# How to make an OSX Finder in rails/AJAX? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 8, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870 "2006-06-08T22:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/1 "2006-06-08T22:15:52Z")
I need to make a category browser that would allow nested categories. Is there any receipe on that? Currently, I use the :onchange event from one of the form element to update the first select (out of 4-5 selects), but I dont know how to elegantly reset all the child selects if I change the value from the first. All the categories are fetched from the DB and I would like a ‘generic’ solution to this. My current solution involves too much coupling between the Controller and the view and thats a Bad Thing ™. Anyone can help with this? ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/2 "2006-06-08T23:34:38Z")
Google for acts\_as\_tree and livetree. I think the pair is what you’re looking for. – – Tom M. ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/3 "2006-06-09T04:53:38Z")
Tom, you saved me days of troubles!!! Thanks a lot! I was already using the act\_as\_tree but my googling never poped the livetree site. You have no idea how happy I am! even tho I learned a lot trying to emulate that thing, I am happy to find something already tested and complete! Ye!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/4 "2006-06-09T06:42:37Z")
On Jun 8, 2006, at 8:01 PM, Mantat wrote: > click on a value in the first column, it fetch the data from the DB > then > populate the second column. Then, when you pick a value from the > second > column, it will update the third. Oh, THAT OS X Finder view! There are 3 of them, after all. 🙂 Sorry for the misinformation. – – Tom M. ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 9:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/5 "2006-06-09T09:11:37Z")
these people seem to do a convincing rendition of the finder’s column view =) [Apple - Support - Downloads](http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/) ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 5:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/6 "2006-06-09T05:01:15Z")
Crap… .I feel stupid to reply to myself after my previous post but… I talked too fast! I look at the specs, everything was fine until I looked at the screenshots. The finder offered by livetree is more like the file explorer of windows. The Finder on the mac that I was talking about is the one that display each ‘level’ in a column. So let say we have 3 columns, when you click on a value in the first column, it fetch the data from the DB then populate the second column. Then, when you pick a value from the second column, it will update the third. The problem is if at that time I click on the first column, it needs to clear the thrid column and update the second… I have a solution in my head to do this but it involves a lot of javascript and too much coupling between the controller and the view… So still looking… ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/7 "2006-06-09T13:24:34Z")
unknown wrote: > these people seem to do a convincing rendition of the finder’s column > view > =) > [Apple - Support - Downloads](http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/) Actually, they dont… the column no 3 doesnt clear when you change the selected item form colum 1… This is really not as easy as I fight thought!!! I will keep you informed of my progress… ---
**Author:** ![Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mantat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Mantat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-make-an-osx-finder-in-rails-ajax/62870/8 "2006-06-09T13:34:06Z")
Ajax and partials should help you there. [apple.com](http://apple.com) does this with this structure Thus. It only updates col\_2 when something is selected in col\_1. However. You could organize this like so: That way. When you do an ajax call to change col\_2 it automatically removes col\_3. You just have to include at the end of your col\_2 partial. On 6/9/06, Mantat [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > informed of my progress… > > – > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) –