# A bit lost , could use some direction **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [October 7, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349 "2006-10-07T14:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/1 "2006-10-07T14:18:06Z")
I’m working on a database search and using a search model object. Currently, the searches/new.rhtml works well as far as saving the parameters to the searches table. I think the query is not really working and when I redirect back to list the results all I get is a nil.to\_sym error. Let me show my code, first in the controller: def create @search = Search.new(params[:search]) # this saves the selected parameters to the database #all this pq stuff is really just find statements, however I’m using a search plugin called criteria\_query #but all these pq statement translate to find pq = Position.query pq.category\_id\_eq(params[:category\_id]) if params[:category\_id] pq.state\_id\_eq(params[:state\_id]) if params[:state\_id] pq.term\_id\_eq(params[:term\_id]) if params[:term\_id] pq.title\_eq(params[:title]) if params[:title] pq.city\_eq(params[:city]) if params[:city] ``` # btw , this is a restful setup respond_to do |format| if @search.save flash[:notice] = 'Position was successfully created.' # so it is ``` saving correctly ``` format.html { redirect_to searches_url(pq) } # here i'm redirecting ``` back to the index url #here i’m just leaving out the other format code (xml, etc) end I’m a bit unsure of how to pass the pq parameters to the index , and wonder if I’ve set the form up correctly. As an example here is one element from the form and the form tags: \<% form\_for(:search, :url =\> searches\_path) do |f| %\> \<%= text\_field(:search,:title) %\> \<%= submit\_tag “Create” %\> So , yeah I’m pretty much new to setting a search up 🙂 and appreciate any suggestions. TIA Stuart – > **[Dark ambient](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_ambient)** > > Dark ambient (referred to as ambient industrial especially in the 1980s) is a genre of post-industrial music that features an ominous, dark droning and often gloomy, monumental or catacombal atmosphere, partially with discordant overtones. It shows similarities with ambient music, a genre that has been cited as a main influence by many dark ambient artists, both conceptually and compositionally. Although mostly electronically generated, dark ambient also includes the sampling of hand-pla > The te... ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/2 "2006-10-07T22:30:44Z")
Starting over on this post: I’m trying to set up a database search. My controllers name is Searches and the model is Search. I’m using a restful design. In - def create @search = Search.new(params[:search]) … end This captures the parameters to the database as a saved search. That’s working, but after save I am redirecting back to the index page and want only to display what’s been asked for in the search form. I’m unsure though how to grab those parameters. Can I pass the @search params back to the index page and use them in a select statement ? Also, do I have to do anything special in my form ? Stuart ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/3 "2006-10-08T00:49:10Z")
On 10/7/06, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m not entire sure what the problem is, although it sounds to me that > what you want to do is somthing like > > redirect\_to :action =\> :search, :id =\> @search.id Well the action is not search because I’m using a restful controller so it’s the GET method on the index action which I can call with “redirect\_to searches\_url(@search)”. and then in your search action > @search = Search.find params[:id} > #do something with @search > > That said I’m not sure whether I’m telling you something you already > know (sorry if I am) or not No, I mean it’s starting to sink in. Stuart ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/4 "2006-10-08T02:05:14Z")
On 10/7/06, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m not entire sure what the problem is, although it sounds to me that > what you want to do is somthing like > > redirect\_to :action =\> :search, :id =\> @search.id > > and then in your search action > @search = Search.find params[:id} > #do something with @search I don’t know why but I continue to get You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! The error occurred while evaluating nil.to\_sym At this point all I’m trying to do is print out one of the values. In the view I have \<%= @search.category\_id %\> And getting this nil.to\_sym. Not sure what it means . Stuart ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/5 "2006-10-08T00:30:12Z")
I’m not entire sure what the problem is, although it sounds to me that what you want to do is somthing like redirect\_to :action =\> :search, :id =\> @search.id and then in your search action @search = Search.find params[:id} #do something with @search That said I’m not sure whether I’m telling you something you already know (sorry if I am) or not Fred ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/6 "2006-10-08T02:37:16Z")
On 10/7/06, s.ross [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > # Assuming the action you really wanted was ‘list’ only filtered … > > list\_setup > render :action =\> ‘list’ > > BTW: The nil.to\_sym issue is related to @search having a nil value. Add > this > line to verify that: > > logger.debug “oh, noooo, mr. bill, @search is nil.” unless @search > > Am I on the right track? Your on a better track then I am , that’s for certain. I’m not entirely sure though about the nil.to\_sym error. I found one open ticket on trac ( [dev.rubyonrails.org](http://dev.rubyonrails.org)). Anyway it maybe related to the route I’m attempting to pass @search to. If I say { redirect\_to searches\_url(@search)} it throws an error but { redirect\_to search\_url(@search)} takes me to show and @search is alive there. Anyway I’ll have to hit this again tomorrow and see where your ideas can lead me. Though I was under the assumption that index and list were basically the same. Stuart Dark A. wrote: > > > @search = Search.find params[:id} > > > view I have > > > – > > > View this message in context: > > > [http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699570](http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699570) > > > Sent from the RubyOnRails Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com). > > > – > **[Dark ambient](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_ambient)** > > Dark ambient (referred to as ambient industrial especially in the 1980s) is a genre of post-industrial music that features an ominous, dark droning and often gloomy, monumental or catacombal atmosphere, partially with discordant overtones. It shows similarities with ambient music, a genre that has been cited as a main influence by many dark ambient artists, both conceptually and compositionally. Although mostly electronically generated, dark ambient also includes the sampling of hand-pla > The te... ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/7 "2006-10-08T02:45:16Z")
I’m sorry I mixed things up by using ‘list’ when you used ‘index’. Most applications use the ‘list’ action to display … um, lists. Many have an index formed as: def index list render :action =\> ‘list’ end So, unless your index is more of a splash screen, they may be synonymous. Dark A. wrote: > > into > > something like: > > ideas > > > > > I’m not entire sure what the problem is, although it sounds to me that > > > > > > Stuart > > > > > > > – > [Dark ambient - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_ambient) > > > – View this message in context: [http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699642](http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699642) Sent from the RubyOnRails Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com). ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/8 "2006-10-08T13:25:56Z")
On 10/7/06, s.ross [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > end > > So, unless your index is more of a splash screen, they may be synonymous. Doesn’t seem to help, unless I break away from the CRUD create a seperate method, though I haven’t tried it yet and not sure I want to see that goes outside of REST. There is no list in REST controller actions. Not sure how to even implement it. Stuart ---
**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-bit-lost-could-use-some-direction/71349/9 "2006-10-08T02:27:15Z")
Could it be that a redirect is not what you want? Typically, one would do something like: def search form\_search\_query(params[:search]) # magic code to turn user input into query # Assuming the action you really wanted was ‘list’ only filtered … list render :action =\> ‘list’ end Now, adding REST into the mix complicates things, but not so much that it’s unworkable. If you refactor the guts out of your list action, you can do something like: … list\_setup render :action =\> ‘list’ BTW: The nil.to\_sym issue is related to @search having a nil value. Add this line to verify that: logger.debug “oh, noooo, mr. bill, @search is nil.” unless @search Am I on the right track? Dark A. wrote: > > @search = Search.find params[:id} > > \<%= @search.category\_id %\> > > And getting this nil.to\_sym. Not sure what it means . > > Stuart > > > – View this message in context: [http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699570](http://www.nabble.com/A-bit-lost-%2C-could-use-some-direction-tf2400491.html#a6699570) Sent from the RubyOnRails Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com).