PostgreSQL column type 'citext' not yet supported

[odigity]

Rails 4.2 adding support for the PostreSQL column type 'citext':

http://www.raysrashmi.com/2014/09/02/new-features-in-rails-4-2

I just started using it, but as a consequence, my rails_admin views no longer work for models that have a citext column:

RuntimeError (Unsupported field datatype: citext):
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields/types.rb:12:in `load'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:15:in `block in <module:Fields>'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:54:in `call'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:54:in `block (2 levels) in factory'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:54:in `each'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:54:in `detect'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:54:in `block in factory'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:50:in `each'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/fields.rb:50:in `factory'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/has_fields.rb:130:in `_fields'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/has_fields.rb:133:in `_fields'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/has_fields.rb:108:in `all_fields'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/has_fields.rb:83:in `fields'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) app/controllers/rails_admin/main_controller.rb:121:in `get_collection'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) app/controllers/rails_admin/main_controller.rb:37:in `list_entries'
  rails_admin (0.6.6) lib/rails_admin/config/actions/index.rb:30:in `block (2 levels) in <class:Index>'
  (eval):8:in `instance_eval'
  (eval):8:in `index'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/implicit_render.rb:4:in `send_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:198:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rendering.rb:10:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:20:in `block in process_action'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:117:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:117:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:151:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:151:in `block in halting_and_conditional'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:151:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:151:in `block in halting_and_conditional'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:234:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:169:in `block in halting'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:92:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:92:in `_run_callbacks'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:734:in `_run_process_action_callbacks'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:81:in `run_callbacks'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:19:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:29:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:31:in `block in process_action'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:164:in `block in instrument'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:164:in `instrument'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/params_wrapper.rb:250:in `process_action'
  activerecord (4.2.0) lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:18:in `process_action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:137:in `process'
  actionview (4.2.0) lib/action_view/rendering.rb:30:in `process'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:195:in `dispatch'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb:13:in `dispatch'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:236:in `block in action'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:73:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:73:in `dispatch'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:42:in `serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:43:in `block in serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:30:in `each'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:30:in `serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:802:in `call'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/engine.rb:518:in `call'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/railtie.rb:194:in `public_send'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/railtie.rb:194:in `method_missing'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb:51:in `serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:43:in `block in serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:30:in `each'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:30:in `serve'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:802:in `call'
  rack-pjax (0.8.0) lib/rack/pjax.rb:12:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/etag.rb:24:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/conditionalget.rb:25:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/head.rb:13:in `call'
  remotipart (1.2.1) lib/remotipart/middleware.rb:27:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/params_parser.rb:27:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/flash.rb:260:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:225:in `context'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:220:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/cookies.rb:560:in `call'
  activerecord (4.2.0) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:36:in `call'
  activerecord (4.2.0) lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:647:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:29:in `block in call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:88:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:88:in `_run_callbacks'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:734:in `_run_call_callbacks'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:81:in `run_callbacks'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:27:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/remote_ip.rb:78:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/debug_exceptions.rb:17:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/show_exceptions.rb:30:in `call'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:38:in `call_app'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:20:in `block in call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:68:in `block in tagged'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:26:in `tagged'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:68:in `tagged'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:20:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/request_id.rb:21:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:22:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/runtime.rb:18:in `call'
  activesupport (4.2.0) lib/active_support/cache/strategy/local_cache_middleware.rb:28:in `call'
  actionpack (4.2.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb:113:in `call'
  rack (1.6.0) lib/rack/sendfile.rb:113:in `call'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/engine.rb:518:in `call'
  railties (4.2.0) lib/rails/application.rb:164:in `call'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/configuration.rb:74:in `call'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/server.rb:492:in `handle_request'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/server.rb:363:in `process_client'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/server.rb:254:in `block in run'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/thread_pool.rb:101:in `call'
  puma (2.10.2) lib/puma/thread_pool.rb:101:in `block in spawn_thread'

[elspethsoup]

I worked around this by adding a file called lib/rails_admin/config/fields/types/citext.rb with the following contents:

require 'rails_admin/config/fields/base'

module RailsAdmin::Config::Fields::Types
  class Citext < RailsAdmin::Config::Fields::Types::String
    RailsAdmin::Config::Fields::Types::register(:citext, self)
  end
end

and then requiring that file at the top of config/initializers/rails_admin.rb

[odigity]

Thanks! Will try that soon.

[wlipa]

@soupmatt That config works pretty well, but the columns aren't searchable because the statement builder doesn't know about :citext. Any way to fix that?

[stevenharman]

@wlipa I was able to work around this like so:

# lib/rails_admin/config/fields/types/citext.rb
require 'rails_admin/config/fields/base'

module RailsAdmin
  module Config
    module Fields
      module Types
        class Citext < RailsAdmin::Config::Fields::Types::String
          RailsAdmin::Config::Fields::Types::register(:citext, self)
        end
      end
    end
  end

  # Allow for searching/filtering of `citext` fields.
  module Adapters
    module ActiveRecord
      module CitextStatement
        private

        def build_statement_for_type
          if @type == :citext
            return build_statement_for_string_or_text
          else
            super
          end
        end
      end

      class StatementBuilder < RailsAdmin::AbstractModel::StatementBuilder
        prepend CitextStatement
      end
    end
  end
end

And then in your /config/initializers/rails_admin.rb

require Rails.root.join('lib/rails_admin/config/fields/types/citext')

I'd be happy to submit a PR with a proper fix, but I'm not sure how to handle Postgres-specific data types. Any guidance on that?

[sfcgeorge]

I just ran into this too, citext is pretty useful for saving usernames with desired capitalisation but allowing to login with any capitalisation. @stevenharman's fix worked perfectly for me, both to edit and search. It's fairly easy to stick in a lib monkeypatch, but it could easily be gemified too if it doesn't belong in core.

[sfcgeorge]

An additional monkeypatch is needed to make the Filters work (without it you get no operator options).

// app/assets/javascripts/rails_admin/custom/ui.js

$(document).on("rails_admin.dom_ready", function() {
  if (!$.filters.old_append) {
    $.filters.old_append = $.filters.append;

    $.filters.append = function(options) {
      options = options || {};
      options.type = options.type == "citext" ? "string" : options.type;

      return $.filters.old_append(options);
    };
  }
});

[tosbourn]

Would there be anything philosophical stopping the above fixes making their way into core? Happy to attempt a PR for this (just ran into this issue).

I feel like Rails Admin wouldn't have an issue supporting what Rails supports out of the box.

[mshibuya]

There's no specific reason, a PR with corresponding tests will be happily accepted.