Hide/unhide using prototype

Rails
1

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I’m totally swamped.

I have a view where I have 2 radio_buttons with corresponding selection
box below each.

Initially I want the user only to see the two radio_buttons next to the
google map I’m showing. When the user selects one of the radio_buttons
the corresponding select box is shown.

This must all happen without the action having to go to the controller.

Both select boxes however as shown when the page loads and in IE6 I get
an error mesg “Form is undefined”

Can I even do what I want to accomplish? Sorry that is what happens when
a mainframe programmer starts playing around programming for the web, he
gets very very lost

note:
The ID names I use in the code below I got from viewing the source after
attempting various other variations. I even gave the radio_buttons and
select boxes ID names. But that did not work either.

Thanks for your time.

Here is the code in my view:

<%= GMap.header -%>
<%= render :partial => ‘garage’, :collection => @garages %>
<% form_for :garage_map, :url => { :action => :index } do |f| %>

Show on the Map

<%= f.radio_button :filter, :garage %>A specific garage

<%= f.collection_select(:name, @garages, :id, :name) %>

<%= f.radio_button :filter, :make %>All garages for a make of car

<%= f.select(:car_make, garage::CAR_MAKES) %>

<%= submit_tag "Show Selection", :class => "submit" %>

<% end %>

<%= observe_field :garage_map_filter_garage,
:frequency => 0,
:before => “Element.hide(‘garage_map_name’)”,
:complete => “Element.show(‘garage_map_name’)” %>

<%= observe_field :garage_map_filter_make,
:frequency => 0,
:before => “Element.hide(‘garage_map_car_make’)”,
:complete => “Element.show(‘garage_map_car_make’)” %>

<%= @map.to_html %>

My applogies if you saw this post over at railsforum as well but I’m
desperate !

2

Johannes De jong wrote:

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I’m totally swamped.

Off course I stumped and not swamped :slight_smile:

3

Hi Dan thanks for taking the time to reply. But with the help from Ryan
over at Railsforum I managed to solve my problem.

I was barking up the wrong tree, using Element.hide() en Element.show()
solved my problem.

4

I think it’s the radio button u.i. paradigm that makes this difficult
with or without Rails.

For example:

If you click a radio button form element twice it should stay selected,
and it’s exclusive representation (specific garages) is maintained
within the mutual radio button group (by garage or by make).

If you had an image with link_to_remote the image could be toggled with
each click, such as a triangle pointing to the right or down or a faux
radio button. With this implementation you could still maintain the
mutual exclusion with multiple calls to multiple elements at once (show
one and hide the other) while also allowing for none to be in a selected
state.

Perhaps if there’s a working radio button example somewhere to base on
it would be easier to say how it can be done in Rails.

If you can avoid using radio buttons though I think it’ll be much
easier.

Dan P.