# New to RoR. Using text input as a parameter in query

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [April 4, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903 "2008-04-04T20:17:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bensinc)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903/1 "2008-04-04T20:17:51Z")

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I’m new to RoR and I am trying to figure out how to use user input from  
a text field as a parameter in a query. I know this is probably simple  
but I have been messing around with it for a while and can’t figuire it  
out.

The controller has this method:  
def search  
@events = Event.find(:all, :order =\> ‘date DESC’,  
:conditions =\> [‘title=?’,titleinput])

```
respond_to do |format|
  format.html
  format.xml { render :xml => @events }
end

```

end

and the view:

**Title**

I know this is probably completely wrong but I couldn’t figure out how  
to use the variable from the form in the query in the controller.

Thanks for any help.  
Ben

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bensinc)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903/2 "2008-04-04T22:30:43Z")

</div>

On 4 Apr 2008, at 19:17, Ben Simms wrote:

> I know this is probably completely wrong but I couldn’t figure out how  
> to use the variable from the form in the query in the controller.  
> In Rails, variables in forms are stored in the params hash so, in your  
> case, to get the value of titleinput you would do params[:titleinput].  
> This would change your controller’s search method to the following:

def search  
@events = Event.find(:all, :order =\> ‘date DESC’,  
:conditions =\> [‘title=?’, params[:titleinput]])

```
respond_to do |format|
  format.html
  format.xml { render :xml => @events }
end

```

end

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bensinc)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903/3 "2008-04-04T22:34:49Z")

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Ben Simms wrote:

> I’m new to RoR and I am trying to figure out how to use user input from  
> a text field as a parameter in a query.

In general, Rails questions are better asked on the Rails mailing list.

–  
James B.

“In Ruby, no one cares who your parents were, all they care  
about is if you know what you are talking about.”

- Logan C.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bensinc)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903/4 "2008-04-05T00:11:46Z")

</div>

Thanks, that did it. Sorry for the post in the wrong area.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bensinc](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bensinc)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/new-to-ror-using-text-input-as-a-parameter-in-query/133903/5 "2008-04-04T22:36:36Z")

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El Viernes, 4 de Abril de 2008, Ben Simms escribió:

> I’m new to RoR and I am trying to figure out how to use user input from  
> a text field as a parameter in a query.

Hi, since RoR is a framework based on Ruby is better you ask this kind  
of  
questions in a RoR maillist. Note that RoR adds its own “magic” to Ruby  
😉