on => :create</tt> or <tt>:on => :special_rules</tt>)
       # * <tt>if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should
       #   occur (e.g. <tt>:if => :allow_validation</tt>, or <tt>:if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }</tt>).
       #   The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
index 26c1a9db93..c192e02660 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 module ActiveRecord
-  # = Active Record Validations
+  # = Active Record RecordInvalid
   #
   # Raised by <tt>save!</tt> and <tt>create!</tt> when the record is invalid.  Use the
   # +record+ method to retrieve the record which did not validate.
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
   end
 
+  # = Active Record Validations
+  #
+  # Active Record includes the majority of its validations from ActiveModel::Validations
+  # all of which accept the <tt>:on</tt> argument to define the context where the
+  # validations are active. Active Record will always supply either the context of
+  # <tt>:create</tt> or <tt>:update</tt> dependent on whether the model is a
+  # <tt>new_record?</tt>.
   module Validations
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
     include ActiveModel::Validations
@@ -50,6 +57,13 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
 
     # Runs all the specified validations and returns true if no errors were added otherwise false.
+    #
+    # ==== Arguments
+    #
+    # * <tt>context</tt> - Context to scope the execution of the validations. Default is <tt>nil</tt>.
+    #   If <tt>nil</tt> then the response of <tt>new_record?</tt> will determine the context. If <tt>new_record?</tt>
+    #   returns true the the context will be <tt>:create</tt>, otherwise <tt>:update</tt>.  Validation contexts
+    #   for each validation can be defined using the <tt>:on</tt> option
     def valid?(context = nil)
       context ||= (new_record? ? :create : :update)
       output = super(context)
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations/associated.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations/associated.rb
index 183acd73b8..0f5f2a6e99 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations/associated.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations/associated.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #
       # Configuration options:
       # * <tt>:message</tt> - A custom error message (default is: "is invalid")
-      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>:save</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
+      # * <tt>:on</tt> - Specifies when this validation is active (default is <tt>nil</tt>, other options <tt>:create</tt>, <tt>:update</tt>).
       # * <tt>:if</tt> - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should
       #   occur (e.g. <tt>:if => :allow_validation</tt>, or <tt>:if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }</tt>).  The
       #   method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.