# Custom Actions in Routes.rb **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 25, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739 "2008-02-25T17:08:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/1 "2008-02-25T17:08:54Z")
Hi, on rails 2.0.2 i generate a controller with actions Index and New using: “script/generate controller Recipe Index New” I can now access the actions index/new through /recipe/index or / recipe/new. But if i create a new blank action called delete using: “def delete end” and create the corresponding view for delete action i cannot access it through /recipe/delete! I’ve been told that this is because in restful routes i need to specify the new action delete (even though i never specified the actions index/new) and i have searched through the api but am still not clear on how exactly i would add a custom action route to routes.rb? ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/2 "2008-02-25T17:13:47Z")
the action should be named destroy, not delete if you want to define custom actions you must use something like this map.resources :name, :member =\> [“my\_action”] if it runs on a specific member and needs an id or map.resources :name, :collection =\> [“my\_action”] if it’s a more general action (like index) that does not need an id ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/3 "2008-02-25T17:23:42Z")
I’ve learned that routes.rb is your friend and a great file to keep open to see how rails maps everything for you. This will show you how to access rails built-in futions. Also, Chapter 20 in Agile Web Development with Rails will help you understand what rails does with the all important routes in 2.0 ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/4 "2008-02-25T20:42:57Z")
On 25/02/2008, Evan [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > and create the corresponding view for delete action i cannot access it > through /recipe/delete! So: restful routes automatically handles seven controller actions for you: index, new, create, edit, update, show, and destroy. index, show, new, and edit are handled as GETs to (respectively) recipes/ recipes/1 recipes/new recipes/1/edit create is handled by a POST to recipes/; update handled by a PUT to recipes/1; destroy handled by a DELETE to recipes/1. Whoever said “you should call it destroy”; buzzer sound for you. #destroy is the method name we use for the end of a DELETE request. But what if you want a page up front to handle the “are you sure you want to destroy?” dialogue? That would be a GET to /1/delete (just like our edit method). So, in our routes file: map.resources :recipes, :member =\> {:delete =\> :get} will allow you to GET recipes/1/delete with delete\_recipe\_path . What this translates as is: I should be able to GET the page “delete” on any individual recipe. If you wanted to have a new route on top of every recipe, you could do the following: map.resources :recipes, :collection =\> {:list =\> :get} which allows you to GET recipes/list with list\_recipes\_path . This means: I should be able to GET a list of ALL recipes. Obviously, this should ONLY be for a page you display. If there’s any destruction in your action, you’re looking for a DELETE to a recipe path. But the way you add extra routes on is through the :collection and :member hashes in your routes file. Does that help? If in doubt, type rake routes at the terminal, to see what routes your app currently supports. ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 8:04am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/5 "2008-03-16T08:04:15Z")
Does this mean that for every custom action I define in a controller, I have to add it in my routes.rb? What if I had 50 custom actions? …for the sake of hypothetical argument. This doesn’t seem so dynamic to me. ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/6 "2008-03-16T08:05:26Z")
I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure we didnt have to declare all custom actions in routes.rb in Rails 1.2.x On Feb 25, 11:13 am, Thorsten M. \ **Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/7 "2008-03-16T22:13:32Z") Ok, I read your articles and I think I’m beginning to understand routes (will need to read more). I’m attempting to build a web application that will communicate with some unix and windows servers and will be running binaries and executables on those boxes which is why I need to run custom actions. So this is not just a web site driven by ROR, but more of a full application. I’m trying to avoid mixing in other languages e.g. CGI with Perl, Javascript unless I really, really have to. Ryan B. wrote: > You won’t have 50 custom actions, believe me. > > Have a read of > [frozenplague.net](http://frozenplague.net/2008/01/06/restful-routing-an-overview/) and > [frozenplague.net](http://frozenplague.net/2008/03/16/administration-namespacing/) > > On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 5:33 PM, trip.tucker [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > wrote: > > > Does this mean that for every custom action I define in a controller, > > I have to add it in my routes.rb? > > > > What if I had 50 custom actions? …for the sake of hypothetical > > argument. This doesn’t seem so dynamic to me. > > > > > > > – > Ryan B. > [http://www.frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net) > Feel free to add me to MSN and/or GTalk as this email. ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 8:18am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/custom-actions-in-routes-rb/186739/8 "2008-03-16T08:18:19Z")
You won’t have 50 custom actions, believe me. Have a read of [frozenplague.net](http://frozenplague.net/2008/01/06/restful-routing-an-overview/) and [frozenplague.net](http://frozenplague.net/2008/03/16/administration-namespacing/) On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 5:33 PM, trip.tucker [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Does this mean that for every custom action I define in a controller, > I have to add it in my routes.rb? > > What if I had 50 custom actions? …for the sake of hypothetical > argument. This doesn’t seem so dynamic to me. > > > – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale! Feel free to add me to MSN and/or GTalk as this email.