# Problem understanding scaffolds **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 25, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691 "2009-07-25T20:34:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/1 "2009-07-25T20:34:55Z")
Hey everyone, I am new to ROR. I have been reading “Begininng Ruby on Rails” by Steven Holznewr and “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” by Barry B… I have been going through this a lot slower than I would like, because many of the examples don’t work and I’ve been trying to glean information from both books to get them working. My current problem is this: Following Chapter 9 in “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” we are trying to build a website for Photos. This website will interface with a mysql database. I have built out the database, created a model, created a database table, wrote some code in the migration code to create a column for filename and description, and created a scaffold. When I launch the server and view my website for extension photos/new (creating a new photo in the database), I just see a button titled “Create”. The book shows a screenshot of two text fields being created, one for filename and one for description. I’m assuming that I have to add code to the scaffold to show these forms, is this true? Otherwise I’m just adding blank entries. I am currently using Rad Rails 1.5.0.025739 Ruby 1.8.6 and I believe Rails 2.2 Any suggestions on what I’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/2 "2009-07-26T00:34:22Z")
Laim B. wrote: > Hey everyone, > > I am new to ROR. I have been reading “Begininng Ruby on Rails” by Steven > Holznewr and “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” by Barry B… Be careful of learning Rails from books. The Rails framework changes pretty fast, and book publishers can’t always keep up. > I have been > going through this a lot slower than I would like, because many of the > examples don’t work and I’ve been trying to glean information from both > books to get them working. Why not try the Rails Guides website instead, or in addition? It’s excellent and up to date. > My current problem is this: > > Following Chapter 9 in “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” we are trying to > build a website for Photos. This website will interface with a mysql > database. I have built out the database, created a model, created a > database table, wrote some code in the migration code to create a column > for filename and description, and created a scaffold. > > When I launch the server and view my website for extension photos/new > (creating a new photo in the database), I just see a button titled > “Create”. The book shows a screenshot of two text fields being created, > one for filename and one for description. You say you wrote the migration; did you remember to run it? Check the database and make sure that it has the fields you expect. If so, regenerate the scaffold. Better yet, just forget that scaffolding exists and find a tutorial that doesn’t rely on it. 🙂 > I’m assuming that I have to > add code to the scaffold to show these forms, is this true? No. The idea of the scaffold is that it generates a quick-and-dirty set of views and controller actions based on your database fields. It sounds like when you generated the scaffold, the generator script didn’t see any fields in your DB table, so it didn’t put any fields in the view. […] > I am currently using > Rad Rails 1.5.0.025739 Please don’t start learning Rails by using an IDE. The framework is not well suited to conventional IDEs, and does not really benefit from their use. Try a full-featured editor instead (I like KomodoEdit and jEdit; many Rails developers use TextMate). > Ruby 1.8.6 > and I believe Rails 2.2 Why start off on an old version of Rails? 2.3.2 is current. Use it instead. ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/3 "2009-07-26T01:50:32Z")
Laim B. wrote: […] > Yea I noticed this and now I’m leery about buying more books. Does Rails > break > compatibility often? It’s not so much a question of breaking compatibility as of introducing better ways to do things. Rails is constantly introducing new shortcuts and abstractions, so if you’re using an old version’s way of doing things, you may be working too hard. > Do you have a link for the site? Um, you could have found it in about 5 seconds with Google. I think it’s [http://guides.rubyonrails.org](http://guides.rubyonrails.org) . > The reason that I want to learn Ruby on > Rails is because I have developed a site in HTML/CSS. I want to add a > very simple blog type application that lets a user enter text and create > a blog (I know there are plenty of free blogging programs, but I want to > build something simple for myself). I would also like visitors to leave > simple comments. I figure this is a great project to learn and practice > the fundamentals. I also figure this is a good project to practice using > a database. Will these guides help me in this regard? Probably. But why don’t you read them and find out? […] > When I go into MySQL Administrator, I see the columns in my table. Great. Are you looking at the right database for the environment you’re running in (test, dev, or production)? If so, then just use your version control system (you _are_ using one, right?) to roll back to before you generated the scaffold, and run script/generate scaffold again. […] > Does a scaffold look at the columns and put in the appropriate field? > For example if it sees you have a column which is a string, will it > display a textbox then? Yes. […] > I originally started off using notepad++ but switched over to using the > ide when I had to jump into the dummies book and follow one of the > tutorials. I’ll try going back to my editor. The thing I liked about the > IDE was that it’s more visual and it’s easier, That’s why I recommend something like KomodoEdit. It is helpful without forcing your hand. > but the easiness becomes > a handicap and when something doesn’t work, you have more trouble > figuring out why. Often true. Some types of automated tools (HTML editors are another good example) are more helpful when you understand what’s being automated. > > > Ruby 1.8.6 > > > and I believe Rails 2.2 > > > > Why start off on an old version of Rails? 