# Params\[:commit\] doesn't work **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 12, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337 "2009-04-12T15:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jackyang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337/1 "2009-04-12T15:55:43Z")
I have a form with two submit buttons: “Save” and “Preview”. In my controller for this form, I do different things based on params[:commit]. But somehow the params[:commit] always evals “Save”, even when I click Preview button. Why? any idea will be appreciated. This is my view: \<% remote\_form\_for(@post) do |f| %\> \<%= f.error\_messages %\> \<%= f.hidden\_field :id %\> \<%= f.label :title %\> \<%= f.text\_field :title %\> \<%= f.label :body %\> \<%= f.text\_area :body %\> \<%= f.submit "Save" %\>   \<%= f.submit "Publish" %\> \<% end %\> This is my controller: def create @post = Post.new(params[:post]) @post.id = params[:post][:id] begin if params[:commit] == ‘Publish’ @post.published = true @post.save flash[:notice] = ‘Post was successfully published.’ redirect\_to posts\_path else @post.published = false @post.save flash[:notice] = ‘Post was successfully saved.’ end rescue =\> ex flash[:notice] = ex.message render :action =\> :new end end ---
**Author:** ![jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jackyang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337/2 "2009-04-12T16:49:40Z")
On Apr 12, 2:55 pm, Jack Y. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I have a form with two submit buttons: “Save” and “Preview”. In my > controller for this form, I do different things based on > params[:commit]. But somehow the params[:commit] always evals “Save”, > even when I click Preview button. Why? any idea will be appreciated. Because you’ve got an ajax form. The javascript that serializes the form for you doesn’t know which submit was clicked (unlike the browser code that would run with a normal form), and so it will have the commit parameter in twice (once with each value) and rails will discard one of them. You could probably use submit\_to\_remote with an appropriate :with option to do this. Fred ---
**Author:** ![jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jackyang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337/3 "2009-04-12T17:01:43Z")
Frederick C. wrote: > On Apr 12, 2:55�pm, Jack Y. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > wrote: > > > I have a form with two submit buttons: “Save” and “Preview”. In my > > controller for this form, I do different things based on > > params[:commit]. But somehow the params[:commit] always evals “Save”, > > even when I click Preview button. Why? any idea will be appreciated. > > Because you’ve got an ajax form. The javascript that serializes the > form for you doesn’t know which submit was clicked (unlike the browser > code that would run with a normal form), and so it will have the > commit parameter in twice (once with each value) and rails will > discard one of them. You could probably use submit\_to\_remote with an > appropriate > :with option to do this. > > Fred Thanks Fred. I haven’t try using submit\_to\_remote, but I think you are right. I just changed the form back to normal form without ajax. This time the “Publish” button works correctly but the “Save” button behaves weird. The first time I click it, it saves the post. But after the post is saved, if I click save again it will “Publish” the post. Why? This is my controller: def create if params[:post][:id] != “” @post = Post.find(params[:post][:id]) @post.update\_attributes(params[:post]) else @post = Post.new(params[:post]) end if params[:commit] == ‘Publish’ @post.published = true if @post.save flash[:notice] = ‘Post was successfully published.’ redirect\_to posts\_path else render :action =\> :new end else @post.published = false if @post.save flash[:notice] = ‘Post was successfully saved.’ render :action =\> :new else render :action =\> :new end end end ---
**Author:** ![jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jackyang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337/4 "2009-04-12T17:10:08Z")
On Apr 12, 4:01 pm, Jack Y. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Thanks Fred. I haven’t try using submit\_to\_remote, but I think you are > right. > I just changed the form back to normal form without ajax. This time the > “Publish” button works correctly but the “Save” button behaves weird. > The first time I click it, it saves the post. But after the post is > saved, if I click save again it will “Publish” the post. Why? Have you looked in your logs to see what is being submitted ? (ie is the browser doing something weird or is it your code ?) Fred ---
**Author:** ![jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jackyang](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jackyang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-commit-doesnt-work/165337/5 "2009-04-12T17:12:23Z")
Oh, I found the problem myself. I have a hidden field hold the post\_id after I saved the post. So when I click save button with a form has post\_id field it will trigger the update action, not the create action, which will publish the post.