As of now, what is the best approach to create multi-step creation/edition forms (wizards)? Googling does not provide a clear answer. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Piotr Wlodarek wrote:> As of now, what is the best approach to create multi-step > creation/edition forms (wizards)? > > Googling does not provide a clear answer.I have found the REST/CRUD model does not work well with multi-page forms (wizards). What I have found is generally best is to implement custom non-CRUD actions which display the various steps and navigation between the steps (a DSL would be good here but I have never bothered to create one). Then store the attributes as a hash in the session. Each page can add to the hash as you go. If the user goes to a previous page the fields will be populated from the hash. Then when the process is complete and you have all the data you want you would post to the create action to move to the more traditional CRUD for the completion and actual creation of the object submitting the results of the hash as the arguments to the create. At least that is what has worked for me. Eric --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
This is very inefficient solution. In each step when u submit the data, save it in the db and save the id in the session. In the next step load the record from the db using the id stored in the session. Now update that record. Continue the same procedure for all steps. There is a blog post that shows how to use acts as state machine for workflow. Sent from my iPhone On Dec 10, 2007, at 3:38 PM, Eric Anderson <eric-Es09zwCbMN9sO85lhEf0XA@public.gmane.org> wrote:> > Piotr Wlodarek wrote: >> As of now, what is the best approach to create multi-step >> creation/edition forms (wizards)? >> >> Googling does not provide a clear answer. > > I have found the REST/CRUD model does not work well with multi-page > forms (wizards). What I have found is generally best is to implement > custom non-CRUD actions which display the various steps and navigation > between the steps (a DSL would be good here but I have never > bothered to > create one). Then store the attributes as a hash in the session. Each > page can add to the hash as you go. If the user goes to a previous > page > the fields will be populated from the hash. > > Then when the process is complete and you have all the data you want > you > would post to the create action to move to the more traditional CRUD > for > the completion and actual creation of the object submitting the > results > of the hash as the arguments to the create. > > At least that is what has worked for me. > > Eric > > > >--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Bcp wrote:> This is very inefficient solution. In each step when u submit the > data, save it in the db and save the id in the session. In the next > step load the record from the db using the id stored in the session. > Now update that record. Continue the same procedure for all steps. > > There is a blog post that shows how to use acts as state machine for > workflow.Not really sure how it is any more inefficient. Either way the data has to be stored (session or database). Code-wise they have about the same complexity (i.e. not much). If you are using a server-side storage mechanism for the session (vs. the new cookie method) then you are not increasing traffic any. So what is inefficient. The big win with the session method is that your model does not have to be valid until all steps are done. This allows you to use the normal validation stuff without resorting to hacks. But whatever works for you. Just offering up my method. Eric --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
On Dec 11, 2007, at 7:12 AM, Eric Anderson wrote:> The big win with the session method is that your model does not have > to > be valid until all steps are done. This allows you to use the normal > validation stuff without resorting to hacks.But when there''s a problem with the data, don''t you now a big headache (and the user too)?. You have to figure out what page to go to, and he doesn''t get feedback until he''s done. What I did was set a page_number in the controller, and then the validation is like this: validates_presence_of :state, :if => :page_1 and in the model def page_1 page_number >= 1 end It has the pleasant side-effect of making it easy for incomplete entries to see where a person stopped.
What I''ve actually found to be a really helpful way to do it is to
have post-backs for each step which you check for validity and either
re-render or redirect on to the next step, while saving it in the
session along the way. For example:
class PostsController < ApplicationController
def step_1
if request.get?
@post = Post.new
elsif request.post?
@post = Post.new(params[:post])
if @post.valid?
session[:post] = @post
redirect_to step_2_wizard_path and return
else
flash.now[:error] = @post.errors
end
end
end
def step_2
@post = session[:post]
# etc...
end
end
This may seem wrong to RESTful developers (multiple request types in
one action) but I''ve found it to be the most succinct way to do multi-
step forms, not to mention the benefit of being able to post your form
to the same URL you''re already on (aka you don''t even need to
set
the :url in a form_for).
