nuby - about date_select, getting into DB

rubyonrails-talk
1

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to use the date_select() form helper method per AWDWROR. In the DB the column "entry_date" is a datetime.

So using the below form, in part

============ app/views/entry/index.rhtml === <tr> <th>date</th><td><%= date_select("entry_date", :start) %></td> </tr>

how do I get it into the AR instance?

============ app/controllers/EntryController.rb ======= def create     @entry = Entry.new(                        :entry_date => params[:entry_date]["start"],                        :task_id => params[:task][:id],                        :description => params[:description]                       ); end

This gives me "entry_date cannot be null" from mysql.

The backtrace/debug dump on the error page mentioned that Parameters: .... "entry_date"=>{"start(1i)"=>"2007", "start(2i)"=>"4", "start(3i)"=>"25"}

where did that (1i), (2i) stuff come from? what does it mean?

In any case I was hoping to use a DHTML calendar pop-up for this date entry, but wanted to get this working for the prototype. So if you can help I appeciate it

thanks Sam

2

# ----- View

<h1>Editing book</h1>

<%= error_messages_for :book %>

<% form_for(:book, :url => book_path(@book), :html => { :method => :put }) do |f| %>   <p>     <b>Created at</b><br />     <%= f.datetime_select :created_at %>   </p>

  <p>     <b>Title</b><br />     <%= f.text_field :title %>   </p> ... ... ...   <p>     <%= submit_tag "Update" %>   </p> <% end %>

<%= link_to 'Show', book_path(@book) %> | <%= link_to 'Back', books_path %>

# ---- Controller

  # POST /books   # POST /books.xml   def create     @book = Book.new(params[:book])

    respond_to do |format|       if @book.save         flash[:notice] = 'Book was successfully created.'         format.html { redirect_to book_url(@book) }         format.xml { head :created, :location => book_url(@book) }       else         format.html { render :action => "new" }         format.xml { render :xml => @book.errors.to_xml }       end     end   end

P.S. If you would prefer to let Rails completely handle the entry_date for you just change the name of the column in the DB to created_at (for datetime) or created_on (for date). Then you can remove the date_select entirely from the form and Rails will automatically set the field to the current date and time when the record is created. You can also use updated_on and updated_at to create auto updating date and time stamps.

3

Thanks - maybe I should state the bigger picture of what I am trying to do - its basically an event logger. Really this is pretty simple but I am new at Ruby and Rails so life is hard now.

So users can choose a date on which the event occurred, that is taken care of my the date_select field (for now)

then they need to choose a start and end time within that date. So for this I am using text fields because its easier for them to type. But in the DB I would like to save these as timestamp fields because there is going to be a lot of reporting and statistics that goes on based on the data.

So in the DB I have

4

Any pointers? how would the seasoned pro go about this?

Well, a seasoned pro would likely use a JavaScript/DHTML date and time picker with all the fancy bells and whistles. Then use it's resulting date string representation to parse into a Ruby Time object. That is if they choose not to use the build in date time selectors Rails provides.

5

well I was going to use a DHTML timepicker widget but thought prototyping with this would be easier. But I have since found out, not so much.

my current creation looks like this for the curious: http://pastecode.com/28881