# Update user input to another table without using html form **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 20, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788 "2010-02-20T02:16:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/1 "2010-02-20T02:16:21Z")
Hey all, Let’s say you are not going to use an html form. Rather the user will input data in a third-party application that will communicate with the rails controller through http requests, but serves as a replacement to the html. In other words, it’s taking the place of front end. My question is can you update the attributes of another table, let’s say studentfails table, from let’s say a students controller (which has a students table) based on user input (the user input needs to be inserted in the studentfails table). I was hoping something like this, but this doesn’t work: student.rb has\_one :student\_fail attr\_accessor :student\_fail\_attribute def find\_failing\_student @student = @student.find params[:id] end def update\_failing\_student @student = @student.find params[:id] @student.build\_student\_fail params[:student][:student\_fail\_attribute] end Even for this you have to put student\_fail\_attribute in the html. I’m hoping there’s a way where you don’t have to put anything in the html. Any suggestions? Thanks for any response. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/2 "2010-02-20T17:39:52Z")
> @student = @student.find params[:id] > This makes no sense to me… > Even for this you have to put student\_fail\_attribute in the html. I’m > hoping there’s a way where you don’t have to put anything in the html > Are you trying to say that you want to use a get request instead of a > post request? In a perfect world every request that changes the server > state is a post request, but if you want to use a get request just put > additional parameters in the url. I suggest you make this work with a regular html view before worrying about the external front end. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/3 "2010-02-20T18:53:47Z")
Sharagoz – wrote: > > @student = @student.find params[:id] > > This makes no sense to me… > > > Even for this you have to put student\_fail\_attribute in the html. I’m > > hoping there’s a way where you don’t have to put anything in the html > > Are you trying to say that you want to use a get request instead of a > > post request? In a perfect world every request that changes the server > > state is a post request, but if you want to use a get request just put > > additional parameters in the url. What do you mean by put additional parameters in the url? Thanks for the response though. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/4 "2010-02-21T17:54:53Z")
Matt J. wrote: > On Feb 19, 8:16�pm, John M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > in the studentfails table). > > def update\_failing\_student > > � @student = @student.find params[:id] > > � @student.build\_student\_fail params[:student][:student\_fail\_attribute] > > end > > You don’t appear to be _saving_ the result from > @student.build\_student\_fail. Either you’re looking for > create\_student\_fail (which saves the record) or something like: > > def update\_failing\_student > @student = Student.find(params[:id]) > @student\_fail = @student.build\_student\_fail(params[:student] > [:student\_fail\_attribute]) > if @student\_fail.save > # save succeeded > else > # save failed - re-render form with errors > end > end > > > Even for this you have to put student\_fail\_attribute in the html. I’m > > hoping there’s a way where you don’t have to put anything in the html. > > Not sure what you’re looking for here: it’s going to be hard to get a > field from the user without asking for it… > > –Matt J. The form will be in the other application used as a front end, not in rails. So the user will put data in that form but I want it to update to another table, not the students table even though we capture the data in the students controller. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/5 "2010-02-20T21:08:06Z")
On Feb 19, 8:16 pm, John M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > in the studentfails table). > def update\_failing\_student > @student = @student.find params[:id] > @student.build\_student\_fail params[:student][:student\_fail\_attribute] > end You don’t appear to be _saving_ the result from @student.build\_student\_fail. Either you’re looking for create\_student\_fail (which saves the record) or something like: def update\_failing\_student @student = Student.find(params[:id]) @student\_fail = @student.build\_student\_fail(params[:student] [:student\_fail\_attribute]) if @student\_fail.save # save succeeded else # save failed - re-render form with errors end end > Even for this you have to put student\_fail\_attribute in the html. I’m > hoping there’s a way where you don’t have to put anything in the html. Not sure what you’re looking for here: it’s going to be hard to get a field from the user without asking for it… –Matt J. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/6 "2010-02-21T21:22:03Z")
On Feb 21, 4:54 pm, John M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The form will be in the other application used as a front end, not in > rails. So the user will put data in that form but I want it to update to > another table, not the students table even though we capture the data in > the students controller. Doesn’t make any difference - SomeModel.create(…) will work just as well in one controller as in another. Fred ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/7 "2010-02-21T21:32:34Z")
Frederick C. wrote: > On Feb 21, 4:54�pm, John M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > The form will be in the other application used as a front end, not in > > rails. So the user will put data in that form but I want it to update to > > another table, not the students table even though we capture the data in > > the students controller. > > Doesn’t make any difference - SomeModel.create(…) will work just as > well in one controller as in another. > > Fred Even if it’s a flash (adobe flex) form and not html form? The communication is done purely through http requests. For example, user clicks flash button, this triggers http put request, method is called in rails, data captured through the params function in rails, and thus data is subsequently updated to database. However, it’s not like I can stick an attribute created using attr\_accessor in that flash form. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/8 "2010-02-21T23:02:31Z")
> Even if it’s a flash (adobe flex) form and not html form? > A http request is a http request regardless of where it is submitted > from. Start by making this work with a rails view, and then worry about > the flash front end later. When you know what the http request actually > needs to look like, then its easier drop the rails view and implement an > external front end to replace it. ---
**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/update-user-input-to-another-table-without-using-html-form/183788/9 "2010-02-21T21:42:33Z")
On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 12:32 PM, John M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Frederick C. wrote: > > Doesn’t make any difference - SomeModel.create(…) will work just as > > well in one controller as in another. > Even if it’s a flash (adobe flex) form and not html form? The > communication is done purely through http requests. For example, user > clicks flash button, this triggers http put request, method is called in > rails, data captured through the params function in rails, and thus data > is subsequently updated to database. Yes, that’s the way the web works 🙂 > However, it’s not like I can stick an attribute created using attr\_accessor > in that flash form. ?? Either you’re passing the data you need to your controller via that request or you’re not. Which is it? – Hassan S. ------------------------ removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid twitter: @hassan