README.md
assignable_values - Enums on vitamins [](https://github.com/makandra/assignable_values/actions)
=====================================
`assignable_values` lets you restrict the values that can be assigned to attributes or associations of ActiveRecord models. You can think of it as enums where the list of allowed values is generated at runtime and the value is checked during validation.
We carefully enhanced the core enum functionality with small tweaks that are useful for web forms, internationalized applications and common authorization patterns.
`assignable_values` is tested with Rails 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 on Ruby 2.5, 2.7 and 3.3.
Restricting scalar attributes
-----------------------------
The basic usage to restrict the values assignable to strings, integers, etc. is this:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :genre do
['pop', 'rock', 'electronic']
end
end
```
The assigned value is checked during validation:
```rb
Song.new(genre: 'rock').valid? # => true
Song.new(genre: 'elephant').valid? # => false
```
The validation error message is the same as the one from `validates_inclusion_of` (`errors.messages.inclusion` in your I18n dictionary).
You can also set a custom error message with the `:message` option.
### Listing assignable values
You can ask a record for a list of values that can be assigned to an attribute:
```rb
song.assignable_genres # => ['pop', 'rock', 'electronic']
```
This is useful for populating `<select>` tags in web forms:
```rb
form.select :genre, form.object.assignable_genres
```
### Humanized labels
You will often want to present internal values in a humanized form. E.g. `"pop"` should be presented as `"Pop music"`.
You can define human labels in your I18n dictionary:
```yaml
en:
assignable_values:
song:
genre:
pop: 'Pop music'
rock: 'Rock music'
electronic: 'Electronic music'
```
You can access the humanized version for the current value like this:
```rb
song = Song.new(:genre => 'pop')
song.humanized_genre # => 'Pop music'
```
Or you can retrieve the humanized version of any given value by passing it as an argument to either instance or class:
```rb
song.humanized_genre('rock') # => 'Rock music'
Song.humanized_genre('rock') # => 'Rock music'
```
You can obtain a list of all assignable values with their humanizations:
```rb
song.humanized_assignable_genres.size # => 3
song.humanized_assignable_genres.first.value # => "pop"
song.humanized_assignable_genres.first.humanized # => "Pop music"
```
A good way to populate a `<select>` tag with pairs of internal values and human labels is to use the `collection_select` helper from Rails:
```rb
form.collection_select :genre, form.object.humanized_assignable_genres, :value, :humanized
```
#### Humanized labels and inheritance
For models that inherit assignable values you can override the humanized labels:
```rb
class FunnySong < Song
...
end
```
```yaml
en:
assignable_values:
funny_song:
genre:
pop: 'The stuff you hear on mainstream radio all day long'
rock: 'A lot of electric guitars and drums'
electronic: 'Whatever David Guetta does'
```
If no humanization is provided for the child model (i.e. the `funny_song.genre` key) humanization will fall back to the
parent model (`song`).
### Defining default values
You can define a default value by using the `:default` option:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :genre, default: 'rock' do
['pop', 'rock', 'electronic']
end
end
```
The default is applied to new records:
```rb
Song.new.genre # => 'rock'
```
Defaults can be procs:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :year, default: proc { Date.today.year } do
1980 .. 2011
end
end
```
The proc will be evaluated in the context of the record instance.
You can also default a secondary default that is only set if the primary default value is not assignable:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :year, default: 1999, secondary_default: proc { Date.today.year } do
(Date.today.year - 2) .. Date.today.year
end
end
```
If called in 2013 the code above will fall back to:
```rb
Song.new.year # => 2013
```
### Allowing blank values
By default, an attribute *must* be assigned an value. If the value of an attribute is blank, the attribute
will get a validation error.
If you would like to change this behavior and allow blank values to be valid, use the `:allow_blank` option:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :genre, default: 'rock', allow_blank: true do
['pop', 'rock', 'electronic']
end
end
```
The `:allow_blank` option can be a symbol, in which case a method of that name will be called on the record.
The `:allow_blank` option can also be a proc, in which case the proc will be called in the context of the record.
### Values are only validated when they change
Values are only validated when they change. This is useful when the list of assignable values can change during runtime:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :year do
(Date.today.year - 2) .. Date.today.year
end
end
```
If a value has been saved before, it will remain valid, even if it is no longer assignable:
```rb
Song.update_all(year: 1985) # update all records with a value that is no longer valid
song = Song.last
song.year # => 1985
song.valid? # => true
```
It will also be returned when obtaining the list of assignable values:
```rb
song.assignable_years # => [2010, 2011, 2012, 1985]
```
However, if you want only those values that are actually intended to be assignable, e.g. when updating a `<select>` via AJAX, pass an option:
```rb
song.assignable_years(include_old_value: false) # => [2010, 2011, 2012]
```
Once a changed value has been saved, the previous value disappears from the list of assignable values:
```rb
song.year = '2010'
song.save!
song.assignable_years # => [2010, 2011, 2012]
song.year = 1985
song.valid? # => false
```
This is to prevent records from becoming invalid as the list of assignable values evolves. This also prevents `<select>` menus with blank selections when opening an old record in a web form.
### Array values
Assignable values can also be used for array values. This works when you use Rails 5+ and PostgreSQL with an array column, or on older Rails versions and other databases using ActiveRecord's `serialize`.
