# Need default value for my input element when there is no desired param

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-default-value-for-my-input-element-when-there-is-no-desired-param/142178>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 4, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-default-value-for-my-input-element-when-there-is-no-desired-param/142178 "2008-07-04T06:58:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sadeesh_kumar)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-default-value-for-my-input-element-when-there-is-no-desired-param/142178/1 "2008-07-04T06:58:58Z")

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Hi,  
In my form I set a default value as “enter text” for my text box.  
In case of validation failure i am rendering the form, where i loss  
the user entered text (instead the default value is appearing in the  
text box). So, i need to set the default value only when there is no  
particular param. How could i get this? Any one Please…

Thanks,  
-Sadeesh kumar.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sadeesh_kumar)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-default-value-for-my-input-element-when-there-is-no-desired-param/142178/2 "2008-07-04T09:24:16Z")

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Depends on how you handle the data.

params[:field] ||= “default”  
will set params[:field] to “default” if it’s nil, leave it as is, if  
it has a value

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@sadeesh\_kumar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sadeesh_kumar)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-default-value-for-my-input-element-when-there-is-no-desired-param/142178/3 "2008-07-04T09:37:44Z")

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Hi Thorsten,  
Now I got it.

Thanks,  
-Sadeesh kumar.