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**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 19, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-list-of-html-options-for-the-formoptionshelper/50612 "2005-12-19T04:30:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@corny](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/corny)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-list-of-html-options-for-the-formoptionshelper/50612/1 "2005-12-19T04:30:59Z")
I’m looking for a way to select a default value from a select box, like
this:
select(“user”, “role\_id”, Role.find\_all.collect {|r| [r.name, r.id] },
{ :default\_value =\> ‘5’ }
(of course, there is no “:default\_value”)
If the form is being used on a ‘create’ page, it should display a
default in the select box. If the form is on the ‘edit’ page, it should
display the current value.
Thanks,
corny
(2nd day on Rails, 1st post to the forum)
---
**Author:**  [@corny](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/corny)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-list-of-html-options-for-the-formoptionshelper/50612/2 "2005-12-19T04:48:06Z")
On 12/18/05, Cornelius B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:
> display the current value.
> Assuming I’m understanding your question correctly, this should be
> handled automatically by the #select method. According to the API
> documentation [1]:
```
The option currently held by the object will be selected, provided
```
that
the object is available.
[1]
[http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActionView/Helpers/FormOptionsHelper.html#M000351](http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActionView/Helpers/FormOptionsHelper.html#M000351)
–
Regards,
John W.
> **[John Wilger](http://johnwilger.com)**
>
> The personal website of John Wilger; Dad, Cyclist, Software Developer
* * *
Alice came to a fork in the road. “Which road do I take?” she asked.
“Where do you want to go?” responded the Cheshire cat.
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.”
- Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland
---
**Author:**  [@corny](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/corny)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-list-of-html-options-for-the-formoptionshelper/50612/3 "2005-12-19T04:51:07Z")
On 12/18/05, Cornelius B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:
> display the current value.
> html\_options are for attributes, like class.
select is one of the form helpers that uses ActiveRecord. The default
value is therefore whatever @user.role\_id is. You should be able to
set it in the controller.
–
rick
[http://techno-weenie.net](http://techno-weenie.net)
---
**Author:**  [@corny](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/corny)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-list-of-html-options-for-the-formoptionshelper/50612/4 "2005-12-19T06:11:48Z")
Thanks Rick, that did it!
John, if the object is NOT available I wanted to display a default
option.
In the ‘Account/signup’ controller, I put:
@user = User.new(@params[:user])
@roles = Role.find\_all
@user.role\_id = ‘5’