# Select or select\_tag

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/select-or-select-tag/172090>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 14, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/select-or-select-tag/172090 "2009-07-14T17:09:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rachel\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Rachel\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Rachel_N)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/select-or-select-tag/172090/1 "2009-07-14T17:09:01Z")

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Which is the easiest to implement in a Rails app view when pulling data  
from tables? select or select\_tag?

Thank you,

Rachel S Nichol  
Oracle Developer  
Hargray Telephone Company

Positive Exchange of Control

Hargray’s mission: To envision and deliver customer delight

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rachel\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Rachel\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Rachel_N)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/select-or-select-tag/172090/2 "2009-07-14T18:01:37Z")

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I believe they’re fairly equivalent WRT populating them w/values.

I think the main distinction is whether you’re feeding the selected  
value into a form that builds a model object or not. If you’re in a  
form\_for block, then select is easier (e.g., it uses the context of the  
form builder to save you from having to worry about how the value gets  
serialized in the params hash). If you’re in any other kind of form,  
then select\_tag may be necessary.

* * *

From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid  
[[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] On Behalf Of Rachel N.  
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 8:08 AM  
To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid  
Subject: [Rails] select or select\_tag

Which is the easiest to implement in a Rails app view when pulling data  
from tables? select or select\_tag?

Thank you,  
Rachel S Nichol  
Oracle Developer  
Hargray Telephone Company

Positive Exchange of Control

Hargray’s mission: To envision and deliver customer delight

* * *

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