gistfile1.builder

# to create a new student
s1 = Sevis::Student.new(
  :personal_info => {
    :birth_date => '1986/12/01',
    #...
  },
  :educational_info => {
    :edu_level => {
      :level => '...'
      #...
    }
  }
)

s1.personal_info.birth_date = Time.parse('1986/12/01')
s1.educational_info.level = '...'

s1.new_record? # true

# to validate student record
s1.valid?

s1.errors # {"personal_info" => {"first_name" => "can't be blank"}, "issue_reason" => "can't be blank"}

# to update existing student simply add id field (request_id from sevis)
s2 = Sevis::Student.new(:id => 123, ...)
s2.new_record? # false

# to create a new batch operation
b = Sevis::Batch.new
b.students << s1
b.students << s2

# to validate all records
b.valid? # will set b.errors and s1.errors and s2.errors accrodingly
b.errors # errors from all records

# to batch upload student records
log = b.upload # generates batch id, new students ids and returns transaction log

# to request batch status
log = b.check_status! # will download attached PDFs to Sevis.pdf_download_dir if
                      # batch is completed and update students pdf attribute with
                      # correct path, returns transaction log

b.completed? # calls check_status! if status hasn't been checked yet and returns true
             # if all records had been processed, on subsequent calls doesn't query
             # SEVIS

# to request status of another batch
b2 = Sevis::Batch.new(:id => 123)
b2.completed?

This looks like it's in the right direction. Can you formalize these in specs?

Thank you,

T.J.