Rails - May 2006 - attempt to override the ''tag'' method

I want to override the ''tag'' method in
ActionView::Helpers::TagHelper to do some generalized
error handling similar to the way scaffolding puts a
red border around fields that fail validation.
I''ve created a file lib/rails_patches/tag_helper.rb
which contains the following.

module ActionView
  module Helpers
    module TagHelper     
      alias_method :orig_tag, :tag
      def tag(name, options = nil, open = false)
        breakpoint       
        orig_tag(name, options, open)
      end
    end
  end
end

I then have a view with the following

<h1>New post</h1>
<%= start_form_tag :action => ''create'' %>

  <p><label
for="post_title">Title</label><br/>
  <%= text_field ''post'', ''title'' 
%></p>
  
  <%= submit_tag "Create" %>
<%= end_form_tag %>

Now here is my problem. Each of these tag helpers
calls the tag method to created it''s tag. However,
only some of them use my custom tag method. Here''s the
output. Notice that text_field does not use my
customer tag method. Why is that? 

Executing break point at
/Users/jay/demo/public/../config/../lib/rails_patches/tag_helper.rb:6
in `tag''
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):001:0> name
=> :form
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):002:0> options
=> {"action"=>"/post/create",
"method"=>"post"}
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):003:0> exit

Executing break point at
/Users/jay/demo/public/../config/../lib/rails_patches/tag_helper.rb:6
in `tag''
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):001:0> name
=> :input
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):002:0> options
=> {"name"=>"commit",
"type"=>"submit",
"value"=>"Create"}
irb(#<#<Class:0x2578980>:0x2578958>):003:0> exit



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Hello Jay,
> I then have a view with the following
>
> <h1>New post</h1>
> <%= start_form_tag :action => ''create'' %>
>
>   <p><label
for="post_title">Title</label><br/>
>   <%= text_field ''post'', ''title'' 
%></p>
>
>   <%= submit_tag "Create" %>
> <%= end_form_tag %>
>
> Now here is my problem. Each of these tag helpers
> calls the tag method to created it''s tag. However,
> only some of them use my custom tag method. Here''s the
> output. Notice that text_field does not use my
> customer tag method. Why is that?
text_field will return an InstanceTag object because it is bound
to a specific object (an AR::B object in most cases) so it doesn''t
seem to call your tag method. So the simplest way will be to use
text_field_tag() instead.

The problem will be the same with password_field, hidden_field,
file_field, text_area, check_box, radio_button... (it will work
with password_field_tag, etc.)

     -- Jean-Fran?ois.

-- 
? la renverse.

Jay Donnell wrote:
> I want to override the ''tag'' method in
> ActionView::Helpers::TagHelper to do some generalized
> error handling similar to the way scaffolding puts a
> red border around fields that fail validation.
> I''ve created a file lib/rails_patches/tag_helper.rb
> which contains the following.
> 
> module ActionView
>   module Helpers
>     module TagHelper     
>       alias_method :orig_tag, :tag
>       def tag(name, options = nil, open = false)
>         breakpoint       
>         orig_tag(name, options, open)
>       end
>     end
>   end
> end
> 
> I then have a view with the following
> 
> <h1>New post</h1>
> <%= start_form_tag :action => ''create'' %>
> 
>   <p><label
for="post_title">Title</label><br/>
>   <%= text_field ''post'', ''title'' 
%></p>
>   
>   <%= submit_tag "Create" %>
> <%= end_form_tag %>
> 
> Now here is my problem. Each of these tag helpers
> calls the tag method to created it''s tag. However,
> only some of them use my custom tag method. Here''s the
> output. Notice that text_field does not use my
> customer tag method. Why is that? 
Active Record form helpers use the version of the tag helper
that is redefined in the InstanceTag class, with the original
tag function aliased as tag_without_error_wrapping.

You can redefine this version of tag by:

class ActionView::Helpers::InstanceTag
   alias_method :orig_tag, :tag
   def tag(name, options)
     breakpoint
     orig_tag(name, options)
   end
end

-- 
We develop, watch us RoR, in numbers too big to ignore.