To validate array values, pass `multiple: true`:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
serialize :genres # skip this when you use PostgreSQL and an array type column
assignable_values_for :genres, multiple: true do
['pop', 'rock', 'electronic']
end
end
```
In this case, every *subset* of the given values is valid, for example `['pop', 'electronic']`.
For humanization, you can still use
```rb
song.humanized_genre('pop') # => "Pop music"
song.humanized_assignable_genres.last.humanized # => "Electronic music"
```
Restricting belongs_to associations
-----------------------------------
You can restrict `belongs_to` associations in the same manner as scalar attributes:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :artist
assignable_values_for :artist do
Artist.where(signed: true)
end
end
```
Listing and validating also works the same:
```rb
chicane = Artist.create!(name: 'Chicane', signed: true)
lt2 = Artist.create!(name: 'LT2', signed: false)
song = Song.new
song.assignable_artists # => [#<Artist id: 1, name: "Chicane">]
song.artist = chicane
song.valid? # => true
song.artist = lt2
song.valid? # => false
```
Similiar to scalar attributes, associations are only validated when the foreign key (`artist_id` in the example above) changes.
Values stored in the database will remain assignable until they are changed, and you can query actually assignable values with `song.assignable_artists(include_old_value: false)`.
Validation errors will be attached to the association's foreign key (`artist_id` in the example above).
How assignable values are evaluated
-----------------------------------
The list of assignable values is generated at runtime. Since the given block is evaluated on the record instance, so you can refer to other methods:
```rb
class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
validates_numericality_of :year
assignable_values_for :genre do
genres = []
genres << 'jazz' if year > 1900
genres << 'rock' if year > 1960
genres
end
end
```
Obtaining assignable values from another source
-----------------------------------------------
The list of assignable values can be provided by any object that is accessible from your model. This is useful for authorization scenarios like [Consul](https://github.com/makandra/consul) or [CanCan](https://github.com/ryanb/cancan), where permissions are defined in a single class.
You can define the source of assignable values by setting the `:through` option to a proc:
```rb
class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :state, through: proc { Power.current }
end
```
`Power.current` must now respond to a method `assignable_story_states` or `assignable_story_states(story)` which returns an `Enumerable` of state strings:
```rb
class Power
cattr_accessor :current
def initialize(role)
@role = role
end
def assignable_story_states(story)
states = ['draft', 'pending']
states << 'accepted' if @role == :admin
states
end
end
```
Listing and validating works the same with delegation:
```rb
story = Story.new(state: 'accepted')
Power.current = Power.new(:guest)
story.assignable_states # => ['draft', 'pending']
story.valid? # => false
Power.current = Power.new(:admin)
story.assignable_states # => ['draft', 'pending', 'accepted']
story.valid? # => true
```
Note that delegated validation is skipped when the delegate is `nil`. This way your model remains usable when there is no authorization context, like in batch processes or the console:
```rb
story = Story.new(state: 'foo')
Power.current = nil
story.valid? # => true
```
Think of this as enabling an optional authorization layer on top of your model validations, which can be switched on or off depending on the current context.
Instead of a proc you can also use the `:through` option to name an instance method:
```rb
class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
attr_accessor :power
assignable_values_for :state, through: :power
end
```
### Obtaining assignable values from a Consul power
A common use case for the `:through` option is when there is some globally accessible object that knows about permissions for the current request. In practice you will find that it requires some effort to make sure such an object is properly instantiated and accessible.
If you are using [Consul](https://github.com/makandra/consul), you will get a lot of this plumbing for free. Consul gives you a macro `current_power` to instantiate a so called "power", which describes what the current user may access:
```rb
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
include Consul::Controller
current_power do
Power.new(current_user)
end
end
```
The code above will provide you with a helper method `current_power` for your controller and views. Everywhere else, you can simply access it from `Power.current`.
You can now delegate validation of assignable values to the current power by saying:
```rb
class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
authorize_values_for :state
end
```
This is a shortcut for saying:
```rb
class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
assignable_values_for :state, through: proc { Power.current }
end
```
Head over to the [Consul README](https://github.com/makandra/consul) for details.
Installation
------------
Put this into your `Gemfile`:
```rb
gem 'assignable_values'
```
Now run `bundle install` and restart your server. Done.
Development
-----------
There are tests in `spec`. We only accept PRs with tests. To run tests:
- Install Ruby 2.3.8
- Create a local test database `assignable_values_test` in both MySQL and PostgreSQL (see
`.github/workflows/test.yml` for commands to do so)
- Copy `spec/support/database.sample.yml` to `spec/support/database.yml` and enter your local
credentials for the test databases (postgres entry is not required if you are using a socket
connection)
- Install development dependencies using `bundle install`
- Run tests using `bundle exec rake current_rspec`
We recommend to test large changes against multiple versions of Ruby and multiple dependency sets. Supported combinations are configured in `.github/workflows/test.yml`. We provide some rake tasks to help with this:
- Install development dependencies using `bundle exec rake matrix:install`
- Run tests using `bundle exec rake matrix:spec`
Note that we have configured GitHub Actions to automatically run tests in all supported Ruby versions and dependency sets after each push. We will only merge pull requests after a green GitHub Actions run.
I'm very eager to keep this gem leightweight and on topic. If you're unsure whether a change would make it into the gem, [talk to me beforehand](mailto:henning.koch@makandra.de).
Credits
-------
[Henning Koch](mailto:henning.koch@makandra.de) from [makandra](http://makandra.com/).