# How to get information stored in a form by using ruby-rails **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 12, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-information-stored-in-a-form-by-using-ruby-rails/47573 "2005-11-12T12:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1

**Author:** ![sayoyo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@sayoyo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sayoyo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-information-stored-in-a-form-by-using-ruby-rails/47573/1 "2005-11-12T12:49:30Z")

Hi, I’m a newbie with ruby-rails (also with web developpement) I want to create a form to get data from the user, like text field and combobax, button, etc. I used “text\_field\_tag” or other “tag” to genenate those components on the html, but after that I have no idea how to get the data from the components, I read the examples and documentations about how to create the componenets, but I didn’t find anything which talk about how to extract them… Can someone please tell me how to do it or where can I find the documentation!!! Thanks you very much!!! sayoyo * * * Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. [http://farechase.yahoo.com](http://farechase.yahoo.com) ---

On Nov 9, 2005, at 7:55 AM, Saiho Y. wrote: > anything which talk about how to extract them… Can > someone please tell me how to do it or where can I > find the documentation!!! Is there any particular reason you’re using ‘tag’ and ‘text\_field\_tag’? It’s usually much simpler to use the form helpers. For example, in a view such as edit.rhtml: \<%= text\_field ‘user’, ‘name’ %\> and then in your controller you could access the user’s name via: def edit @name = params[:user][:name] end If you need further help, perhaps you can be more specific with your question or show examples of what you’ve already tried and why. Duane J. (canadaduane) ---

Hi, the reason I use “\_tag” is because I don’t have a model (no database) If I understand well the mecanism, the helpers without “tag”, they send information directly to the model…so that’s why I didn’t used them. After a lot of tryings, I find out that I can get the info from the variable “@params”, like "@params[‘post’], but I don’t know if it is the correct way to get the information. Thanks you very much sayoyo this is an example. def buildTable if @params.include?(‘post’) then @checkTextField = @params[‘post’] else @checkTextField = nil end end buildTable.rhtml Build Table \<%= start\_form\_tag :action =\> :buildTable %\> ``` <%= text_field_tag(name = "post", nil, "size" => ``` “20”, “maxsize”=\>“20”) %\> ``` <%= submit_tag(value = "run") %> <%= submit_tag(value = "cancel") %>
<%= end_form_tag %> <%= @checkTextField %> <%= debug(@params) %> ``` — Duane J. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > genenate those components on the html, but after > > Is there any particular reason you’re using ‘tag’ > > def edit > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) * * * Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. [http://farechase.yahoo.com](http://farechase.yahoo.com) ---

On Nov 9, 2005, at 1:39 PM, Saiho Y. wrote: > "@params[‘post’], but I don’t know if it is the > correct way to get the information. > > Thanks you very much No problem. Some comments about the code below… > def buildTable > if @params.include?(‘post’) then > @checkTextField = @params[‘post’] > else > @checkTextField = nil > end > end This method could be simplified, like this: def buildTable @checkTextField = params[:post] end If there is no ‘post’ key in the params hash, then it will be nil by default so there’s no need to add the conditional statement. > buildTable.rhtml > > Build Table \<%= start\_form\_tag :action =\> :buildTable %\> You may consider using the convention of underscores instead of camelCase, e.g.: start\_form\_tag :action =\> build\_table. It’s a Ruby convention that Rails sometimes relies on for conversion between camelCase and underscored variables. > \<%= text\_field\_tag(name = “post”, nil, “size” =\> > “20”, “maxsize”=\>“20”) %\> > > \<%= submit\_tag(value = “run”) %\> > \<%= submit\_tag(value = “cancel”) %\> The above two lines look a little odd to me… you’re assigning the variable called ‘value’ twice, but then not using it below. Perhaps you meant to use a symbol-as-key hash like this: submit\_tag(:value =\> “run”) submit\_tag(:value =\> “cancel”) Good luck! Duane J. (canadaduane)