Rails: Form with configurable number of inputs

Question

I wrote a form that generates a text input for each property.
The list of properties is configurable by the customer.

<% properties = ["refractivity_at_2kHz", "refractivity_at_5kHz"] %>

<% properties.each do |property| %>
  <div class="property">
    <%= f.label property %>
    <%= f.text_field property %>
  </div>
<% end %>

It fails with the error undefined method refractivity_at_2kHz.

What is the usual solution for this problem?

Should I add an array to my model, and use f.text_field myarray[property] ?

@Bohdan: No. Properties are really dynamic, the client can modify them at any time. — Nicolas Raoul, Jul 06 '11 at 07:31
Kai is right then if you use `f.text_field(property)` it expects that object has this property — Bohdan, Jul 06 '11 at 07:46

krichard · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-06T08:14:17.157

1

Is it a form_for(@model)?

Because then f.text_field(property) looks for that method/property on @model.

May be you want to change f.text_field(property) into text_field_tag(property)[1]

cheers

[1] http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionView/Helpers/FormTagHelper.html#method-i-text_field_tag

edited Jul 06 '11 at 08:14

answered Jul 06 '11 at 07:17

krichard

3,699
24
34

Yes, it is in a form_for block. I just had a look at text_field_tag, it seems like it might allow me to process form results manually :-) – Nicolas Raoul Jul 06 '11 at 07:50
I will be back as soon as I manage to use text_field_tag http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6593263 (--') – Nicolas Raoul Jul 06 '11 at 08:08
1

Hey maybe you could serialize the properties and than do something similar to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1002963/how-to-edit-a-rails-serialized-field-in-a-form that – krichard Jul 06 '11 at 08:10
Thanks, a serialized field is just what I needed! – Nicolas Raoul Jul 06 '11 at 08:13
Just a note: Did you really mean `f.text_field_tag` or rather `text_field_tag` ? – Nicolas Raoul Jul 06 '11 at 08:18
nope that was a typo, meant `text_field_tag` - sorry about that – krichard Jul 06 '11 at 08:21

Rails: Form with configurable number of inputs

1 Answers1