# Question about flash **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878 "2006-03-24T14:38:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/1 "2006-03-24T14:38:03Z")
Hi! I’ve got a search form, which calls search action. If the result set is empty, i set flash to display a proper message. At the end search action calls “render :action =\> list”. If the search action returns empty result set and the message is displayed, but later user changes searching conditions, calls search again and result set is no longer empty, the message is still displayed along with the new result set. If i reload the page, the message disappears. Do i have to reset the flash somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/2 "2006-03-24T17:08:41Z")
The idea of the flash is that it holds on to something until the next request. So, when you “render” your results, you are generating the response within the same post request… the flash will not be cleared because it’s the same request. That’s why it goes away when you hit “reload”… cuz it’s a new request. The preferred way to fix this is to “redirect” instead of “render”… then you are on the new request when you get your search results and clicking reload won’t do the form submission again (considered bad usability). b ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/3 "2006-03-24T17:36:18Z")
Ok i think i understand it… but it doesn’t work. I have these 2 actions: list and search. List action paginates objects in the table with a single condition (there are links in the menu to it with different parameters) or with no conditions (returns all objects). Search does similiar thing but with few conditions (which are received from the form). I use only one view for both of them: list.rhtml. If i change “render :action =\> ‘list’” at the end of the search action to “redirect\_to :action =\> ‘list’”, it just calls list action and i get all objects, so the data from the search action is lost. As I understand it, redirect\_to creates a new request and that’s the reason why there’s no data from search action. If it’s true, then how to do it correctly? ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/4 "2006-03-24T17:44:47Z")
While writing the previous post i realized i could join these 2 actions and check if received parameters were sent by get or post. So i don’t have any render or redirect\_to now, because action name and view name are the same. But now it’s even worse. If i use search form and it doesn’t return any results, and later i click on the link in the menu to display all objects, the message is still there. ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/5 "2006-03-24T17:59:27Z")
szymek wrote: > I use only one view for both of them: list.rhtml. If i change “render > :action =\> ‘list’” at the end of the search action to “redirect\_to > :action =\> ‘list’”, it just calls list action and i get all objects, so > the data from the search action is lost. > > As I understand it, redirect\_to creates a new request and that’s the > reason why there’s no data from search action. If it’s true, then how to > do it correctly? Put your search results object (array?) in the flash and then change the template code to get it from the flash. Altough… someone might have other ideas here. One thing I did just learn the other day is that “redirect =\> ‘foo’” or “render =\> ‘foo’” does NOT call the action… it calls the view. Seems counterintuitive I know… b ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/6 "2006-03-25T01:12:09Z")
szymek wrote: > In my case redirect\_to DOES call the action. I’ve just tried it 🙂 Oh duh, yeah… of course… _redirect_ will call the action cuz it’s a new request, render just goes to the view… that actually makes sense to me now. b ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 11:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/7 "2006-03-25T11:12:33Z")
I decided to reset flash at the beginning of the combined list/search action. I just create empty flash and in my view check if it’s empty or not. This way despite the fact that there’s no new request, the flash from previous call doesn’t exist anymore. Not sure if it’s ‘the right way’ to do it (or if there’s any), but it works. ---
**Author:** ![g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@g0nzo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/g0nzo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-about-flash/55878/8 "2006-03-24T18:12:07Z")
In my case redirect\_to DOES call the action. I’ve just tried it 🙂