# Collection\_select

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/collection-select/145399>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 8, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/collection-select/145399 "2008-08-08T19:38:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/collection-select/145399/1 "2008-08-08T19:38:07Z")

</div>

\<%= collection\_select(:category, :id, @categories, :id, :name, options  
={:prompt =\> “-Select categories-”, :multiple=\>“multiple”},  
:class=\>“category\_dropdown\_list”, :id=\>“collect\_select”) %\>

I’m using a link\_to\_remote for my submit button. Firstly, by sending  
:with =\> “‘categories=’ + $(‘collect\_select’).serialize()”, how will I  
access the selected values in my controller? How will I know how many  
items are selected and how to retrieve their values? Thanks!