how do you access params that are both model based and non model based?

rubyonrails-talk
1

Hi all

Ive got a form thats based on a model that I need to put a drop down box and additional text field to build the description for the item.

heres some quick code

View

<%= form_for (@shape) do |f| %> <%= f.text_field :description %> <%= select_tag "shape_name", "<option>round</option><option>square</

<option>triangular</option>" %>

<%= text_field_tag "shape_code" =>

Controller

@shape.new @shape.description = params[:description] @shape.shape = "#{params[:shape_name]} #{params[:shape_code]}" @shape.save

What happens is I get the shape.shape set right (to the name from the select box and the code from the text field) but description is always empty,

Heres whats in the params when I do a raise shape.to_yaml to debug it.

{"shape_name"=>"triangular", "shape_code"=>"shape code is here", "order"=>{"description"=>"this is a description"} "shape_code"=>"342", "shape_number"=>"111", "finish1"=>"Silver", "commit"=>"Create",

Can someone point out how I should be accessing the params so I can set the description of the shape?

Many thanks

Jonathan Gill

2

Jonathan Gill wrote:

Hi all

Ive got a form thats based on a model that I need to put a drop down box and additional text field to build the description for the item.

heres some quick code

View

<%= form_for (@shape) do |f| %> <%= f.text_field :description %> <%= select_tag "shape_name", "<option>round</option><option>square</ ><option>triangular</option>" %> <%= text_field_tag "shape_code" =>

Controller

@shape.new @shape.description = params[:description] @shape.shape = "#{params[:shape_name]} #{params[:shape_code]}" @shape.save

What happens is I get the shape.shape set right (to the name from the select box and the code from the text field) but description is always empty,

Heres whats in the params when I do a raise shape.to_yaml to debug it.

{"shape_name"=>"triangular", "shape_code"=>"shape code is here", "order"=>{"description"=>"this is a description"} "shape_code"=>"342", "shape_number"=>"111", "finish1"=>"Silver", "commit"=>"Create",

Can someone point out how I should be accessing the params so I can set the description of the shape?

Because you're using form_for it prefixes the form element names with the model name. Which in your case must not be Shape, but Order, seeing that params[:order][:description] contains the description.

That is how you access the value by the way: params[:order][:description]

Honestly though, I'm really not sure why the description is going into params[:order], is Order really the model name? I'm going to assume so...

Here's a brief, potentially correct explanation of how this all works.

<input name="order[description]" ... />

This gets pulled into the params hash as params[:shape][:description]. Following this naming convention for your form items (or using f.select and f.text_field with form_for) will give you the ability to use this syntax:

@order = Order.new(params[:order]) @order.save

Best, Michael Guterl