Question

I’m using a link_to to create an object in my Rails 3 app. Searching has given me the proper way to use link_to with the :post method, but I’m wondering if using link_to to pass in a name value for my object as well. Here is my link:

<%= link_to "Todo text", {:controller => "profiles", :action => "create_inside", :method => :post}, :class => "button white" %>

My profiles_controller.rb:

def create_inside
    @todo = Insidetodo.new
    @todo.save!
    if @todo.save
      redirect_to @profile.todo, :notice => 'Todo successfully added.'
    else
      render :action => 'new'
    end
  end

My todo.rb model:

class Todo < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_and_belongs_to_many :profiles
  validates :name, :presence => true
end

Is there a way to add in :name => "#{@user.profile.todotext}" to the link_to so that it passes and saves? I don’t know if it’s creating properly because at the moment when I click a link_to I get a validation error – Validation failed: Name can't be blank.

Answer 1

For passing name in the link_to

<%= link_to "Todo text", {:controller => "profiles", :action => "create_inside", :name => "#{@user.profile.todotext}", :method => :post}, :class => "button white" %>

and the controller must be

def create_inside
  @todo = Insidetodo.new(:name => params[:name])
  if @todo.save
    redirect_to @todo.goal, :notice => 'Todo successfully added.'
  else
    render :action => 'new'
  end
end

But the link_to will pass the name parameter in url only(like <a href="/profiles/create_inside?name=xxx">Todo text</a>).

If you want the name not to be sent in the url, you might want to use a form and use a submit button instead of the link as it is representing an action and not a link.

<%= form_tag(:controller => "profile", :action => "create_profile") do -%>
  <%= hidden_field_tag :name, @user.profile.todotext %>
  <%= submit_tag "Todo Text" %>
<% end -%>