Rails - Sep 2005 - better date-time-fields?

Hi,

I wonder if someone did already improve the default rails-date-time-fields?

I really don''t like those 5 drop-down-fields that are needed to pick
date
and time. I know some usability-ressources I agree with that say: let your
user write the stuff the way they like and catch the error in the backend.

So I am looking for a date-time-function that checks different ways of
time-formating and returns them to the user...

Thanks
~Tobias


-- 
Weblog: http://flyingsparks.wwwfiles.de/

On 16.9.2005, at 23.00, Tobias Jordans wrote:
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I wonder if someone did already improve the default rails-date-time- 
> fields?
>
> I really don''t like those 5 drop-down-fields that are needed to  
> pick date
> and time. I know some usability-ressources I agree with that say:  
> let your
> user write the stuff the way they like and catch the error in the  
> backend.
>
> So I am looking for a date-time-function that checks different ways of
> time-formating and returns them to the user...
See http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/show/CalendarHelper and its  
reference to request preprocessor.

//jarkko
>
> Thanks
> ~Tobias
>
>
> -- 
> Weblog: http://flyingsparks.wwwfiles.de/
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
>


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On Monday 19 September 2005 07:48, Jarkko Laine wrote:
> On 16.9.2005, at 23.00, Tobias Jordans wrote:
> > So I am looking for a date-time-function that checks different ways
> > of time-formating and returns them to the user...
>
> See http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/show/CalendarHelper and its
> reference to request preprocessor.
The request preprocessor was a misbegotten idea, in my own humble 
opinion as its author. What I''m currently doing is add a class variable
for the date format to ActiveRecord and overwrite write_attribute to 
use this as a format for strptime (see below). I''ve updated the 
CalendarHelper page.

The functionality is mixed into AR::Base

ActiveRecord::Base.class_eval do
  include BoilerPlate::Model::I18n
end

class ApplicationController < ...
  before_filter :localize

  ...

  def localize
    # determine locale and set other relevant stuff
    ActiveRecord::Base.date_format = date_format
  end
end


Michael


require ''active_record''
require ''date''

module BoilerPlate # :nodoc:
  module Model # :nodoc:

    # I18n support for ActiveRecord.
    # Currently, all that it does is define a class variable
    #
    #   ActiveRecord::Base.date_format
    #
    # and redefines +write_attribute+ to convert string values to dates
    # according to this format.
    module I18n

      def self.included(base)
        base.class_eval do
          unless method_defined?(:write_attribute_with_date_cast)
            
alias_method :write_attribute_without_date_cast, :write_attribute

            def write_attribute_with_date_cast(attr, value)
              if column_for_attribute(attr).type == :date
                value = cast_to_date(value)
              end
              write_attribute_without_date_cast(attr, value)
            end

            
alias_method :write_attribute, :write_attribute_with_date_cast

            cattr_accessor :date_format
            ActiveRecord::Base.date_format = ''%Y-%m-%d''
          end
        end
      end

      protected

      def cast_to_date(value)
        case value
        when String
          Date.strptime(value, ActiveRecord::Base.date_format) rescue 
nil ### FIXME rescue better
        when Date, Time
          value
        else
          raise ArgumentError, "Argument for cast_to_date must be a 
String, Date, or Time; was: #{value.inspect}"
        end
      end

    end
  end
end



-- 
Michael Schuerig                       All good people read good books
mailto:michael-q5aiKMLteq4b1SvskN2V4Q@public.gmane.org                Now your
conscience is clear
http://www.schuerig.de/michael/ --Tanita Tikaram, Twist In My Sobriety

Michael Schuerig <michael-q5aiKMLteq4b1SvskN2V4Q@public.gmane.org> writes:
> The request preprocessor was a misbegotten idea, in my own humble 
> opinion as its author. What I''m currently doing is add a class
variable
> for the date format to ActiveRecord and overwrite write_attribute to 
> use this as a format for strptime (see below). I''ve updated the 
> CalendarHelper page.
I''m glad to hear this.  I didn''t like the preprocessor either.
I
tried to use CalendarHelper without it with varying success.
Actually, I couldn''t get the calendar helper to dump the right JS into
the page  so i''d work.  I ended up hand coding the Calendar.setup
function myself. :-(  

I''m sorry, I don''t remember what the problem was. 
I''m really glad to
hear you''re still working with the CalendarHelper page though. 
I''ve
got some stuff coming up this week that will be able to use it.  I''ll
take another look to see what the problem was/is or if it still exists.
-- 
Doug Alcorn - http://lathi.net/RubyOnRailsDeveloper
doug-jGAhs73c5XxeoWH0uzbU5w@public.gmane.org