add(attribute, type = :invalid, **options) public

Adds a new error of type on attribute. More than one error can be added to the same attribute. If no type is supplied, :invalid is assumed.

person.errors.add(:name)
# Adds <#ActiveModel::Error attribute=name, type=invalid>
person.errors.add(:name, :not_implemented, message: "must be implemented")
# Adds <#ActiveModel::Error attribute=name, type=not_implemented,
                            options={:message=>"must be implemented"}>

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

If type is a string, it will be used as error message.

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

person.errors.add(:name, :blank)
person.errors.messages
# => {:name=>["can't be blank"]}

person.errors.add(:name, :too_long, count: 25)
person.errors.messages
# => ["is too long (maximum is 25 characters)"]

If type 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, :invalid, strict: true)
# => ActiveModel::StrictValidationFailed: Name is invalid
person.errors.add(:name, :invalid, 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, :name_or_email_blank,
  message: "either name or email must be present")
person.errors.messages
# => {:base=>["either name or email must be present"]}
person.errors.details
# => {:base=>[{error: :name_or_email_blank}]}
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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