lib/genderize/genderize.rb in genderize-0.0.2 vs lib/genderize/genderize.rb in genderize-0.0.3

@@ -1,42 +1,49 @@
-require "genderize/gender"
-
 module Genderize::Genderize
 
   def self.included(base)
     base.extend(Genderize::Genderize::ClassMethods)
   end
   
   module ClassMethods
+    require "genderize/gender"
     
     def genderize(col_name = "gender")
-      
       # Reads the DB column value for gender attribute and creates a new Gender 
       # object with it's value
       #
       # The object is memoized for future calls.
       # 
       # Returns a Gender
       define_method col_name do
         if value = instance_variable_get("@#{col_name}")
           return value
+        end
+        read_value = read_attribute(col_name)
+        if read_value.blank?
+          return read_value
         else
-          instance_variable_set("@#{col_name}", Gender.new(read_attribute(col_name)))
+          instance_variable_set("@#{col_name}", Genderize::Gender.new(read_attribute(col_name)))
         end
       end
       
       # Writes to the DB column the new value for the gender attribute
       # Sets the instance varaible value too
       #
       # string - A String indicating the gender. Must be either 'm', "M", 'f' or "F".
       #
       # Raises ArgumentError if gender is not a single alphanumeric character "m" or "f"
       define_method "#{col_name}=" do |string|
-        unless string.to_s =~ /\A(m|f)\Z/i
+        unless string.blank? or string.to_s =~ /\A(m|f)\Z/i
           raise ArgumentError, "Gender must be a single alphanumeric character" 
         end
         write_attribute(col_name, string)
-        instance_variable_set("@#{col_name}", Gender.new(read_attribute(col_name)))
+        
+        if string.blank?
+          instance_variable_set("@#{col_name}", string)
+        else
+          instance_variable_set("@#{col_name}", Genderize::Gender.new(read_attribute(col_name)))
+        end
       end
       
     end
     
   end
\ No newline at end of file