validates_timeliness/README.rdoc

= validates_timeliness

* Source:  http://github.com/adzap/validates_timeliness
* Bugs:    http://github.com/adzap/validates_timeliness/issues

== DESCRIPTION:

Validate dates, times and datetimes for Rails 3.x and ActiveModel.

== FEATURES:

* Adds ActiveModel validation for dates, times and datetimes

* Should work with any ORM using ActiveModel

* Supports timezone handling

* Supports I18n for the error messages

* Adds before_type_cast method on validated attributes 

== INSTALLATION:

As plugin (from master)

  rails plugin install git://github.com/adzap/validates_timeliness.git -r rails3

As gem (not working as yet)

  gem install validates_timeliness

  # in Gemfile

  gem 'validates_timeliness'


Then run
  
  rails generate validates_timeliness:install

This creates configuration initializer and locale files. In the initializer, you need to uncomment the extend_classes setting like so

  ValidatesTimeliness.setup do |config|

    config.extend_classes = [ ActiveRecord::Base ]

  end

This adds the validation helper methods to ActiveRecord. Replace it with the ORM of your choosing.
As long as it supports ActiveModel it should work.


== USAGE:

To validate a model with a date, time or datetime attribute you just use the
validation method

  class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
    validates_date :date_of_birth
    # or
    validates :date_of_birth, :timeliness => {:type => date}
  end

  # or even on a specific record, per ActiveModel API.

  @person.validates_date :date_of_birth


The list of validation methods available are as follows:
  validates_date     - validate value as date
  validates_time     - validate value as time only i.e. '12:20pm'
  validates_datetime - validate value as a full date and time
  validates          - use the :timeliness key and set the type in the hash.

The validation methods take the usual options plus some specific ones to restrict
the valid range of dates or times allowed

Temporal options (or restrictions):
  :is_at        - Attribute must be equal to value to be valid
  :before       - Attribute must be before this value to be valid
  :on_or_before - Attribute must be equal to or before this value to be valid
  :after        - Attribute must be after this value to be valid
  :on_or_after  - Attribute must be equal to or after this value to be valid
  :between      - Attribute must be between the values to be valid. Range or Array of 2 values. 
                  Uses :on_or_after and :on_of_before for error messages on lower and upper bounds respectively.

Regular validation options:
  :allow_nil    - Allow a nil value to be valid
  :allow_blank  - Allows a nil or empty string value to be valid
  :if           - Execute validation when :if evaluates true
  :unless       - Execute validation when :unless evaluates false


== CONFIGURATION

=== ERROR MESSAGES

Using the I18n system to define new defaults:

  en:
    errors:
      messages:
        invalid_date: "is not a valid date"
        invalid_time: "is not a valid time"
        invalid_datetime: "is not a valid datetime"
        is_at: "must be at %{restriction}"
        before: "must be before %{restriction}"
        on_or_before: "must be on or before %{restriction}"
        after: "must be after %{restriction}"
        on_or_after: "must be on or after %{restriction}"

The %{restriction} signifies where the interpolation value for the restriction will be inserted.


=== DUMMY DATE FOR TIME TYPES

Given that Ruby has no support for a time-only type, all time type columns are evaluated
as a regular Time class objects with a dummy date value set. Rails defines the dummy date as
2000-01-01. So a time of '12:30' is evaluated as a Time value of '2000-01-01 12:30'. If you
need to customize this for some reason you can do so as follows

  # in the setup block
  config.dummy_date_for_time_type = [2009, 1, 1]

The value should be an array of 3 values being year, month and day in that order.


=== TEMPORAL RESTRICTION ERRORS:

When using the validation temporal restrictions there are times when the restriction
option value itself may be invalid. This will add an error to the model such as
'Error occurred validating birth_date for :before restriction'. These can be annoying
in development or production as you most likely just want to skip the option if no
valid value was returned. By default these errors are displayed in Rails test mode.

To turn them on/off:

  # in the setup block
  config.ignore_restriction_errors = true


=== DISPLAY INVALID VALUES IN DATE/TIME SELECT HELPERS:

The plugin offers an extension for ActionView to allowing invalid
date and time values to be redisplayed to the user as feedback, instead of
a blank field which happens by default in Rails. Though the date helpers make this a
pretty rare occurrence, given the select dropdowns for each date/time component, but
it may be something of interest.

To activate it, put this in an initializer:

  # in the setup block
  config.enable_date_time_select_extension!


=== STRICT DATE/TIME VALUES FOR SELECT HELPERS

When using date/time select helpers, the component values are handled by ActiveRecord using
the Time class to instantiate them into a time value. But this mean that some invalid dates,
such as 31st June, are shifted forward and treated as valid. To handle these cases in a strict
way you can enable the plugin handler to treat them as invalid dates.

To activate it, put this in an initializer:

  # in the setup block
  config.enable_multiparameter_handler!


...


== LICENSE:

Copyright (c) 2008-2010 Adam Meehan, released under the MIT license