# Howto accept input from a form to a variable (not a database field) **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [August 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313 "2008-08-07T21:14:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/1 "2008-08-07T21:14:19Z")
How do I use a form to capture data for a variable that is no a database field? In the case, I would like to search my database based on the data that the user inputs via a form. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Regards, Paul Thompson ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/2 "2008-08-07T21:24:18Z")
First use form\_tag rather than form\_for (which is designed for model based forms). The instead of something like f.text\_field you would use text\_field\_tag. Then just pull the parameter out of params by name params[:name\_of\_field] and put that into your variable. On Aug 7, 3:13 pm, “Paul Jonathan T.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/3 "2008-08-07T21:54:09Z")
2008/8/8 Robert W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > First use form\_tag rather than form\_for (which is designed for model > based forms). The instead of something like f.text\_field you would use > text\_field\_tag. > > Then just pull the parameter out of params by name > params[:name\_of\_field] and put that into your variable. Hi Robert, thanks for the guidance, I am pretty green when it comes to rails so one more question if you don’t mind? How do I kick this off? I have this in my views folder. \<% form\_tag :action =\> ‘update’, :id =\> @supplier do %\> \<%= render :partial =\> ‘test’ %\> \<%= submit\_tag ‘Save’ %\> \<% end %\>   \<%= button\_to 'Cancel', :action =\> 'index' %\> And partial \_test. Obviously “\<% form\_tag :action =\> ‘update’, :id =\> @supplier do %\>” needs to be changed as there is now no supplier database. Can you please set me straight? Thanks, Paul Thompson. | ## Enter Data: | | \<%= text\_field\_tag, 'Field1' %\> | ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/4 "2008-08-07T22:16:23Z")
Ok. To expand on that a bit say you wanted to add a search field to find suppliers. 1. Add a collection action to your suppliers resource: map.resources :suppliers, :collection =\> { :search =\> :get } 1. Add the action to your suppliers\_controller.rb: def search @suppliers = Supplier.find\_by\_name(params[:search]) respond\_to … # the standard respond\_to stuff here end 1. In your view use your search action route and a text\_field\_tag. \<% form\_tag(search\_suppliers\_path) do %\> \<%= text\_field\_tag :search \<%= submit\_tag ‘Search’ %\> \<% end %\> This is untested code off the top of my head, but check the Rails API docs for form\_tag and test\_field\_tag for more details on usage. Also this is only one of many solutions. It all depends on your needs, but this is the simplest example I can think of. Also if you don’t subscribe to the Railscasts podcast. Check it out. It has very good information to help get you started. > **[Ruby on Rails Screencasts - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/)** > > Short Ruby on Rails screencasts containing tips, tricks and tutorials. Great for both novice and experienced web developers. On Aug 7, 3:53 pm, “Paul Jonathan T.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/5 "2008-08-08T17:17:58Z")
Ahh. I see. The answer is still lurking in those previous responses. You can still use form\_field\_tag inside of a form\_for block. So if you had something like: \<% form\_for @suppliers do |form| %\> \<%= form.text\_field :name %\> \<%= text\_field\_tag :extra %\> #using a text\_field\_tag here because it’s not tied to a model \<%= hidden\_field\_tag :hidden\_extra, “Some hidden value” %\> #or even use a hidden\_field\_tag \<% end %\> Then in the controller access :extra by params[:extra] or params[:hidden\_extra] On Aug 7, 6:20 pm, “Paul Jonathan T.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/6 "2008-08-08T00:21:03Z")
2008/8/8 Robert W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > def search > \<% end %\> > > This is untested code off the top of my head, but check the Rails API > docs for form\_tag and test\_field\_tag for more details on usage. Also > this is only one of many solutions. It all depends on your needs, but > this is the simplest example I can think of. > > Also if you don’t subscribe to the Railscasts podcast. Check it out. > It has very good information to help get you started. [http://railscasts.com/](http://railscasts.com/) Hi Robert, I would really, really love to be able to benefit from Railscasts podcast. However I am totally deaf and so I am unable to use what must be a marvellous resource. I think that I have not explained properly what I want to do as the answer that you have provided seem very complex for what is a small thing. At the end of the day, all I want to do is accept a name from an input field in a view. then store it in a session variable so that I can use it to access various tables in a database when the user decides what reports they want. Sorry if I have led you up the garden path. Thanks, Paul Thompson ---
**Author:** ![ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@ptremblett](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ptremblett)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-accept-input-from-a-form-to-a-variable-not-a-database-field/145313/7 "2008-08-13T08:29:40Z")
Hi Robert, I just want to say thank you, very very much. Your last piece of advise did the trick perfectly 🙂 Sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you but I was side tracked by other issues. I am just one guy looking after IT for company of fifty employees and I do everything. So sometimes I have to put one thing aside and concentrate on another. Thank you once again for the trouble that you have taken. It appreciated. Regards, Paul Thompson. 2008/8/9 Robert W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):