Rails 3 skip validations and callbacks

This works in Rails 3:

Model.skip_callback(:create)
model.save(:validate => false)
Model.set_callback(:create)

(API docs and related question)

Use ActiveRecord::Persistence#update_column, like this:

Model.update_column(field, value)

If the goal is to simply insert or update a record without callbacks or validations, and you would like to do it without resorting to additional gems, adding conditional checks, using RAW SQL, or futzing with your exiting code in any way, it may be possible to use a "shadow object" which points to your existing db table. Like so:

class ImportedUser < ActiveRecord::Base
  # To import users with no validations or callbacks
  self.table_name = 'users'
end

This works with every version of Rails, is threadsafe, and completely eliminates all validations and callbacks with no modifications to your existing code. Just remember to use your new class to insert the object, like:

ImportedUser.new( person_attributes )

My take was like this (note: this disables callbacks on create, for update, delete and others you need to add them to array).

    begin
      [:create, :save].each{|a| self.class.skip_callback(a) } # We disable callbacks on save and create

      # create new record here without callbacks, tou can also disable validations with 
      # .save(:validate => false)
    ensure
      [:create, :save].each{|a| self.class.set_callback(a) }  # and we ensure that callbacks are restored
    end

I would recommend NOT using the skip_callback approach since it is not thread safe. The sneaky save gem however is since it just runs straight sql. Note this will not trigger validations so you will have to call them yourself (ex: my_model.valid?).

Here are some samples from their docs:

# Update. Returns true on success, false otherwise.
existing_record.sneaky_save

# Insert. Returns true on success, false otherwise.
Model.new.sneaky_save

# Raise exception on failure.
record.sneaky_save!

Rails 3 skip validations and callbacks

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