# Complex Forms

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 5, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051 "2008-03-05T17:11:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shawn_B)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051/1 "2008-03-05T17:11:07Z")

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I am wondering if someone may be able to point me in the right  
direction.

I have a survey that I am trying to do that has in it many one too  
many  
relegations. Thanks to railscasts complex forms series, I was able to  
get them all working. I have come to a road block and hoping someone  
can  
help. The survey capture a companies profile, where things get sticky  
is  
I now need to create a relationship that will allow a user to enter in  
categories of products that the company deals with. Here is the  
predefined list.

- Wood based panels
- Complete pre-fabricated buildings and houses
- Wood kitchen cabinets
- Wood windows and doors
- Wood flooring
- Millwork
- Mouldings
- Engineered wood products
- Other wood based building products
- PVC windows
- Steel doors
- Insulation
- Stone-processed products
- Basement envelope systems
- Other non-wood building products

This list is set in stone and no others can be added by the user. So a  
company can have many categories. Also I need to add a relation ship  
to  
allow users to add products to each category with details on each  
product.

I am not sure on how to approach this as well I am very new to Rails.  
I  
come from a coldfusion background. If it would help, I could send you  
any existing code I have.

I hope someone can help, Thanks in advance!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shawn_B)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051/2 "2008-03-06T06:59:27Z")

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for the first part, why not use a has\_and\_belongs\_to\_many :categories  
association in the Company model, and a multiple select box which  
allows the user to select one or more categories for the company.

For the second part, make a form which allows the user to select the  
category from a drop down list of options.

Or are you trying to do everything in a single form?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shawn_B)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051/3 "2008-03-06T13:33:26Z")

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I was hoping to do every thing in the same form but I am thinking it  
might be over my head

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shawn_B)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051/4 "2008-03-06T14:11:00Z")

</div>

I was hoping to do every thing in the same form but I am thinking it  
might be over my head

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Shawn\_B](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shawn_B)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/complex-forms/131051/5 "2008-03-06T14:48:36Z")

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I was hoping to do every thing in the same form but I am thinking it  
might be over my head