# Radio button observe field only triggers once **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 16, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851 "2008-05-16T22:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/1 "2008-05-16T22:07:36Z")
Hi, If i add field observers to radio button fields they trigger once but then nothing after that. I have multiple fields in a form that i need to know if one of them changes and which spedific field. Below is an example of two foelds i tested and they trigger once with the alert but then nothing after that. I also tried individual observers for each field test\_yes and test\_no but with the same issue. \<%= radio\_button\_tag ‘test’, “yes” %\> \<%= radio\_button\_tag ‘test’, “no” %\> \<%= observe\_field(‘test’, :on =\> ‘click’, :function =\> “alert(‘Element Yes changed’)”%\> Does anyone know why or experienced something like this before? JB ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/2 "2008-05-17T22:16:16Z")
If I remember correctly, I think you’ll need an id on each radio button and need to observe each radio button individually. The ‘grouping’ of the radio buttons into a single field value that’s posted back does not replace the fact that it’s actually a collection of individual html elements on the form. On May 16, 4:07 pm, John B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/3 "2008-05-18T12:19:50Z")
AndyV wrote: > If I remember correctly, I think you’ll need an id on each radio > button and need to observe each radio button individually. The > ‘grouping’ of the radio buttons into a single field value that’s > posted back does not replace the fact that it’s actually a collection > of individual html elements on the form. > > On May 16, 4:07 pm, John B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) Ye ive tried adding an observer to each individual radio button but the same thing happens. \<%= observe\_field(‘test\_yes’, :on =\> ‘click’, :function =\> “alert(‘Element Yes changed’)”%\> \<%= observe\_field(‘test\_no’, :on =\> ‘click’, :function =\> “alert(‘Element Yes changed’)”%\> Im just going to have to post the whole form back and find out which one is set to 1 and do it that way. ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/4 "2008-08-01T16:56:11Z")
I have the same error. If anybody meanwhile has a solution, I would be happy if it would be posted here. Thanks! der Flo ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/5 "2008-08-02T00:22:28Z")
You might want to try observe\_form, [http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/observe\_form+-+Passing+Parameters](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/observe_form+-+Passing+Parameters) ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/6 "2008-08-04T14:41:27Z")
Justin To wrote: > You might want to try observe\_form, > [http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/observe\_form+-+Passing+Parameters](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/observe_form+-+Passing+Parameters) Yes, observe\_form works. Thanks for this hint. But I’m nevertheless interested in the reason why observe\_field is not working as expected. Again, thanks Justin ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/7 "2008-08-06T21:37:17Z")
Florian Dütsch wrote: … > But I’m nevertheless interested in the reason why observe\_field is not > working as expected. It actually is a big bug for rails: [http://dev.rubyonrails.org/ticket/7895](http://dev.rubyonrails.org/ticket/7895) We all suffer from it, and work-arounds are very tedious ---
**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/radio-button-observe-field-only-triggers-once/137851/8 "2008-08-07T11:52:59Z")
Ok, thanks. I’ll check out the patch provided in this ticket.