validates_associated - Detailed Validation error messages on associations

I attached a patch.

I used your patch. I was wondering, does user really need to know that his "Profile is invalid"?

In fact, I see this message twice. I don't know exactly why. Maybe it's because one of my today's hacks when I started trying to understand rails internals for the first time and make the saving of multi-model forms like a breeze.

Anyway, I uncommented this line:

record.errors.add(attr_name, ActiveRecord::Errors.default_error_messages[:invalid])

But the 1 message still stayed. It was coming from add_single_associated_save_callbacks method. So I moved a part of your code there. Now I don't even have to call validates_confirmation_of :password

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
index fb5f1f8..6a2d706 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
@@ -1148,7 +1148,11 @@ module ActiveRecord
           define_method(method_name) do
             association = instance_variable_get("@#{association_name}")
             if !association.nil?
-              errors.add "#{association_name}" unless association.target.nil? || association.valid?
+              unless association.target.nil? || association.valid?
+                association.errors.each do |error_name, error_value|
+                  errors.add(error_name, error_value)
+                end
+              end
             end
           end

So, it's not just one place where detailed validation error message is needed.

I will continue hacking. Will create a ticket and a patch just after I find it worth sharing.

My damn brain and linux copy-paster :) Sorry

• Anyway, I uncommented this line:
• Anyway, I commented this line:
• Now I don't even have to call validates_confirmation_of :password
• Now I don't even have to call validates_associated :profile

I'm in favor of not having to validates_associated.

I think that it would be useful to attach the name of the association that owns the invalid attribute because two models may have the same attribute names.

This is if the error is attached to object with the association, and not the association that is invalid. Ideally validation errors would be attached to its object and reporting on the validation errors would be recursive. However, it seems like that would be difficult.

One of the patches attached to this ticket provides an easy to implement interim solution.