# File\_column preview in multistage forms **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 12, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283 "2006-01-12T14:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/1 "2006-01-12T14:45:05Z")
i have a 2 step form which contains 1 file\_column field. The second form is just “This is how your post will look” kind of form and the user can click Edit (to take them back to form1) or Submit. If the user clicks edit it takes them back to the first form with fields populated. I have it working with all text fields, I just dont know how to do this with file\_column field (showing the image and file selected). Storing the @params[:post][“image”] field in a session crashes rails. So what i cant figure out is 1. how do i reference the temporary image in my second form to show how the post will look 2. how do i re-populate the user’s choice in the first form if there is an error, or the user wants to go back and edit from form2? thanks adam ---
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/2 "2006-01-12T16:48:07Z")
shameless bump since i am sure there is a helper to help do this ! ---
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/3 "2006-01-12T20:57:06Z")
On 1/12/06, Adam D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > selected). Storing the @params[:post][“image”] field in a session > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) That behavior should work with the default find\_column\_field helper. – Kyle M. Chief Technologist E Factor Media // FN Interactive removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid 1-866-263-3261 ---
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/4 "2006-01-13T00:45:00Z")
On 1/12/06, Adam D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Maybe i am missing something here, but i dont see how this is possible. > > > > > 1. how do i re-populate the user’s choice in the first form if there > > > > Rails mailing list > > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) The absolute easiest way would be to \<%=file\_column\_field … %\> . I’ll let you figure out equivalent methods. – Kyle M. Chief Technologist E Factor Media // FN Interactive removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid 1-866-263-3261 ---
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/5 "2006-01-13T00:57:06Z")
Adam, How about this: first action creates the object containing the image and populates it from ‘params’. Keep it in a instance variable like @my\_image and also put it into the session, @session[‘partial\_image’] = @my\_image. Render your preview page using: \<%= image\_tag url\_for\_file\_column("@my\_image", “image\_column”) In your second action, retrieve the partial image object and perform a save. I’m doing this in my current app. Joe ---
**Author:** ![adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@adamdorsey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adamdorsey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-column-preview-in-multistage-forms/52283/6 "2006-01-12T23:50:31Z")
i am not sure how. if i have a file\_column\_field in step1, and i only want to display the image without putting another “Browse” button on the second step (which i now figured out how to do as a sort of preview step), the params[:post][“image”] attribute is now gone, as is the image when the controller gets it on submission . How do you drop this in the second step form, so that when the user clicks submit on step2, @params[:post][“image”] goes with it (using the image chosed in step1) ? Maybe i am missing something here, but i dont see how this is possible. thanks adam