Validating a password format

Question

How should I make this more Ruby-like or just "better"?

def password_format_is_valid?(submitted_password)
 #Gets regular expression for password format validation from settings and applies it
 regex = Regexp.new(Setting['global_admin.password_format_regex'])
 if submitted_password =~ regex then
 return true
 else
 self.errors.add(:password, Setting['global_admin.password_format_error_message'])
 return false
 end
end

Answer 1

It seems like you need a Rails validation callback (and a virtual attribute for submitted_password). I'd write:

attr_accessor :submitted_password
validate :password_format_is_valid?
def password_format_is_valid?
 regex = Regexp.new(Setting['global_admin.password_format_regex'])
 unless submitted_password =~ regex
 self.errors.add(:password, Setting['global_admin.password_format_error_message'])
 false
 end
end

Comments:

• In the vein of Lisp, the last expression of a body in Ruby is the return value of the method/block, so no need to use an explicit return (in fact it's unidiomatic and discouraged)

• Note that Rails can validate fields with regular expression, you should use the predefined validations whenever possible: validates_format_of.

• Douglas Birch: Thank you for the explanation and example - much appreciated!
• steenslag: This returns nil when the password is valid.
• tokland: @steenslag: Indeed, I tried to write the method as a Rails callback, but the code was incomplete. Edited.

Answer 2

There is no need to write explicit return . You can omit it. Because in Ruby the result of last executed statement in your code is returned automatically.

• yannis: Care to expand your answer a bit to explain why return can be omitted?