Is there any easy way to make a fancy looking form to take phone numbers. Something that looks like this: [ ] - [ ] - [ ] ext: [ ] Then when you submit it it''s combined into one string in the database. Optimally it would auto-switch from field-to-field after you fill each field. Has anyone seen anything like this in Rails? Thanks, Adam -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
On 4/20/06, Adam Bloom <admanb@gmail.com> wrote:> > Is there any easy way to make a fancy looking form to take phone > numbers. Something that looks like this: > > [ ] - [ ] - [ ] ext: [ ] > > Then when you submit it it''s combined into one string in the database. > > Optimally it would auto-switch from field-to-field after you fill each > field.The better way of doing this is to have a single flat field in your view, then before it gets saved to the database, you strip the punctuation out of the number and verifies the required number of digits(for a single country site). Then, when you pull the number out of the db, you can add the punctuation that you want. No, I don''t know how to do the code for this atm, but that is the general idea. Has anyone seen anything like this in Rails?> > Thanks, > > Adam > > -- > Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060421/e79a22e8/attachment.html
> The better way of doing this is to have a single flat field in your > view, > then before it gets saved to the database, you strip the punctuation out > of > the number and verifies the required number of digits(for a single > country > site). Then, when you pull the number out of the db, you can add the > punctuation that you want. > > No, I don''t know how to do the code for this atm, but that is the > general > idea. > > Has anyone seen anything like this in Rails?Well, that would be a better way to do it for the programmer, but not for the user. As a user it''s much more convenient to not have to wonder whether you need to type "-"s or puts parens around the area code. If we had to deal with international numbers you''re definitely right, but this is purely a localized website. -Adam -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
to me, it has nothing to do with the rails you should create a javascript that observes fields, does not allow anything apart from number, jumps from one field to another and, upon submissing, concatenates all number and save it into hidden field. This field then can be easily read by rails as regular param On 4/21/06, Adam Bloom <admanb@gmail.com> wrote:> > > The better way of doing this is to have a single flat field in your > > view, > > then before it gets saved to the database, you strip the punctuation out > > of > > the number and verifies the required number of digits(for a single > > country > > site). Then, when you pull the number out of the db, you can add the > > punctuation that you want. > > > > No, I don''t know how to do the code for this atm, but that is the > > general > > idea. > > > > Has anyone seen anything like this in Rails? > > Well, that would be a better way to do it for the programmer, but not > for the user. As a user it''s much more convenient to not have to wonder > whether you need to type "-"s or puts parens around the area code. > > If we had to deal with international numbers you''re definitely right, > but this is purely a localized website. > > -Adam > > -- > Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060421/909e2314/attachment-0001.html
Greetings Adam.
The multiple field solution can be painful for data entry, so I opt''d
for 2 fields - phone and extension. The following solution also
doesn''t force your users to format phone numbers in any special
manner. The normalization of the phones will also permit nice output
(for internalization) if required.
note this solution works for north american phone numbers (7 and 10
digit phone numbers).
The phone number is stored as a mysql bigint (which really speeds up
queries).
Then in your model,
To validate,
def validate
if errors.on("phone").nil?
validate_phone = self.phone_before_type_cast.gsub!(/[^0-9]/,"")
if !validate_phone.nil? and validate_phone.length != 7 and
validate_phone.length != 10
errors.add("phone", "number is not correct. Either a 7
or
10 digit phone # must be specified.")
end
end
..and then these two methods will format the data after you retrieve
(after_find), and then strip away all non numerics (''('',
'')'', ''-'',
etc) before saving.
protected
def after_find
self.phone = "#{self.phone_before_type_cast[0..2]}-#
{self.phone_before_type_cast[3..6]}" if !self.phone.nil? and
self.phone_before_type_cast.length == 7
self.phone = "(#{self.phone_before_type_cast[0..2]}) #
{self.phone_before_type_cast[3..5]}-#{self.phone_before_type_cast
[6..9]}" if !self.phone.nil? and self.phone_before_type_cast.length
== 10
end
def before_save
self.phone_before_type_cast.gsub!(/[^0-9]/,"") if
!self.phone.nil?
end
hope this helps out. This technique can really help get clean data
into your model, without javascript complexities, and simplifies the
data entry, and normalizes the data such that outputting is simpler.
Jodi
On 21-Apr-06, at 4:56 AM, Emin Hasanov wrote:
> to me, it has nothing to do with the rails
>
> you should create a javascript that observes fields, does not allow
> anything apart from number, jumps from one field to another and,
> upon submissing, concatenates all number and save it into hidden
> field. This field then can be easily read by rails as regular param
>
> On 4/21/06, Adam Bloom <admanb@gmail.com> wrote:
> > The better way of doing this is to have a single flat field in your
> > view,
> > then before it gets saved to the database, you strip the
> punctuation out
> > of
> > the number and verifies the required number of digits(for a single
> > country
> > site). Then, when you pull the number out of the db, you can add
> the
> > punctuation that you want.
> >
> > No, I don''t know how to do the code for this atm, but that is
the
> > general
> > idea.
> >
> > Has anyone seen anything like this in Rails?
