Question

I have a view:

<h2>The current billing period is <%= @current_period %></h2>
<h2>The current period approved is <%= @approval_period %></h2>
<h2><%= link_to "Approve Period", :method => :approve, :id => @approval_period %></h2>

and a controller:

def approval_period
  @current_period = PeriodCounter.first.period.pe_number
  @approval_period = ApprovalPeriod.first.period.pe_number
end

def approve
  @approval_period = ApprovalPeriod.first.period_id
  @approval_period.update_attribute("period_id", period_id + 1)
  @approval_period.save
  redirect_to :back
  flash[:notice] = "Approval Period Updated."
end

I’m trying to update the database to increment @approval_period by 1 upon click of the link. I’ve been away from Rails for a long time, so I know I’m missing some key elements. Any help? Thanks in advance…

Answer 1

:method is not the method in your controller but the HTTP verb like Get or Post. Instead you should be doing something like

<%= link_to "Approve Period", approve_path(:period => @approval_period) %>

and adding approve_path in the routes.rb as

match "/approve" => "controller#approve", :as => :approve

( The above is one way of adding a route, you can learn how to add more restful routes )

Read Rails Routing from the Outside In to learn more about routing.

Update:

@approval_period.update_attribute("period_id", period_id + 1)

The line above is what is throwing the error. You haven’t defined period_id anywhere. The parameter that comes is at params[:period].

Then, you can do this:

Approach 1

@approval_period = ApprovalPeriod.find(params[:period]) 
@approval_period.update_attribute("period_id", @approval.period_id + 1)

Approach 2

Abstract out this in a method:

class ApprovalPeriod < AR::Base
  def increment!
    # Here 'period_id' is valid since it is an attribute and a method 
    # with that name will be available
    update_attribute(:period_id, period_id + 1)
  end
end

And in the controller:

def approve
  @approval_period = ApprovalPeriod.find(params[:period])
  @approval_period.increment!
  ...
  # Other code here
end

Go with whatever suites you.