add(attribute, message = :invalid, options = {}) public

Adds message to the error messages on attribute. More than one error can be added to the same attribute. If no message is supplied, :invalid is assumed.

person.errors.add(:name)
# => ["is invalid"]
person.errors.add(:name, 'must be implemented')
# => ["is invalid", "must be implemented"]

person.errors.messages
# => {:name=>["must be implemented", "is invalid"]}

If message is a symbol, it will be translated using the appropriate scope (see generate_message).

If message is a proc, it will be called, allowing for things like Time.now to be used within an error.

If the :strict option is set to true, it will raise ActiveModel::StrictValidationFailed instead of adding the error. :strict option can also be set to any other exception.

person.errors.add(:name, nil, strict: true)
# => ActiveModel::StrictValidationFailed: name is invalid
person.errors.add(:name, nil, strict: NameIsInvalid)
# => NameIsInvalid: name is invalid

person.errors.messages # => {}

attribute should be set to :base if the error is not directly associated with a single attribute.

person.errors.add(:base, "either name or email must be present")
person.errors.messages
# => {:base=>["either name or email must be present"]}
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September 14, 2011
2 thanks

More on add_to_base

Actually, use

model_instance.errors.add :base, :invalid

to have I18n working.

August 13, 2010
0 thanks

Depracated add_to_base

use

model_instance.errors[:base] << "Msg"

instead of depracated

model_instance.errors.add_to_base("Msg")

for Rails 3