intended to remove some of the weirdness when updating a users account. A blank password basically ends up causing the previously existing password to be hashed twice. Probably move to has_secure_password at some point although that may end up screwing up the intent of the particular tutorial item

app/controllers/users_controller.rb

@@ -33,9 +33,12 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     
     user = User.find(:first, :conditions => "user_id = '#{params[:user][:user_id]}'")
     user.skip_user_id_assign = true
+    user.skip_hash_password = true
     user.update_attributes(params[:user].reject { |k| %w(password password_confirmation user_id).include? k })
-    pass = params[:user][:password]
+    if !(params[:user][:password].empty?) && (params[:user][:password] == params[:user][:password_confirmation])
-    user.password = pass if !(pass.blank?)
+      user.skip_hash_password = false
+      user.password = params[:user][:password]
+    end 
     message = true if user.save!
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { redirect_to user_account_settings_path(:user_id => current_user.user_id) }

app/models/user.rb

@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 class User < ActiveRecord::Base
-  attr_accessible :email, :password, :admin, :password_confirmation, :first_name, :last_name
+  attr_accessible :email, :admin, :first_name, :last_name, :user_id, :password, :password_confirmation
-  validates_confirmation_of :password, :password_confirmation, :on => :create
   validates :password, :presence => true,
                        :confirmation => true,
                        :length => {:within => 6..40},
-                       :on => :create#,
+                       :on => :create,
+                       :if => :password#,
                        #:format => {:with => /\A.*(?=.{10,})(?=.*\d)(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[\@\#\$\%\^\&\+\=]).*\z/}
   validates_presence_of :email
   validates_uniqueness_of :email
   validates_format_of :email, :with => /.+@.+\..+/i
   attr_accessor :skip_user_id_assign
+  attr_accessor :skip_hash_password
   before_save :assign_user_id, :on => :create
   before_save :hash_password
   has_one :retirement, :foreign_key => :user_id, :primary_key => :user_id, :dependent => :destroy
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :performance, :foreign_key => :user_id, :primary_key => :user_id, :dependent => :destroy
 
 
+
   def build_benefits_data
     build_retirement(POPULATE_RETIREMENTS.shuffle.first)
     build_paid_time_off(POPULATE_PAID_TIME_OFF.shuffle.first).schedule.build(POPULATE_SCHEDULE.shuffle.first)
@@ -55,8 +57,10 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
   
   def hash_password
-    if self.password.present?
+    unless @skip_hash_password == true
-      self.password = Digest::MD5.hexdigest(password)
+      if password.present?
+        self.password = Digest::MD5.hexdigest(password)
+      end
     end
   end
 

db/seeds.rb

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ users = [
        :email => "admin@metacorp.com", 
        :admin => true, 
        :password => "admin1234", 
+       :password_confirmation => "admin1234", 
        :first_name => "Admin", 
        :last_name => "", 
        :user_id =>1 
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ users = [
        :email => "jack@metacorp.com", 
        :admin => false, 
        :password => "yankeessuck", 
+       :password_confirmation => "yankeessuck", 
        :first_name => "Jack", 
        :last_name => "Mannino", 
        :user_id => 2
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ users = [
        :email => "jim@metacorp.com", 
        :admin => false, 
        :password => "alohaowasp", 
+       :password_confirmation => "alohaowasp", 
        :first_name => "Jim", 
        :last_name => "Manico", 
        :user_id =>3 
@@ -31,6 +34,7 @@ users = [
        :email => "mike@metacorp.com", 
        :admin => false, 
        :password => "motorcross1445", 
+       :password_confirmation => "motorcross1445", 
        :first_name => "Mike", 
        :last_name => "McCabe", 
        :user_id =>4 
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ users = [
        :email => "ken@metacorp.com", 
        :admin => false, 
        :password => "citrusblend", 
+       :password_confirmation => "citrusblend", 
        :first_name => "Ken", 
        :last_name => "Johnson", 
        :user_id =>5 
@@ -233,7 +238,7 @@ paid_time_off = [
 
 
 users.each do |user_info|
-  user = User.new(user_info.reject {|k| k == :user_id})
+  user = User.new(user_info.reject {|k| k == :user_id })
   user.user_id = user_info[:user_id]
   user.save
 end