Rails - Apr 2006 - select item based on previous select list selection?

So I have a select list with a list of items. When a user selects an 
item, another select list should have its default selected item set to a 
specific item (the default associated with the first select list).

This is in a form to create a new task. The first select list is a list 
of parent tasks. When one selects the parent task, the clients select 
list must default to the same client as its parent task.

I''ve come across several part examples using remote_function or rjs,
but
my rails newbieness is preventing me from understanding those 
completely. Does anyone have complete code or a suggestion as to how to 
accomplish this.

This is my existing code:
<%= select (''task'', ''parent_id'',
@parents.collect {|p| [ p.title, p.id ]
}, { :include_blank => true }) %>
<%= select (''task'', ''client_id'',
@clients.collect {|c| [ c.name, c.id ]
})  %>

Thx
N.

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

On Apr 27, 2006, at 7:26 AM, Nick Coyne wrote:
> So I have a select list with a list of items. When a user selects an
> item, another select list should have its default selected item set  
> to a
> specific item (the default associated with the first select list).
>
> This is in a form to create a new task. The first select list is a  
> list
> of parent tasks. When one selects the parent task, the clients select
> list must default to the same client as its parent task.
>
> I''ve come across several part examples using remote_function or  
> rjs, but
> my rails newbieness is preventing me from understanding those
> completely. Does anyone have complete code or a suggestion as to  
> how to
> accomplish this.
>
> This is my existing code:
> <%= select (''task'', ''parent_id'',
@parents.collect {|p| [ p.title,
> p.id ]
> }, { :include_blank => true }) %>
> <%= select (''task'', ''client_id'',
@clients.collect {|c| [ c.name,
> c.id ]
> })  %>
Nick-

	Here is an example of how you can get started doing this:

--- In the view file ----


<%= select (''task'', ''parent_id'',
@parents.collect {|p| [ p.title,
p.id ]},
                        { :include_blank => true,
                           :onchange => remote_function( :with =>  
"''parent_id=''+value",
                           :loading => "Element.show(''loading- 
indicator'')",
                           :url => { :action  
=> :select_with_ajax } )) %>}) %>
             <%= image_tag(''indicator.gif'',
                           :id    => ''loading-indicator'',
                           :style => ''display:none;'' )
-%>

<div id=''next_select''></div>


--- In the controller action----

def select_with_ajax
    @clients = Client.find(:all, :conditions => ["parent_id = ?",  
params[:parent_id])
     render :update do |page|
       page.replace_html(''next_select'', :partial =>  
''second_select'', :collection => @clients
       page.hide(''loading-indicator'')
     end
  end


The loading indicator gif is one of those little spinner animated gif  
files. You might need to change the @client=Client.find line to fetch  
whatever it is you want to populate the next select box with. And you  
will need a partial called _second_select.rhtml that has the code for  
the second select box.

Hope that gets you over the hump.

Cheers
-Ezra

Hi Ezra

The code makes sense, but its not working as expected. While I do get 
the indicator image showing, the select box never updates. This is the 
code:

In the view:-
<%= select (''task'', ''parent_id'',
@parents.collect {|p| [ p.title, p.id
]},
            { :include_blank => true},
              :onchange => remote_function ( :with => 
"''parent_id=''+value",
                                             :loading => 
"Element.show(''loading-indicator'')",
                                             :url => { :action => 
:select_with_ajax } )) %>
<%= image_tag(''indicator.gif'',
      :id    => ''loading-indicator'',
      :style => ''display:none;'' ) -%>

<div id="task_client">
<%= render :partial => ''client_list'' %>
</div>

In the controller:-
def select_with_ajax
 @clients = Client.find(:all,
                        :conditions => ["parent_id = ?", 
params[:parent_id]],
                        :joins => [:tasks])
 render :update do |page|
   page.replace_html(''task_client'', :partial =>
''parent_client_list'',
:collection => @clients)
   page.hide(''loading-indicator'')
 end
end

And the partial _parent_client_list.rhtml looks like:
<%= select (''task'', ''client_id'',
@clients.collect {|c| [ c.name, c.id ]
}, { :include_blank => false })  %>

What am I missing?

thx
n.

Ezra Zygmuntowicz wrote:
> On Apr 27, 2006, at 7:26 AM, Nick Coyne wrote:
> 
>> I''ve come across several part examples using remote_function
or
>> <%= select (''task'', ''client_id'',
@clients.collect {|c| [ c.name,
>> c.id ]
>> })  %>
> 
> Nick-
> 
> 	Here is an example of how you can get started doing this:
> 
> --- In the view file ----
> 
> 
> <%= select (''task'', ''parent_id'',
@parents.collect {|p| [ p.title,
> p.id ]},
>                         { :include_blank => true,
>                            :onchange => remote_function( :with =>
> "''parent_id=''+value",
>                            :loading =>
"Element.show(''loading-
> indicator'')",
>                            :url => { :action
> => :select_with_ajax } )) %>}) %>
>              <%= image_tag(''indicator.gif'',
>                            :id    =>
''loading-indicator'',
>                            :style => ''display:none;'' )
-%>
> 
> <div id=''next_select''></div>
> 
> 
> --- In the controller action----
> 
> def select_with_ajax
>     @clients = Client.find(:all, :conditions => ["parent_id =
?",
> params[:parent_id])
>      render :update do |page|
>        page.replace_html(''next_select'', :partial =>
> ''second_select'', :collection => @clients
>        page.hide(''loading-indicator'')
>      end
>   end
> 
> 
> The loading indicator gif is one of those little spinner animated gif
> files. You might need to change the @client=Client.find line to fetch
> whatever it is you want to populate the next select box with. And you
> will need a partial called _second_select.rhtml that has the code for
> the second select box.
> 
> Hope that gets you over the hump.
> 
> Cheers
> -Ezra

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

I don''t think "select_with_ajax" is ever getting called,
because no
matter what I put inside that function, it never happens.

n.


Nick Coyne wrote:
> Hi Ezra
> 
> The code makes sense, but its not working as expected. While I do get 
> the indicator image showing, the select box never updates. This is the 
> code:
> 
>
-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

On Apr 29, 2006, at 11:39 PM, Nick Coyne wrote:
> I don''t think "select_with_ajax" is ever getting called,
because no
> matter what I put inside that function, it never happens.
>
> n.
>
>
> Nick Coyne wrote:
>> Hi Ezra
>>
>> The code makes sense, but its not working as expected. While I do get
>> the indicator image showing, the select box never updates. This is  
>> the
>> code:
>>
>>
>

Nick -

	The best way to debug these ajax pages is with firefox and the  
firebug plugin. It lets you examine the ajax calls and returns from  
the server so you can see exactly what the browser is getting back  
from your ajax call. The thing is when you use rjs, the text returned  
from the ajax action is eval''ed as javascript. If its not valid  
javascript then it won''t appear to do anything.

	SO go get that plugin and see whats coming back when it seems like  
its not returning. Also you can look at your development.log and you  
can see the ajax requests. Check there to see if the select_with_ajax  
is getting called or not.

-Ezra