# Dynamic collection\_select **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 9, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688 "2009-11-09T17:44:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kuma)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688/1 "2009-11-09T17:44:03Z")
Hello all, I’m very new to Ruby and web programming at all. I’m trying to get a page where I can have a series of drop downs that are all columns within the main table of my database. When you drop one down, and select a value, I want the others to update with their possible options based on the first selection. For example, the model is employees: If you use the drop down for ‘title’, and select Vice President, then in the rest of the drop downs, the only options will be related to those who are VPs. I hope this makes sense. I just got the collection\_select to populate on my view, but I don’t know where to go from here or how to pass that value back to a controller function. I’ve read several blog posts and books, but they don’t’ seem to be addressing exactly what I’m doing. THANKS! ---
**Author:** ![kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kuma)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688/2 "2009-11-09T18:35:44Z")
I think you need AJAX here to populate the cascade “rest of the drop downs” or refresh the whole page on change of the first drop down and feed the collection\_seelct in the controller with appropriate data. ---
**Author:** ![kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kuma)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688/3 "2009-11-09T19:08:55Z")
Michal B. wrote: > I think you need AJAX here to populate the cascade “rest of the drop > downs” or refresh the whole page on change of the first drop down and > feed the collection\_seelct in the controller with appropriate data. Damn, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that. I know there is some AJAX that is included with ROR, anyway to envoke that her? How about an easier one - once I have selected my value in a collection\_select, what do I do next - how do I pass that selected value back into a controller for another page - with the results based on that one dropdown box? ---
**Author:** ![kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kuma)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688/4 "2009-11-09T20:06:25Z")
Typically for a form, with a “submit” button. -eric On Nov 9, 10:08 am, Brian H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@kuma](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kuma)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-collection-select/178688/5 "2009-11-09T20:07:03Z")
Brian H. wrote: > Michal B. wrote: > > > I think you need AJAX here to populate the cascade “rest of the drop > > downs” or refresh the whole page on change of the first drop down and > > feed the collection\_seelct in the controller with appropriate data. > > Damn, > I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that. I know there is some AJAX that > is included with ROR, anyway to envoke that her? Don’t. Learn to write JavaScript properly before you try to have Rails automate it. (Hint: _proper_ JavaScript is not mixed in with HTML.) ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid