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**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 9, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248 "2007-03-09T05:29:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/1 "2007-03-09T05:29:00Z")
I would like to pass the title to the helper class and manipulate it.
I have in the view
#### test
In the helper, I have
def hide\_and\_reset(div)
update\_page do |page|
if page[div].title == ‘show’
page[div].hide
page[div].title = ‘hide’
else
page[div].title = ‘show’
page[div].show
end
end
end
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/2 "2007-03-09T05:37:01Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote:
> def hide\_and\_reset(div)
> update\_page do |page|
> if page[div].title == ‘show’
> page[div].hide
> page[div].title = ‘hide’
> else
> page[div].title = ‘show’
> page[div].show
> end
> end
> end
You can’t. The helper has already been run on the server side before the
page is sent to the client. At that point the browser has no idea that
there was a helper function in the original .rhtml file.
To hide or show DIVs on the browser you need to write some JavaScript or
if the hide/show conditions depend on information on the server you can
use Ajax.
–
Michael W.
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/3 "2007-03-09T05:57:02Z")
Thanks. I can call the helper with this line in my code in the view.
\<%= link\_to\_function image\_tag(“graphics/
select04.gif”, :alt=\>‘Programming’, :size=\>‘100x20’, :border=\>0),
hide\_and\_reset(:select02\_div, :select01\_div) %\>
The helper class seems to update the view. I can hide …, but I don’t know how to show
it or know how to check to see if it is hidden using the helper class.
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/4 "2007-03-09T06:14:03Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote:
> Thanks. I can call the helper with this line in my code in the view.
>
> \<%= link\_to\_function image\_tag(“graphics/
> select04.gif”, :alt=\>‘Programming’, :size=\>‘100x20’, :border=\>0),
> hide\_and\_reset(:select02\_div, :select01\_div) %\>
>
> The helper class seems to update the view. I can hide …, but I don’t know how to show
> it or know how to check to see if it is hidden using the helper class.
The hide\_and\_reset() in the link\_to\_function looks like a JavaScript
function, not a Rails helper method.
–
Michael W.
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/5 "2007-03-09T06:22:04Z")
In this case, your helper function is actually returning a chunk of
javascript that is called when you click on the image. Ruby’s not
changing the page – javascript is. update\_page is generating this
javascript based on the block you gave it. Unfortunately, in this
case, the javascript you’re getting is not what you expect. If you
add \<%= hide\_and\_reset(:select02\_div, :select01\_div) %\> you can see
what’s being created on your behalf.
update\_page() is good in a lot of simple cases, but if you really need
flexibility, you’ll have to dip down into native javascript.
For this case something like the following will work
def hide\_and\_reset(div)
update\_page do |page|
el = page[div]
page \<\< \<-“end”
if (#{el}.title == “show”) { #{el}.hide(); #{el}.title =
“hide”; }
else { #{el}.show(); #{el}.title = “show”; }
end
end
end
On Mar 9, 12:55 pm, “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/6 "2007-03-09T06:46:05Z")
Thanks guys. I see your point in not wasting server calls just for
simple stuff that should be done on the client only in plain
javascript. I use the Oreilly book Ruby on Rails Up and Running. It’s
too basic. I was wondering if you guys have any good books or
tutorials you recommend that provides more advance use of ruby on
rails, especially with AJAX.
---
**Author:**  [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 7:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-pass-html-objects-from-the-view-to-the-helper-cla/88248/7 "2007-03-09T07:06:07Z")
For most things you don’t actually need ajax – instead you can
usually get away with plain javascript. The ORA javascript and dhtml
books are good starts:
- [JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, Fourth Edition [Book]](http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/jscript4/)
- [Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference [Book]](http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dhtmlref/)
On Mar 9, 1:45 pm, “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)