From: Rick DeNatale <rick.denatale@...>
Date: 2007-03-24T05:23:23+09:00
Subject: Re: Serializing a nested hash

On 3/23/07, Keith Tom <keith.tom@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I ran into some trouble w/ a model that has a nested hash attribute and
> need some help.
> Here are the details:
>
> - migration has "t.column :attribute, :text"
> - model has "serialize :attribute, Hash"
>
> Now when I put a plain (non-nested) hash in my fixtures, this attribute
> works fine; I run the tests, it unserializes, and am very happy.
> When I put something like this in the fixture:
>
>     attribute: "<%= { :date => 1, :items => 2}.to_yaml %>"
>
> I run the tests and get:
>
> Exception: attribute was supposed to be a Hash, but was a String
> /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.14.4.5618/lib/active_record/base.rb:1951:in
> `unserialize_attribute'
>
> I checked and the string that is being returned is:
>
> ---  :items: 2 :date: 1
>
> I did some googling and was under the impression nested hashes are
> okay...  I get the feeling that is wrong...

You can't nest yaml that way, nesting is indicated by indention, and
the --- indicates the start of a yaml document:

irb(main):005:0> {:attribute => {:date => 1, :items => 2}}.to_yaml
=> "--- \n:attribute: \n  :items: 2\n  :date: 1\n"

irb(main):006:0>  puts ({:attribute => {:date => 1, :items => 2}}.to_yaml)
---
:attribute:
  :items: 2
  :date: 1
=> nil


Not sure what the solution is, but I think that's the problem.


-- 
Rick DeNatale

My blog on Ruby
http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/