If you wanted a more RESTFUL approach I would suggest something along
the lines of:
class PostsController < ApplicationController
def step_1
end
def save_step_1
end
# ... etc.
end
with something like this in your routes:
map.resources :posts, :collection => {:step_1 => :get, :save_step_1
=> :post} # etc.
My thoughts on the problem, anyway.
Michael Bleigh
michael-+08J6pdAJjhWk0Htik3J/w@public.gmane.org
On Dec 11, 2007, at 9:15 AM, George Bailey wrote:
>
> On Dec 11, 2007, at 7:12 AM, Eric Anderson wrote:
>
>> The big win with the session method is that your model does not
>> have to
>> be valid until all steps are done. This allows you to use the normal
>> validation stuff without resorting to hacks.
>
>
> But when there''s a problem with the data, don''t you now a
big
> headache (and the user too)?. You have to figure out what page to go
> to, and he doesn''t get feedback until he''s done.
>
> What I did was set a page_number in the controller, and then the
> validation is like this:
>
> validates_presence_of :state, :if => :page_1
>
> and in the model
>
> def page_1
> page_number >= 1
> end
>
>
> It has the pleasant side-effect of making it easy for incomplete
> entries to see where a person stopped.
>
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Thanks for tips. Finally I resorted to "one model per wizard step" approach. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
The "one model per wizard step" that you adpoted would suggest that there is very little data dependency between the steps. If that''s the case, why not render all the steps at once (separate divs) and use some js to show/hide divs as you need to? By doing that, you can use ''next'' and ''prev'' steps and the data does not take a roundtrip to re- populate. On Dec 11, 2:56 pm, Piotr Wlodarek <rails-mailing-l...-ARtvInVfO7ksV2N9l4h3zg@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Thanks for tips. Finally I resorted to "one model per wizard step" > approach. > -- > Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Does anyone know about the "act_as_wizard" plug-in?? Any experience?? http://github.com/Adkron/actsaswizard/tree/master Tanks a lot, Raul. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFFw@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Raul Martinez wrote:> > Does anyone know about the "act_as_wizard" plug-in?? Any experience?? > > http://github.com/Adkron/actsaswizard/tree/master > > Tanks a lot, > Raul.I searched and tried with acts_as_wizard plugin. You can use wizardly gem at http://github.com/jeffp/wizardly But I found both of them not working in rails(3.0.0rc). Does anybody have any idea of such plugins for Rails(3.0.0rc) ? -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
What about the railscast on multistep-forms. I think it was rails3. <http://railscasts.com/episodes/217-multistep-forms> On Aug 16, 3:22 am, Shyam Khadka <li...-fsXkhYbjdPsEEoCn2XhGlw@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Raul Martinez wrote: > > > Does anyone know about the "act_as_wizard" plug-in?? Any experience?? > > >http://github.com/Adkron/actsaswizard/tree/master > > > Tanks a lot, > > Raul. > > I searched and tried with acts_as_wizard plugin. > You can use wizardly gem athttp://github.com/jeffp/wizardly > > But I found both of them not working in rails(3.0.0rc). Does anybody > have any idea of such plugins for Rails(3.0.0rc) ? > > -- > Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
Piotr Wlodarek wrote:> Thanks for tips. Finally I resorted to "one model per wizard step" > approach.Usually not a good idea. It''s generally better to keep track of which step you''re on and save the (one) model as you go along. Best, -- Marnen Laibow-Koser http://www.marnen.org marnen-sbuyVjPbboAdnm+yROfE0A@public.gmane.org -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:> Piotr Wlodarek wrote: >> Thanks for tips. Finally I resorted to "one model per wizard step" >> approach. > > Usually not a good idea. It''s generally better to keep track of which > step you''re on and save the (one) model as you go along. > > Best, > -- > Marnen Laibow-Koser > http://www.marnen.org > marnen-sbuyVjPbboAdnm+yROfE0A@public.gmane.orgSorry for commenting on such an old post -- forgot to check date. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.