Question

I have an app where a user can enter a project into a database.

There is an option where they can select a number of different technologies for their project. At the moment, the app flags up an error if the user doesn’t select at least 1 technology.

I am wanting to change this so that if they don’t select a technology, it automatically goes down as “other” instead.

Here is my project controller actions, new and create:

def new
    @project = Project.new
        @technol = Technol.new(params[:tech])

        @all_technols = Technol.order('tech ASC') 
        @all_technols = Technol.all
        tech_ids = params[:technols][:id].reject(&:blank?) unless params[:technols].nil?


        @project_technol = @project.projecttechnols.build

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html # new.html.erb
      format.json { render json: @project }
    end
  end



def create  
    @project = Project.new(params[:project])
        @project.client = params[:new_client] unless params[:new_client].blank?
        @project.industry = params[:new_industry] unless params[:new_industry].blank?
        @project.business_div = params[:new_business_div] unless params[:new_business_div].blank?


if !params[:technols].nil?

            params[:technols][:id].each do |tech|


                if !tech.empty?

                    @project_technol = @project.projecttechnols.build(:technol_id => tech) 
                    end
            end

end

Here is the new view for the technology field

<ul> 


<% @all_technols.each do |technol| %> 



<li class="split"> 
<%= check_box_tag "project[technol_ids][]", technol.id,  @project.technols.include?(technol) %> 
<%= technol.tech %> 
</li> 

<% end %>
</ul> 

The technology ID for “other” in the technols table is “18”. So is there a way to say that if no technology is chosen, then :technol_id => ["18"].

I’m still new to rails, so please remember this when trying to help. Thanks very much

Answer 1

You have two choices.

First, add an hidden input to the form:

<input type="hidden" name="project[technol_ids][]" value="18" />

Second, update params in controller#action:

def create
  ...
  technol_ids = params[:technol_ids].blank? ? [18] : params[:technol_ids]
  technol_ids.each do |id|
  ...
  end
  ...
end