**DO NOT READ THIS FILE ON GITHUB, GUIDES ARE PUBLISHED ON https://guides.rubyonrails.org.** Active Model Basics =================== This guide should provide you with all you need to get started using model classes. Active Model allows for Action Pack helpers to interact with plain Ruby objects. Active Model also helps build custom ORMs for use outside of the Rails framework. After reading this guide, you will know: * How an Active Record model behaves. * How Callbacks and validations work. * How serializers work. * How Active Model integrates with the Rails internationalization (i18n) framework. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction ------------ Active Model is a library containing various modules used in developing classes that need some features present on Active Record. Some of these modules are explained below. ### Attribute Methods The `ActiveModel::AttributeMethods` module can add custom prefixes and suffixes on methods of a class. It is used by defining the prefixes and suffixes and which methods on the object will use them. ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::AttributeMethods attribute_method_prefix 'reset_' attribute_method_suffix '_highest?' define_attribute_methods 'age' attr_accessor :age private def reset_attribute(attribute) send("#{attribute}=", 0) end def attribute_highest?(attribute) send(attribute) > 100 end end person = Person.new person.age = 110 person.age_highest? # => true person.reset_age # => 0 person.age_highest? # => false ``` ### Callbacks `ActiveModel::Callbacks` gives Active Record style callbacks. This provides an ability to define callbacks which run at appropriate times. After defining callbacks, you can wrap them with before, after, and around custom methods. ```ruby class Person extend ActiveModel::Callbacks define_model_callbacks :update before_update :reset_me def update run_callbacks(:update) do # This method is called when update is called on an object. end end def reset_me # This method is called when update is called on an object as a before_update callback is defined. end end ``` ### Conversion If a class defines `persisted?` and `id` methods, then you can include the `ActiveModel::Conversion` module in that class, and call the Rails conversion methods on objects of that class. ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Conversion def persisted? false end def id nil end end person = Person.new person.to_model == person # => true person.to_key # => nil person.to_param # => nil ``` ### Dirty An object becomes dirty when it has gone through one or more changes to its attributes and has not been saved. `ActiveModel::Dirty` gives the ability to check whether an object has been changed or not. It also has attribute based accessor methods. Let's consider a Person class with attributes `first_name` and `last_name`: ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Dirty define_attribute_methods :first_name, :last_name def first_name @first_name end def first_name=(value) first_name_will_change! @first_name = value end def last_name @last_name end def last_name=(value) last_name_will_change! @last_name = value end def save # do save work... changes_applied end end ``` #### Querying object directly for its list of all changed attributes. ```ruby person = Person.new person.changed? # => false person.first_name = "First Name" person.first_name # => "First Name" # returns true if any of the attributes have unsaved changes. person.changed? # => true # returns a list of attributes that have changed before saving. person.changed # => ["first_name"] # returns a Hash of the attributes that have changed with their original values. person.changed_attributes # => {"first_name"=>nil} # returns a Hash of changes, with the attribute names as the keys, and the # values as an array of the old and new values for that field. person.changes # => {"first_name"=>[nil, "First Name"]} ``` #### Attribute based accessor methods Track whether the particular attribute has been changed or not. ```ruby # attr_name_changed? person.first_name # => "First Name" person.first_name_changed? # => true ``` Track the previous value of the attribute. ```ruby # attr_name_was accessor person.first_name_was # => nil ``` Track both previous and current value of the changed attribute. Returns an array if changed, otherwise returns nil. ```ruby # attr_name_change person.first_name_change # => [nil, "First Name"] person.last_name_change # => nil ``` ### Validations The `ActiveModel::Validations` module adds the ability to validate objects like in Active Record. ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Validations attr_accessor :name, :email, :token validates :name, presence: true validates_format_of :email, with: /\A([^\s]+)((?:[-a-z0-9]\.)[a-z]{2,})\z/i validates! :token, presence: true end person = Person.new person.token = "2b1f325" person.valid? # => false person.name = 'vishnu' person.email = 'me' person.valid? # => false person.email = 'me@vishnuatrai.com' person.valid? # => true person.token = nil person.valid? # => raises ActiveModel::StrictValidationFailed ``` ### Naming `ActiveModel::Naming` adds a number of class methods which make naming and routing easier to manage. The module defines the `model_name` class method which will define a number of accessors using some `ActiveSupport::Inflector` methods. ```ruby class Person extend ActiveModel::Naming end Person.model_name.name # => "Person" Person.model_name.singular # => "person" Person.model_name.plural # => "people" Person.model_name.element # => "person" Person.model_name.human # => "Person" Person.model_name.collection # => "people" Person.model_name.param_key # => "person" Person.model_name.i18n_key # => :person Person.model_name.route_key # => "people" Person.model_name.singular_route_key # => "person" ``` ### Model `ActiveModel::Model` adds the ability for a class to work with Action Pack and Action View right out of the box. ```ruby class EmailContact include ActiveModel::Model attr_accessor :name, :email, :message validates :name, :email, :message, presence: true def deliver if valid? # deliver email end end end ``` When including `ActiveModel::Model` you get some features like: - model name introspection - conversions - translations - validations It also gives you the ability to initialize an object with a hash of attributes, much like any Active Record object. ```ruby email_contact = EmailContact.new(name: 'David', email: 'david@example.com', message: 'Hello World') email_contact.name # => 'David' email_contact.email # => 'david@example.com' email_contact.valid? # => true email_contact.persisted? # => false ``` Any class that includes `ActiveModel::Model` can be used with `form_for`, `render` and any other Action View helper methods, just like Active Record objects. ### Serialization `ActiveModel::Serialization` provides basic serialization for your object. You need to declare an attributes Hash which contains the attributes you want to serialize. Attributes must be strings, not symbols. ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Serialization attr_accessor :name def attributes {'name' => nil} end end ``` Now you can access a serialized Hash of your object using the `serializable_hash` method. ```ruby person = Person.new person.serializable_hash # => {"name"=>nil} person.name = "Bob" person.serializable_hash # => {"name"=>"Bob"} ``` #### ActiveModel::Serializers Active Model also provides the `ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON` module for JSON serializing / deserializing. This module automatically includes the previously discussed `ActiveModel::Serialization` module. ##### ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON To use `ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON` you only need to change the module you are including from `ActiveModel::Serialization` to `ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON`. ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON attr_accessor :name def attributes {'name' => nil} end end ``` The `as_json` method, similar to `serializable_hash`, provides a Hash representing the model. ```ruby person = Person.new person.as_json # => {"name"=>nil} person.name = "Bob" person.as_json # => {"name"=>"Bob"} ``` You can also define the attributes for a model from a JSON string. However, you need to define the `attributes=` method on your class: ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON attr_accessor :name def attributes=(hash) hash.each do |key, value| send("#{key}=", value) end end def attributes {'name' => nil} end end ``` Now it is possible to create an instance of `Person` and set attributes using `from_json`. ```ruby json = { name: 'Bob' }.to_json person = Person.new person.from_json(json) # => # person.name # => "Bob" ``` ### Translation `ActiveModel::Translation` provides integration between your object and the Rails internationalization (i18n) framework. ```ruby class Person extend ActiveModel::Translation end ``` With the `human_attribute_name` method, you can transform attribute names into a more human-readable format. The human-readable format is defined in your locale file(s). * config/locales/app.pt-BR.yml ```yml pt-BR: activemodel: attributes: person: name: 'Nome' ``` ```ruby Person.human_attribute_name('name') # => "Nome" ``` ### Lint Tests `ActiveModel::Lint::Tests` allows you to test whether an object is compliant with the Active Model API. * `app/models/person.rb` ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::Model end ``` * `test/models/person_test.rb` ```ruby require 'test_helper' class PersonTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase include ActiveModel::Lint::Tests setup do @model = Person.new end end ``` ```bash $ rails test Run options: --seed 14596 # Running: ...... Finished in 0.024899s, 240.9735 runs/s, 1204.8677 assertions/s. 6 runs, 30 assertions, 0 failures, 0 errors, 0 skips ``` An object is not required to implement all APIs in order to work with Action Pack. This module only intends to provide guidance in case you want all features out of the box. ### SecurePassword `ActiveModel::SecurePassword` provides a way to securely store any password in an encrypted form. When you include this module, a `has_secure_password` class method is provided which defines a `password` accessor with certain validations on it by default. #### Requirements `ActiveModel::SecurePassword` depends on [`bcrypt`](https://github.com/codahale/bcrypt-ruby 'BCrypt'), so include this gem in your `Gemfile` to use `ActiveModel::SecurePassword` correctly. In order to make this work, the model must have an accessor named `XXX_digest`. Where `XXX` is the attribute name of your desired password. The following validations are added automatically: 1. Password should be present. 2. Password should be equal to its confirmation (provided `XXX_confirmation` is passed along). 3. The maximum length of a password is 72 (required by `bcrypt` on which ActiveModel::SecurePassword depends) #### Examples ```ruby class Person include ActiveModel::SecurePassword has_secure_password has_secure_password :recovery_password, validations: false attr_accessor :password_digest, :recovery_password_digest end person = Person.new # When password is blank. person.valid? # => false # When the confirmation doesn't match the password. person.password = 'aditya' person.password_confirmation = 'nomatch' person.valid? # => false # When the length of password exceeds 72. person.password = person.password_confirmation = 'a' * 100 person.valid? # => false # When only password is supplied with no password_confirmation. person.password = 'aditya' person.valid? # => true # When all validations are passed. person.password = person.password_confirmation = 'aditya' person.valid? # => true person.recovery_password = "42password" person.authenticate('aditya') # => person person.authenticate('notright') # => false person.authenticate_password('aditya') # => person person.authenticate_password('notright') # => false person.authenticate_recovery_password('42password') # => person person.authenticate_recovery_password('notright') # => false person.password_digest # => "$2a$04$gF8RfZdoXHvyTjHhiU4ZsO.kQqV9oonYZu31PRE4hLQn3xM2qkpIy" person.recovery_password_digest # => "$2a$04$iOfhwahFymCs5weB3BNH/uXkTG65HR.qpW.bNhEjFP3ftli3o5DQC" ```