Question

Description

I have the following working code.

• View with list of links:

    <%= div_for feed do %>
      <%= link_to feed.name, { :controller => 'Feeds', :action => "get_posts", :id => feed.id }, 
    :remote => true %>  
    <% end %>
  

• Controller which works when user clicks the link:

    def get_posts
      @result = Feed.find(params[:id]).generate_html_table    
  
      respond_to do | format |  
        format.js {render :layout => false}  
      end
    end
  

• Method which generates HTML:

    def generate_html_table
        r = "<table>"
  
        self.posts.order("published desc").each { |p|                   
            link = '<a href=' + p.link + '>' + p.title + '</a>'
            date = '  ' + p.published.to_s
  
            r += '<tr><td>' + link + '</td><td>' + date + '</td></tr>'
        }    
  
        r + '</table>'
    end
  

• And get_posts.js.erb:

    $( "#in" ).html("<%= raw @result %>");
  

Users clicks the link, generate_html_table generates HTML code which inserted into #id div.

Question

I want to change generate_html_table with partials. How can I get it?

How did I try it

• I have created file views/feeds/_posts.html.erb with:

    some static text
  

• I have edit my get_posts.js.erb as:

    $( "#in" ).html("<%= escape_javascript(render :partial => 'posts' )%>");
  

But even now, with static text it doesn’t work.

Answer 1

It looks like you have view code in the controller, you should get rid of the generate_html_table method and leave that to the get_posts.js.erb, when you are putting code that belongs to a view so clearly you know you are going offtrack.

The get_posts.js.erb you have in the second part of the question seems right, I don’t see a #in in your previous view code where that code would be inserted, have you checked calling the ajax URL directly to discard a problem in the ajax part? (like not having loaded the jquery-ujs or whatever unobtrusive javascript platform you are using). I also don’t see any code that is handling the remote, so the javascript that is returning from the call is probably not being used.

My recommendation would be:

• get rid of generate_html_table
• leave the gathering of the posts you want to gather (self.posts.order("published desc")) in the controller, that does belong in the controller
• add code to the asset of your page to handle the ajax:success callback of your button to insert the html in #in
• don’t return javascript in your ajax call, rather return the HTML that you need to insert, let the client handle the javascript part