So I'm failing to find how to do this the 'rails-way' Here's the problem, it's easier to show it in an example...but basically I'm having issues with validation errors highlighting (wrapping) with the 'fieldWithErrors' div and multiple models in a belongs_to relationship. So here's the example: models: child.rb belongs_to :parent validates_presence_of :parent validates_presence_of :name
parent.rb has_many :children
controller: # basic scaffold style controller with an method to support ajax: indexed_auto_complete_for :child, :parent, :name
view: <label for="parent_name">parent</label><br/> <%= text_field_with_auto_complete :parent, :name, { :value => @parent_name }, { :skip_style => true, :after_update_element => 'auto_complete_on_select' } %> <% # hidden field is updated via ajax %> <%= hidden_field :child, :parent_id %>
modified lib/auto_complete.rb # http://ricardo.pacheco.name/blog/articles/2006/09/17/using-autocomplete-with-belongs_to-fields-part-ii def indexed_auto_complete_for(parent, object, method, options = {}) define_method("auto_complete_for_#{object}_#{method}") do find_options = { :conditions => [ "LOWER(#{method}) LIKE ?", '%' + params[object][method].downcase + '%' ], :order => "#{method} ASC", :limit => 10 }.merge!(options)
@items = object.to_s.camelize.constantize.find(:all, find_options)
render :inline => "<%= indexed_auto_complete_result @items, '#{parent}_#{object}_id', '#{method}', 'id' %>" end end
modified application.js // this methods are to allow autocomplete on :belongs_to a bit easier, requires: // - application.js - auto_complete_on_select // - auto_complete_macros.rb - indexed_auto_complete_result // - auto_complete.rb - indexed_auto_complete_for function auto_complete_on_select(element, selectedElement) { var entityParts = selectedElement.id.split('::'); var entityType = entityParts[0]; var entityId = entityParts[1]; document.getElementById(entityType).value = entityId; }
So all of this renders my form as: <label for="child_parent_id">parent</label><br/>
<input id="parent_name" name="parent[name]" size="30" type="text" /
<div class="auto_complete" id="parent_name_auto_complete"></ <script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[ var parent_name_auto_completer = new Ajax.Autocompleter('parent_name', 'parent_name_auto_complete', '/children/ auto_complete_for_parent_name', {afterUpdateElement:auto_complete_on_select, parameters:'authenticity_token=' + encodeURIComponent('2789eb52554dda1a74e3363f76966983ab806fce')}) //]]> </script> <input id="child_parent_id" name="child[parent_id]" type="hidden" /
</p>
What's the problem? Well when I submit the form, the validation runs, and I get an error...but the fieldWithErrors tag doesn't get wrapped on the parent_name field.
I'm sure I'm doing something 'wrong' but I'm not clear on what. I've got a feeling that having the field without a model directly attached is not rails approved, but I'm confused about that since the collection_select is such a common thing...this would seem to be just a direct extension to that.
I've tried adding to the errors hash in the model (this doesn't work): def after_validation parent_error = errors.on(:parent) if parent_error errors.add(:parent_name, parent_error) errors.add('parent_name', parent_error) errors.add('parent[name]', parent_error) end end
Now I'm certain I can hack my way out with either: - add some sort of accessor or something like that to child.rb - re-do my modifications to the autocomplete stuff to end up with an id like child[parent_name] - change my view to this..but this is definitely an ugly non- extensible hack: <% if @child.errors.on(:parent) -%><div class='fieldWithErrors'><% end %> <%= text_field_with_auto_complete :parent, :name, { :value => @parent_name }, { :skip_style => true, :after_update_element => 'auto_complete_on_select' } %> <% if @child.errors.on(:parent) -%></div><% end %>
Thanks in advance, Dale