# How to add fields dynamically? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 28, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787 "2009-01-28T00:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/1 "2009-01-28T00:13:10Z")
I would like have a simple interface for users to add data into database. How to add new textareas in form, until user want it and submit all of them at once? ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/2 "2009-01-28T00:46:04Z")
Aa Sh wrote: > I would like have a simple interface for users to add data into > database. How to add new textareas in form, until user want it and > submit all of them at once? However, if you _do_ need to look these strings up in the database, you need a child table with a parent\_id, and key and value fields! ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/3 "2009-01-28T00:48:25Z")
On 28 Jan 2009, at 00:13, Aa Sh wrote: > I would like have a simple interface for users to add data into > database. How to add new textareas in form, until user want it and > submit all of them at once? > **[\#73 Complex Forms Part 1 - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/73-complex-forms-part-1)** > > Short Ruby on Rails screencasts containing tips, tricks and tutorials. Great for both novice and experienced web developers. > **[\#74 Complex Forms Part 2 - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/74-complex-forms-part-2)** > > Short Ruby on Rails screencasts containing tips, tricks and tutorials. Great for both novice and experienced web developers. … and everything on [railscasts.com](http://railscasts.com) basically Best regards Peter De Berdt ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/4 "2009-01-28T16:13:56Z")
Peter De Berdt wrote: > On 28 Jan 2009, at 00:13, Aa Sh wrote: > > > I would like have a simple interface for users to add data into > > database. How to add new textareas in form, until user want it and > > submit all of them at once? > > [#73 Complex Forms Part 1 - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/73-complex-forms-part-1) > [#74 Complex Forms Part 2 - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/74-complex-forms-part-2) > … and everything on [railscasts.com](http://railscasts.com) basically > > Best regards > > Peter De Berdt Thank you so much, it is almost exactly what I need, except I am a novice in RoR, so I can’t change the example from multi models to simple one. I try, but have an error. Now I have table in database with “e\_key” and “comment” fields and standard new.html.erb (built by scaffolding). So actually I have two question: 1. How dynamically to add empty fields on page (by click button)? 2. How to collect all data from all rows and put they into database? Thank you for your time! ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/5 "2009-01-28T17:31:41Z")
You will need Javascript for this sort of thing as Ryan B. points out in his screen casts. There are many ways to do it, e.g., RJS templates or unobstrusive Javascript. Next in your create action, you will have to loop through the newly added rows to the database. It sounds simple, but it isn’t if you are a beginning Rails programmer. You may want to get a bit more experience with Javascript/Ajax before trying this. However, if you must, lookup the multi-model update recipe in Advanced Rails Recipes Book contributed by Ryan B. and just exclude the “one” side of “one-to-many” relationship. Bharat ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/6 "2009-01-28T18:02:07Z")
Phlip, Peter, and Bharat, Thank you for advises and your time! ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/7 "2009-01-28T00:49:36Z")
Aa Sh wrote: > I would like have a simple interface for users to add data into > database. How to add new textareas in form, until user want it and > submit all of them at once? Look up how to serialize a Hash into a :text field. If you don’t need to query a database by a field, you don’t need the full overhead of a field type. To give your users abstract data, let them enter keys and values into fields that expand forever, and then AR will serialize them. They go in as YAML strings of your hashes. – Phlip ---
**Author:** ![tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@tetya-loshad](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tetya-loshad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-add-fields-dynamically/158787/8 "2009-01-30T21:17:18Z")
Aa Sh wrote: > Phlip, Peter, and Bharat, > > Thank you for advises and your time! > I did it!