# How to get the content of text\_area

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-the-content-of-text-area/91940>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 13, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-the-content-of-text-area/91940 "2007-04-13T17:42:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![feng](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@feng](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/feng)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-the-content-of-text-area/91940/1 "2007-04-13T17:42:24Z")

</div>

dear all,

how can I get the content of text\_area, if I dont due to the submit of  
form?

(ex. a link\_to outside the form)

thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![feng](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@feng](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/feng)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-the-content-of-text-area/91940/2 "2007-04-13T18:02:51Z")

</div>

feng wrote:

> how can I get the content of text\_area, if I dont due to  
> the submit of form?
> 
> (ex. a link\_to outside the form)

You could use observe\_field and get it via an Ajax call. This assumes  
the  
visitor has JS enabled.

hth,  
Bill