refactored to convert and cache user input value on write to distinguish from values in read raw from database which allows correct timezone conversion

added override for read_attribute to check for failed time type cast which should save nil value

spec/attribute_methods_spec.rb

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/spec_helper'
 
+# TODO test dirty
 describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
   include ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods
   
@@ -7,26 +8,6 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
     @person = Person.new
   end
   
-  describe "read_attribute" do
-    it "should return time object from time string" do
-      @attributes = {}
-      self.stub!(:column_for_attribute).and_return( mock('Column', :klass => Time) )
-      self.stub!(:unserializable_attribute?).and_return(false)
-      
-      @attributes['birth_date_and_time'] = "1980-01-01 00:00:00"
-      read_attribute(:birth_date_and_time).should be_kind_of(Time)
-    end
-
-    it "should return nil from invalid time string" do
-      @attributes = {}
-      self.stub!(:column_for_attribute).and_return( mock('Column', :klass => Time) )
-      self.stub!(:unserializable_attribute?).and_return(false)
-      
-      @attributes['birth_date_and_time'] = "1980-02-30 00:00:00"
-      read_attribute(:birth_date_and_time).should be_nil
-    end
-  end
-  
   describe "strict_time_type_cast" do
     it "should return time object for valid time string" do
       strict_time_type_cast("2000-01-01 12:13:14").should be_kind_of(Time)
@@ -46,9 +27,9 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
     
     if RAILS_VER >= '2.1'
       it "should convert time string into current timezone" do
+        Time.zone = 'Melbourne'
         time = strict_time_type_cast("2000-01-01 12:13:14")
-        Time.zone.utc_offset.should == 0
-        time.zone.should == 'UTC'
+        Time.zone.utc_offset.should == 10.hours
       end
     end
   end
@@ -69,14 +50,20 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
     @person.birth_date_and_time.should be_kind_of(Time)
   end    
  
-  # This fails running as plugin under vendor using Rails 2.1RC
-  # due to write_attribute_with_dirty ignoring the write method for time zone
-  # method. But invalid dates do return nil when running app.
   it "should return nil when time is invalid" do
     @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-02-30 01:02:03"
     @person.birth_date_and_time.should be_nil
   end
 
+  it "should not save invalid date value to database" do        
+    time_string = "2000-02-30 09:00:00"
+    @person = Person.new
+    @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
+    @person.save
+    @person.reload
+    @person.birth_date_and_time_before_type_cast.should be_nil
+  end
+  
   unless RAILS_VER < '2.1'
     it "should return stored time string as Time with correct timezone" do
       Time.zone = 'Melbourne'
@@ -85,20 +72,27 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
       @person.birth_date_and_time.utc_offset.should == 10.hours
       @person.birth_date_and_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S').should == time_string
     end
+
+    it "should return time object from database in correct timezone" do        
+      Time.zone = 'Melbourne'
+      time_string = "2000-06-01 09:00:00"
+      @person = Person.new
+      @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
+      @person.save
+      @person.reload
+      @person.birth_date_and_time.to_s(:db).should == time_string
+    end
   end
   
-  describe "time attribute persistance" do
-    unless RAILS_VER < '2.1'
-      it "should return time object from database in correct timezone" do        
-        Time.zone = 'Melbourne'
-        time_string = "1980-06-01 09:00:00"
-        @person = Person.new
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.save
-        @person.reload
-        @person.birth_date_and_time.to_s.should == time_string
-      end
-    end
+  it "should return same time object on repeat reads" do
+    Time.zone = 'Melbourne' unless RAILS_VER < '2.1'
+    time_string = "2000-06-01 09:00:00"
+    @person = Person.new
+    @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
+    @person.save
+    @person.reload
+    time = @person.birth_date_and_time
+    @person.birth_date_and_time.should == time
   end
  
 end