>
> Well, that would be a better way to do it for the programmer, but not
> for the user. As a user it''s much more convenient to not have to
> wonder
> whether you need to type "-"s or puts parens around the area
code.
>
> If we had to deal with international numbers you''re definitely
right,
> but this is purely a localized website.
>
> -Adam
>
> --
> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
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Thanks Jodi, that helps a lot. -Adam -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Rails Enthusiasts, On Fri, Apr 21, 2006 at 06:34:03AM +0200, Adam Bloom wrote:> Well, that would be a better way to do it for the programmer, but not > for the user. As a user it''s much more convenient to not have to wonder > whether you need to type "-"s or puts parens around the area code.Well, to make it easy for both the programmer and the user how about masked input fields? A while back I asked if Rails included such functionality. After getting no responses at all I searched the net for some JavaScript functions that did what I was after. I include those scripts in my standard layout and added a couple of two line helper functions to my helpers/application_helper.rb file and now masked input is as simple as: <%= masked_text_field ''user'', ''phone'', ''(###)###-####'' %> or <%= masked_auto_tab_text_field ''user'', ''phone'', ''(###)###-####'' %> The second variety jumps to the next field after the last digit of the phone number is entered. As the user types the phone number the punctuation is filled in automatically. Actually, I prefer using similar masked fields for date and time entry instead of select boxes. For those interested my helper functions look something like: def masked_text_field(object, method, mask, options = {}) options["onKeyDown"] = "return dFilter(event.keyCode, this, ''" + mask + "'');" text_field(object, method, options) end def masked_auto_tab_text_field(object, method, mask, options = {}) options["onKeyUp"] = "return autoTab(this, " + mask.length.to_s + ", event);" masked_text_field(object, method, mask, options) end The dFilter and autoTab scripts have a couple of quirks that I''m not completely happy with. I''m continuing to search for alternatives. Or, I might just have to brush up on my JavaScript and enhance the above scripts. With masked input and auto tab fields being so useful one would think such functionality would be included with Rails. Kevin http://www.RawFedDogs.net http://www.WacoAgilityGroup.org Bruceville, TX
Kevin, This is probably a dumb question, but how do I get the dFilter and autoTab scripts installed to use? Thanks, Adam -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Nevermind. That was a really dumb question. :) However, it''s not currently working. :) I get the automatic parens and dashes, but there''s only one text field, and it tabs to the next field (e-mail address) when I''ve typed 10 numbers. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Adam, On Fri, Apr 21, 2006 at 11:40:00PM +0200, Adam Bloom wrote:> Nevermind. That was a really dumb question. :)Actually I''ve often heard that the only dumb questions are the ones not asked. I neglected to post links to the scripts because, as I said, they have a few quirks that I''m not completely happy with. In fact, I''ve already had to apply a couple of patches that I found in a JavaScript forum to the dFilter script. With the original script when one enters numbers via the numeric keypad they show up as letters instead of numbers. The first patch corrects that problem. The other patch keeps the mask characters from showing up until one types past the spot where the mask characters should be. I''m not completely happy with that patch. I think the mask charcters should be showing up one keystroke sooner than they are. If you would like to try the script with the patches I mentioned above applied you can get the patched version at: http://www.RawFedDogs.net/MaskAutoTab.tgz I put both the dFilter and autoTab scripts in the archive, although I haven''t made any changes to the autoTab script.> However, it''s not currently working. :)Are you sure?> I get the automatic parens and dashes, but there''s only one text field, > and it tabs to the next field (e-mail address) when I''ve typed 10 numbers.It sounds like it''s working to me. That''s exactly what it''s supposed to do. The masked input script doesn''t create separate entry fields for the various parts of a phone number, date, etc. All parts of the phone number, date, etc., are entered into one field and the script fills in the mask characters in the appropriate spots. For example, for a date entry field one could use: <%= masked_auto_tab_text_field ''event'', ''start_date'', ''##/##/####'' %> That would create one field. A user could enter: 04212006 and it would appear in the field as: 04/21/2006 The user didn''t have to type the slashes, only the numbers. If you want to have separate fields you could use the autoTab script by itself. Perhaps a helper similar to: def auto_tab_text_field(object, method, length, options = {}) options["onKeyUp"] = "return autoTab(this, " + length.to_s + ", event);" options["size"] = length.to_s text_field(object, method, options) end then in your template(using a phone number as an example): Phone Number: (<%= auto_tab_text_field ''phone'', ''area_code'', 3 -%> )<%= auto_tab_text_field ''phone'', ''exchange'', 3 -%> -<%= auto_tab_text_field ''phone'', ''number'', 4 %> might achieve what you''re looking for. Of course, as others have said, you would then have to piece the phone number together from the three form fields. Personally I prefer using a single field. That''s one of the things I''m really beginning to appreciate about Rails. It''s so easy to add form helpers and make forms work just the way I want them to work, while keeping my templates neat and tidy. Kevin http://www.RawFedDogs.net http://www.WacoAgilityGroup.org Bruceville, TX
Thanks Kevin! I realized right before I had to leave that it wasn''t supposed to work the way I thought it did. :) -Adam -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.