I’ve been using rails for about 3 months and have a pretty cool app
going, but i need to auto-fill some form data. is this possible? i would
think so. well anybody to lend me a helping hand, much appreciated.
If you are using a form based on a model you can use the model to set
default values.
class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
alias :old_initialize :initialize
def initialize(attributes = nil)
old_initialize(attributes)
self.country = “New Zealand” if country.blank?
end
end
Something like that should work. There may be a better way though.
If the form is not based on a model, just pass values in with the calls
to
the form helpers.
-Jonathan.
Use the example I gave you, but find the other model and use whatever
fields
you want. Perhaps something like…
class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
alias :old_initialize :initialize
def initialize(attributes = nil)
old_initialize(attributes)
defaults = PersonDefaults.find(:first)
self.country = defaults.country if country.blank?
end
end
-Jonathan.
what if i want to fill it with data from another table? and yes the
form is based on a model. thanks, that info was very helpful…
That’s another approach. The reason I suggested putting it down on the
model
is that it will give default values for any form using that model.
Putting
it in the controller will mean you need to repeat yourself to reuse the
default values.
And, to me at least, this seems like an issue which should be sorted out
at
the model level, not with controllers/views. But that is just my
opinion,
feel free to disagree.
-Jonathan.
On Monday 13 Mar 2006 22:32, Jon Mr wrote:
what if i want to fill it with data from another table? and yes the
form is based on a model. thanks, that info was very helpful…
Controller:
@otherdata = Otherdata.find(:all, :order => “name”).map {|d| [d.name,
d.id]}
View:
<%= select(“mainmodel”, “otherdata_id”, @otherdata) %>
That’s it! 
~Dave
–
Dave S.
Rent-A-Monkey Website Development
On Monday 13 Mar 2006 22:59, Jonathan V. wrote:
That’s another approach. The reason I suggested putting it down on the
model is that it will give default values for any form using that model.
Putting it in the controller will mean you need to repeat yourself to reuse
the default values.And, to me at least, this seems like an issue which should be sorted out at
the model level, not with controllers/views. But that is just my opinion,
feel free to disagree.
Sure, I often move that kind of thing out into the model in it’s own
function,
something like:
Controller:
@otherdata = Otherdata.find_for_select
Model:
def self.find_for_select
find(:all, :order => “name”).map {|d| [d.name, d.id]}
end
But actually, your approach is pretty nice and I can see what you’re
trying to
do (set it up by default rather than having to expressly call it) -
though
I’m not sure it really answers his question since it seems to me that
he’s
probably asking how to populate select lists with data from another
table.
I don’t know!? Jon Mr we could do with a bit more detail and a better
description of exactly what you’re trying to do. What kind of field are
you
trying to populate?
Jonathan V. - I’m not sure I can work out how your method could be
used to
generate a select field, though I can see how it could automatically be
used
to populate the data for that field. I think you’re always going to
need
something in your view, surely? Though moving it into the model on
initialize is a good way to get that data in the first place - I’ll
definitely do it that way from now on, as it seems more elegant.
So ultimately, perhaps Jon Mr requires a combination of our two methods?
~Dave
–
Dave S.
Rent-A-Monkey Website Development