What is the difference between “validate” and “validates” in the rails model?

Hello friends, In Ruby on Rails, the terms “validate” and “validates” refer to different aspects of the validation process in a model.

1. validate (singular):
2. validates (plural):

validate (singular):

• The validate method in a Rails model is used to specify custom validation methods.
• When you use validate, you are telling Rails to call a specific method (or multiple methods) during the validation process. These custom validation methods are responsible for checking the validity of the model's data based on your custom criteria.
• Example:

validates (plural):

• The validates method is used to apply built-in validation rules to model attributes.
• With validates, you can specify rules such as presence, length, numericality, and more for individual attributes of the model.
• Example:

class MyModel < ApplicationRecord
  validates :name, presence: true
  validates :email, uniqueness: true, format: { with: /\A[^@\s]+@[^@\s]+\z/ }
end

In summary, validate is used to define custom validation methods, while validates is used to apply built-in validation rules to model attributes. Both are essential for ensuring the integrity of data in your Rails application.