Add :accessible option to Associations for allowing mass assignments using hash. [#474 state:resolved]

Allows nested Hashes (i.e. from nested forms) to hydrate the appropriate
ActiveRecord models.

class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to :author,   :accessible => true
  has_many   :comments, :accessible => true
end

post = Post.create({
  :title    => 'Accessible Attributes',
  :author   => { :name => 'David Dollar' },
  :comments => [
    { :body => 'First Post!' },
    { :body => 'Nested Hashes are great!' }
  ]
})

post.comments << { :body => 'Another Comment' }

Signed-off-by: Pratik Naik <pratiknaik@gmail.com>

2 files changed, 16 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
index 6931744058..d43e07ab4e 100755
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
@@ -692,6 +692,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # * <tt>:uniq</tt> - If true, duplicates will be omitted from the collection. Useful in conjunction with <tt>:through</tt>.
       # * <tt>:readonly</tt> - If true, all the associated objects are readonly through the association.
       # * <tt>:validate</tt> - If false, don't validate the associated objects when saving the parent object. true by default.
+      # * <tt>:accessible</tt> - Mass assignment is allowed for this assocation (similar to <tt>ActiveRecord::Base#attr_accessible</tt>).
       #
       # Option examples:
       #   has_many :comments, :order => "posted_on"
@@ -774,6 +775,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #   association is a polymorphic +belongs_to+.      
       # * <tt>:readonly</tt> - If true, the associated object is readonly through the association.
       # * <tt>:validate</tt> - If false, don't validate the associated object when saving the parent object. +false+ by default.
+      # * <tt>:accessible</tt> - Mass assignment is allowed for this assocation (similar to <tt>ActiveRecord::Base#attr_accessible</tt>).
       #
       # Option examples:
       #   has_one :credit_card, :dependent => :destroy  # destroys the associated credit card
@@ -863,6 +865,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #   to the +attr_readonly+ list in the associated classes (e.g. <tt>class Post; attr_readonly :comments_count; end</tt>).
       # * <tt>:readonly</tt> - If true, the associated object is readonly through the association.
       # * <tt>:validate</tt> - If false, don't validate the associated objects when saving the parent object. +false+ by default.
+      # * <tt>:accessible</tt> - Mass assignment is allowed for this assocation (similar to <tt>ActiveRecord::Base#attr_accessible</tt>).
       #
       # Option examples:
       #   belongs_to :firm, :foreign_key => "client_of"
@@ -1034,6 +1037,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #   but not include the joined columns. Do not forget to include the primary and foreign keys, otherwise it will raise an error.
       # * <tt>:readonly</tt> - If true, all the associated objects are readonly through the association.
       # * <tt>:validate</tt> - If false, don't validate the associated objects when saving the parent object. +true+ by default.
+      # * <tt>:accessible</tt> - Mass assignment is allowed for this assocation (similar to <tt>ActiveRecord::Base#attr_accessible</tt>).
       #
       # Option examples:
       #   has_and_belongs_to_many :projects
@@ -1109,6 +1113,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
               association = association_proxy_class.new(self, reflection)
             end
 
+            new_value = reflection.klass.new(new_value) if reflection.options[:accessible] && new_value.is_a?(Hash)
+
             if association_proxy_class == HasOneThroughAssociation
               association.create_through_record(new_value)
               self.send(reflection.name, new_value)
@@ -1357,7 +1363,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
             :finder_sql, :counter_sql,
             :before_add, :after_add, :before_remove, :after_remove,
             :extend, :readonly,
-            :validate
+            :validate, :accessible
           )
 
           options[:extend] = create_extension_modules(association_id, extension, options[:extend])
@@ -1367,7 +1373,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
         def create_has_one_reflection(association_id, options)
           options.assert_valid_keys(
-            :class_name, :foreign_key, :remote, :select, :conditions, :order, :include, :dependent, :counter_cache, :extend, :as, :readonly, :validate, :primary_key
+            :class_name, :foreign_key, :remote, :select, :conditions, :order, :include, :dependent, :counter_cache, :extend, :as, :readonly, :validate, :primary_key, :accessible
           )
 
           create_reflection(:has_one, association_id, options, self)
@@ -1383,7 +1389,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         def create_belongs_to_reflection(association_id, options)
           options.assert_valid_keys(
             :class_name, :foreign_key, :foreign_type, :remote, :select, :conditions, :include, :dependent,
-            :counter_cache, :extend, :polymorphic, :readonly, :validate
+            :counter_cache, :extend, :polymorphic, :readonly, :validate, :accessible
           )
 
           reflection = create_reflection(:belongs_to, association_id, options, self)
@@ -1403,7 +1409,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
             :finder_sql, :delete_sql, :insert_sql,
             :before_add, :after_add, :before_remove, :after_remove,
             :extend, :readonly,
-            :validate
+            :validate, :accessible
           )
 
           options[:extend] = create_extension_modules(association_id, extension, options[:extend])
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
index 04be59e89d..a28be9eed1 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
         @owner.transaction do
           flatten_deeper(records).each do |record|
+            record = @reflection.klass.new(record) if @reflection.options[:accessible] && record.is_a?(Hash)
+
             raise_on_type_mismatch(record)
             add_record_to_target_with_callbacks(record) do |r|
               result &&= insert_record(record) unless @owner.new_record?
@@ -229,6 +231,10 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # Replace this collection with +other_array+
       # This will perform a diff and delete/add only records that have changed.
       def replace(other_array)
+        other_array.map! do |val|
+          val.is_a?(Hash) ? @reflection.klass.new(val) : val
+        end if @reflection.options[:accessible]
+
         other_array.each { |val| raise_on_type_mismatch(val) }
 
         load_target