Remove update_attribute.

Historically, update_attribute and update_attributes are similar, but
with one big difference: update_attribute does not run validations.
These two methods are really easy to confuse given their similar
names. Therefore, update_attribute is being removed in favor of
update_column.

See the thread on rails-core here:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/rubyonrails-core/BWPUTK7WvYA

3 files changed, 6 insertions, 21 deletions

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/has_one_association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/has_one_association.rb
index 2131edbc20..f0d1120c68 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/has_one_association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/has_one_association.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
             when :destroy
               target.destroy
             when :nullify
-              target.update_attribute(reflection.foreign_key, nil)
+              target.update_column(reflection.foreign_key, nil)
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/migration.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/migration.rb
index acec65991d..d58176bc62 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/migration.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/migration.rb
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
   #       add_column :people, :salary, :integer
   #       Person.reset_column_information
   #       Person.all.each do |p|
-  #         p.update_attribute :salary, SalaryCalculator.compute(p)
+  #         p.update_column :salary, SalaryCalculator.compute(p)
   #       end
   #     end
   #   end
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
   #     ...
   #     say_with_time "Updating salaries..." do
   #       Person.all.each do |p|
-  #         p.update_attribute :salary, SalaryCalculator.compute(p)
+  #         p.update_column :salary, SalaryCalculator.compute(p)
   #       end
   #     end
   #     ...
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
index ec5670ba6e..643c3f82ad 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
@@ -167,21 +167,6 @@ module ActiveRecord
       became
     end
 
-    # Updates a single attribute and saves the record.
-    # This is especially useful for boolean flags on existing records. Also note that
-    #
-    # * Validation is skipped.
-    # * Callbacks are invoked.
-    # * updated_at/updated_on column is updated if that column is available.
-    # * Updates all the attributes that are dirty in this object.
-    #
-    def update_attribute(name, value)
-      name = name.to_s
-      verify_readonly_attribute(name)
-      send("#{name}=", value)
-      save(:validate => false)
-    end
-
     # Updates a single attribute of an object, without calling save.
     #
     # * Validation is skipped.
@@ -240,7 +225,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
     def increment!(attribute, by = 1)
-      increment(attribute, by).update_attribute(attribute, self[attribute])
+      increment(attribute, by).update_column(attribute, self[attribute])
     end
 
     # Initializes +attribute+ to zero if +nil+ and subtracts the value passed as +by+ (default is 1).
@@ -257,7 +242,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
     def decrement!(attribute, by = 1)
-      decrement(attribute, by).update_attribute(attribute, self[attribute])
+      decrement(attribute, by).update_column(attribute, self[attribute])
     end
 
     # Assigns to +attribute+ the boolean opposite of <tt>attribute?</tt>. So
@@ -274,7 +259,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
     def toggle!(attribute)
-      toggle(attribute).update_attribute(attribute, self[attribute])
+      toggle(attribute).update_column(attribute, self[attribute])
     end
 
     # Reloads the attributes of this object from the database.