Rails form_tag and check_box_tag array for collection of selected objects

Question

Long time lurker but haven't posted yet. Despite hours of debugging I can't seem to figure out why my check_box_tag won't pass an array. Essentially I would like the check box behaviour to allow the user to select multiple records and then use a button to either discontinue or refill the record.

View:

<% @medications.each do |medication| %>     
  <div class="small-4 columns three-column">    
    <%= link_to medication.drug_name, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true  %>            
  </div>
  <div class="small-3 columns three-column">
    <%= link_to medication.duration, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true %>
  </div>
  <div class="small-3 columns three-column">
    <%= link_to medication.duration_unit, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true %>
  </div>
  <div class="small-2 columns three-column"> 
    <%= form_tag(medication_select_path, method: 'put', :id => 'medication-select') do %>
      <%= check_box_tag "medications[]", medication.id  -%>
    <% end %>
  </div>
<% end %>

<div class="small-6 columns">
  <%= submit_tag "Discontinue", :type => 'submit', :class => 'hollow alert button', :form => 'medication-select', :value => 'Discontinue', method: 'put' %>
</div>
<div class="small-6 columns">
  <%= submit_tag "Refill", :type => 'submit', :class => 'hollow create button', :form => 'medication-select', :value => 'Refill', method: 'put' %>
</div>

Controller:

@selected_meds = Medication.find(params[:medications])

When I look at terminal after pressing the submit button I get an output with only the first medication.id listed in params despite selecting 4 records.

Terminal:

Parameters: {"utf8"=>"✓", "authenticity_token"=>"aNWTazi45CLxMA", "medications"=>["44"], "commit"=>"Discontinue"}

Also my output HTML appears to be correct when viewing source:

<form id="medication-select" action="/medication_select" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="post"><input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="&#x2713;" /><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="put" /><input type="hidden" name="authenticity_token" value="DpJ8" />
<input type="checkbox" name="medication_id[]" id="medication_id_" value="44" />

I've tried multiple sources (and copied the code as clearly as possible) but still have been unable to get an array coming up in params ids.

http://railscasts.com/episodes/165-edit-multiple?view=asciicast http://apidock.com/rails/ActionView/Helpers/FormTagHelper/check_box_tag

As expected from the terminal output I'm getting the expected changes to medication with id=44 but if I check medication with ids of 44, 46, 50 it only performs the controller action on the first checked id.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe splitting up my submit buttons and my form_tag (but then referencing them with the html5 form tag) is changing the behaviour somehow? Thanks in advance, I've been pulling out my hair on this one.

EDIT: Noted that when I select a single check box that is not the first box listed (for example, if the second check box has a id of 46) no id is passed into params. So I think this narrows down the issue to the check_box_tag or my form_tag, however, I still can't find why this isn't working, especially as the source code all appears correct in the browser).

Arun Kumar Mohan · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-22 17:44:52Z

6

I guess the problem is with the way you have nested your form elements. For each medication, you're creating a form which implies you have n forms for n medications.

Take the form outside the loop like this:

<%= form_tag(medication_select_path, method: 'put', :id => 'medication-select') do %>
  <% @medications.each do |medication| %>
    <%= check_box_tag "medications[]", medication.id  -%>
  <% end %>
<% end %>

This way, you have a single form which when submitted will make params[:medications] contains the ids that you selected.

edited Apr 22, 2019 at 17:44

answered Jul 2, 2016 at 16:43

Arun Kumar Mohan

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1 Comment

Matt H Over a year ago

Thanks Arun! After a bit more poking around I was able to get it working. That's a better explanation than mine, I appreciate all the help!

Matt H · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-02 16:39:27Z

For those who run into a similar issue I think I figured it out! Posting in case it will help out other new folk like me!

After editing the form_tag and end placements it appeared to be working as expected. From what I gather the <% end %> tag was closing the form_tag loop tag so only the first check box was associated with the form_tag.

All I needed to do was wrap everything in the form_tag.

Here's the fixed code, hopefully it will help someone else in the future!

<%= form_tag(selected_medications_path, method: 'put', :id => 'medication-select') do %>
    <% @medications.each do |medication| %>     
        <div class="small-4 columns three-column">  
            <%= link_to medication.drug_name, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true  %>            
        </div>
        <div class="small-3 columns three-column">
            <%= link_to medication.duration, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true %>
        </div>
        <div class="small-3 columns three-column">
            <%= link_to medication.duration_unit, edit_medication_path(medication), remote: true %>
        </div>
        <div class="small-2 columns three-column"> 
            <%= check_box_tag "medications[]", medication.id  %>
        </div>
    <% end %>
<% end %>

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