2.3.2 is current. Use it > > instead. > > Is there a command I can run to check what version I have? rails -v will tell you what version will get put into a new app. script/about will tell you what your app is using. > > ## Best, > > > > Marnen Laibow-Koser > > [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) > > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > > Thanks! You’re welcome. ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 9:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/4 "2009-07-26T09:28:55Z")
> > Why start off on an old version of Rails? 2.3.2 is current. Use it > > instead. > > Is there a command I can run to check what version I have? > ruby script/about > from inside your project root or > gem list rails hth ---
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/5 "2009-07-26T01:20:34Z")
Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote: > Laim B. wrote: > > > Hey everyone, > > > > I am new to ROR. I have been reading “Begininng Ruby on Rails” by Steven > > Holznewr and “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” by Barry B… > > Be careful of learning Rails from books. The Rails framework changes > pretty fast, and book publishers can’t always keep up. Yea I noticed this and now I’m leery about buying more books. Does Rails break compatibility often? > > I have been > > going through this a lot slower than I would like, because many of the > > examples don’t work and I’ve been trying to glean information from both > > books to get them working. > > Why not try the Rails Guides website instead, or in addition? It’s > excellent and up to date. Do you have a link for the site? The reason that I want to learn Ruby on Rails is because I have developed a site in HTML/CSS. I want to add a very simple blog type application that lets a user enter text and create a blog (I know there are plenty of free blogging programs, but I want to build something simple for myself). I would also like visitors to leave simple comments. I figure this is a great project to learn and practice the fundamentals. I also figure this is a good project to practice using a database. Will these guides help me in this regard? > > My current problem is this: > > > > Following Chapter 9 in “Ruby on Rails for Dummies” we are trying to > > build a website for Photos. This website will interface with a mysql > > database. I have built out the database, created a model, created a > > database table, wrote some code in the migration code to create a column > > for filename and description, and created a scaffold. > > > > When I launch the server and view my website for extension photos/new > > (creating a new photo in the database), I just see a button titled > > “Create”. The book shows a screenshot of two text fields being created, > > one for filename and one for description. > > You say you wrote the migration; did you remember to run it? Check the > database and make sure that it has the fields you expect. If so, > regenerate the scaffold. When I go into MySQL Administrator, I see the columns in my table. > Better yet, just forget that scaffolding exists and find a tutorial that > doesn’t rely on it. 🙂 > > > I’m assuming that I have to > > add code to the scaffold to show these forms, is this true? > > No. The idea of the scaffold is that it generates a quick-and-dirty set > of views and controller actions based on your database fields. It > sounds like when you generated the scaffold, the generator script didn’t > see any fields in your DB table, so it didn’t put any fields in the > view. Does a scaffold look at the columns and put in the appropriate field? For example if it sees you have a column which is a string, will it display a textbox then? > […] > > > I am currently using > > Rad Rails 1.5.0.025739 > > Please don’t start learning Rails by using an IDE. The framework is not > well suited to conventional IDEs, and does not really benefit from their > use. Try a full-featured editor instead (I like KomodoEdit and jEdit; > many Rails developers use TextMate). I originally started off using notepad++ but switched over to using the ide when I had to jump into the dummies book and follow one of the tutorials. I’ll try going back to my editor. The thing I liked about the IDE was that it’s more visual and it’s easier, but the easiness becomes a handicap and when something doesn’t work, you have more trouble figuring out why. > > Ruby 1.8.6 > > and I believe Rails 2.2 > > Why start off on an old version of Rails? 2.3.2 is current. Use it > instead. Is there a command I can run to check what version I have? > ## Best, > > Marnen Laibow-Koser > [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@iggybaseball](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/iggybaseball)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-understanding-scaffolds/172691/6 "2009-07-26T18:43:44Z")
Laim, Scaffold will do it all (in a cookie cutter way), if given the right arguments. script/generate scaffold User name:string profile:text NOTE:--------------------------------^ ----------------^ This single command will create a controller, model, views, and db/ migration for the User model with fields for name and profile. rake db:migrate script/server point your browser at: [http://localhost:3000/users](http://localhost:3000/users) and follow the link to “New user”. look at the files: app/controllers/users\_controller.rb app/views/users/… app/models/user.rb db/migrate/…create\_users.rb