# Using Javascript variables

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [June 4, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216 "2008-06-04T13:37:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sachin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sachin1](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Sachin1)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216/1 "2008-06-04T13:37:54Z")

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How one can use a JS variable in the ruby code?

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**Author:** ![Frederick\_Cheung](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/rubyonrails/user_avatar/discuss.rubyonrails.org/frederick_cheung/32/3901_2.png) [@Frederick\_Cheung](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Frederick_Cheung)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216/2 "2008-06-04T13:53:29Z")

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Depends what you mean. if you want a link or similar to submit a javascript variable then have a look at

> **[:with or :without you: link\_to\_remote's mysterious parameter - Space Vatican](https://www.spacevatican.org/2008/5/17/with-or-without-you-link_to_remote-s-mysterious-parameter/)**
>
> One of the nice things about Rails is that it makes it really easy to get off the ground with Ajax, thanks to the link\_to\_remote helper (and all the …

Fred

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**Author:** ![11175](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/8edcca/32.png) [@11175](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11175)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216/3 "2008-06-04T22:18:58Z")

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Have you figured this out yet? I am looking for the same thing. How would you set a ruby variable inside a javascript method? Say something like this...

\<SCRIPT language="JavaScript"\>

function submitform(nextQuestion) { &nbsp;&nbsp;\<% @nextQuestion = nextQuestion %\> &nbsp;&nbsp;document.form1.submit(); }

\</SCRIPT\>

Thanks

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**Author:** ![Frederick\_Cheung](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/rubyonrails/user_avatar/discuss.rubyonrails.org/frederick_cheung/32/3901_2.png) [@Frederick\_Cheung](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Frederick_Cheung)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2008, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/using-javascript-variables/30216/4 "2008-06-05T09:20:56Z")

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> Have you figured this out yet? I am looking for the same thing. How would you set a ruby variable inside a javascript method? Say something like this...
> 
> \<SCRIPT language="JavaScript"\>
> 
> function submitform(nextQuestion) { \<% @nextQuestion = nextQuestion %\> document.form1.submit();

That's completely impossible - client side code cannot have server side effects (except of course via a request of some sort). If you are trying to change what the form submits, then a classic technique is to have a hidden field on the form that the javascript manipulates.

Fred