Rails - Feb 2006 - best practices for simple query

I have a very simple form that looks allows an input for an error code
and then give the show page from the scaffolding if the error code is
in the database and a notification on the list page, again from the
scaffolding if not.

Here''s the form:
find.rhtml
<h1>Find error</h1>
<%= start_form_tag :action => ''search''%>
<p><label for="message_code">Code</label><br/>
<%= text_field ''message'', ''code'' 
%></p>
  <%= submit_tag ''Search'' %>
<%= end_form_tag %>

<%= link_to ''Back'', :action => ''list''
%>

Here''s the method, search in the controller

  def search
    code=params[:message]["code"]
    @message = Message.find_by_code(code)
    if @message.nil?
        #render :action => ''find''
        flash[:notice] = "Code #{code} not found!\n Please choose a
code from this list"
        flash[:error] = ''Boom''
        redirect_to :action => ''list''
    else
        redirect_to :action => ''show'', :id => @message
    end
  end

It works except for the fact that flash[:error] does not display and
in fact if I try :error for the first flash, it will not display.

Aside from this problem is their a better way to do this. I have the
agile book and googled quite a bit to finally find how to pass
non-database elements from a form to the controller, but I''ve lost the
link. I''m new to web apps so I don''t know what the accepted
practice
is for something like this so any helpful advise or criticism is
appreciated.

--
-vapid