Is it best to remove trailing/leading whitespace from user input before insertion into the database or during the input process?

There's something I've been pondering that pertains to MVC platforms, but could also be relevant to any web-based platform that deals with user input forms.

When is the best time and method to eliminate leading/trailing whitespace from user input?

I can see a few potential stages for this process:

  1. Immediately upon receiving user form input - using JavaScript functions to remove spaces as they type or before submission
  2. Within the Controller when processing parameters
  3. Using intermediate model/attribute methods
  4. Prior to or during database storage

What is considered best practice in this scenario, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each stage, if there are multiple options?)

javascriptruby-on-railsdatabaseformsmodel-view-controller

Answer №1

In my opinion, the necessity of cleaning data varies depending on the type of application:

  • For a traditional web app, it is advisable to clean data on the browser before submission to ensure proper validation. This is especially important for fields like email addresses that may fail validation due to simple errors like leading spaces or incorrect length. Validating data without sending it to the server whenever possible is recommended.

  • When developing an API, particularly one intended for public use, it is crucial to clean data server-side or return an error. With clients unable to be completely trusted to send clean data, data cleaning should ideally be implemented in the model before validation, which can be automated for efficiency.

  • If the presence of bad data poses security risks such as XSS or SQL injection, it becomes essential to clean data both on the server and client sides. Even within a web app environment, malicious users could potentially manipulate requests, making thorough data cleaning imperative. However, if insignificant issues like extra spaces in the data won't have adverse effects, extensive cleaning measures may not be necessary.

Answer №2

In my view, this question is highly subjective. The best approach would vary depending on the implementer and the specific application at hand. If immediate cleaning after user input is not required, I recommend avoiding #1 as it may confuse users while they are typing and could impact performance on slower devices. Both #2 and #3 have their merits, with the advantage of #3 being the centralization of logic for trimming properties used in multiple places. However, running them on the server can alleviate the performance hit on client devices.

Implementing #4 can range from easy to difficult based on your DBMS.

Personally, I prefer either #2 or #3, but others may have differing opinions. It's important to note that getting one stage right may eliminate the need for multiple approaches.

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