# Rails urls & the AWD book **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 20, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-urls-the-awd-book/70646 "2006-02-20T00:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wpwood)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-urls-the-awd-book/70646/1 "2006-02-20T00:00:22Z")
Greetings! I’m having a hard time understanding the way Rails handles urls. I’m specifically having real trouble with the image\_urls in the Depot app in the Agile Web D. book. If I enter “\image\file.png” in the Add Product page, the image is displayed in the other views and Properties shows [http://localhost:3000/images/file.png](http://localhost:3000/images/file.png) If I leave off the leading backslash and enter “image\file.png” the image does not display and Properties shows [http://localhost:3000/admin/images/file.png](http://localhost:3000/admin/images/file.png) when I look at it from the admin\_controller or [http://localhost:3000/store/images/file.png](http://localhost:3000/store/images/file.png) when I look at it from the store\_controller. In either case, the validation the book shows for image\_url really trips me up because it’s checking to see that the string begins with “http:”. What’s up with that? Also, when I’m supplying the location in the unit test I’m having to use a string I really don’t understand. The string is: “c:\instantrails\rails\_apps\depot\public\images\rails.png” Why do some of the '' characters have to be escaped and others not? Or is that not what’s going on? Could someone help? At least point me to some docs on this topic? Thanks, Bill ---
**Author:** ![wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wpwood)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-urls-the-awd-book/70646/2 "2006-02-20T00:27:15Z")
Bill W. wrote: > In either case, the validation the book shows for image\_url really trips > me up because it’s checking to see that the string begins with “http:”. > What’s up with that? This was a mistake the made and they have updated the PDF that now have the following validation code: validates\_format\_of :image\_url, :with =\> %r{.(gif|jpg|png)$}i, :message =\> “must be a URL for a GIF, JPG, or PNG image” Here is an entry in the errata at the Pragmatic website: "At bottom of page 69 yous suggest to add some image … well it’s nice BUT … since at botom of page 66 page you make us write a validates rule where image\_url must begin with http: i don’t realy know what to append in the input field image\_url to point out the right image … is that [http://localhost:3000/public/images/toto.png](http://localhost:3000/public/images/toto.png) or whatever ? you should there help us in the deep with an example i suggest … (sorry but i’m not a good english speaker … d�ja en francais j’ai du mal alors …) (not good english speaker … sorry) (Dave says: I’ve finally given in on this and removed the check for the leading http)–ovnk" Hope this helps a bit /Stefan ---
**Author:** ![wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wpwood](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wpwood)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-urls-the-awd-book/70646/3 "2006-02-20T02:50:07Z")
Thanks for clearing up that part of my confusion, Stefan. I appreciate it. Best regards, Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: “Stefan Liden” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) To: [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 5:27 PM Subject: [Rails] Re: Rails urls & the AWD book