adding a comment for myself

activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb

@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ def attribute_present?(attribute)
 
     # Returns the column object for the named attribute.
     def column_for_attribute(name)
+      # FIXME: should this return a null object for columns that don't exist?
       self.class.columns_hash[name.to_s]
     end
 

activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods/write.rb

@@ -37,16 +37,16 @@ def write_attribute(attr_name, value)
       alias_method :raw_write_attribute, :write_attribute
 
       private
-        # Handle *= for method_missing.
-        def attribute=(attribute_name, value)
-          write_attribute(attribute_name, value)
-        end
+      # Handle *= for method_missing.
+      def attribute=(attribute_name, value)
+        write_attribute(attribute_name, value)
+      end
 
-        def type_cast_attribute_for_write(column, value)
-          return value unless column
+      def type_cast_attribute_for_write(column, value)
+        return value unless column
 
-          column.type_cast_for_write value
-        end
+        column.type_cast_for_write value
+      end
     end
   end
 end