I have a resource called Books. It's listed as a resource properly in my routes file.
I have a new action, which gives the new view the standard:
@book = Book.new
On the model, there are some attributes which are validated by presence, so if a save action fails, errors will be generated.
In my controller:
@book = Book.create
... # some logic
if @book.save
redirect_to(@book)
else
render :new
end
This is pretty standard; and the rationale for using render:new is so that the object is passed back to the view and errors can be reported, form entries re-filled, etc.
This works, except every time I'm sent back to the form (via render :new), my errors show up, but my URL is the INDEX URL, which is
/books
Rather than
/books/new
Which is where I started out in the first place. I have seen several others posts about this problem, but no answers. At a minimum, one would assume it would land you at /books/create, which I also have a view file for (identical to new in this case).
I can do this:
# if the book isn't saved then
flash[:error] = "Errors!"
redirect_to new_book_path
But then the @book data is lost, along with the error messages, which is the entire point of having the form and the actions, etc.
Why is render :new landing me at /books, my index action, when normally that URL calls the INDEX method, which lists all the books?
It actually is sending you to the create path. It's in the create
action, the path for which is /books
, using HTTP method POST. This looks the same as the index path /books
, but the index path is using HTTP method GET. The rails routing code takes the method into account when determining which action to call. After validation fails, you're still in the create action, but you're rendering the new
view. It's a bit confusing, but a line like render :new
doesn't actually invoke the new action at all; it's still running the create action and it tells Rails to render the new view.
I just started with the Rails-Tutorial and had the same problem.
The solution is just simple: If you want the same URL after submitting a form (with errors), just combine the new and create action in one action.
Here is the part of my code, which makes this possible (hope it helps someone^^)
routes.rb (Adding the post-route for new-action):
...
resources :books
post "books/new"
...
Controller:
...
def create
@book = Book.new(book_params)
if @book.save
# save was successful
print "Book saved!"
else
# If we have errors render the form again
render 'new'
end
end
def new
if book_params
# If data submitted already by the form we call the create method
create
return
end
@book = Book.new
render 'new' # call it explicit
end
private
def book_params
if params[:book].nil? || params[:book].empty?
return false
else
return params.require(:book).permit(:title, :isbn, :price)
end
end
new.html.erb:
<%= form_for @book, :url => {:action => :new} do |f| %>
<%= f.label :title %>
<%= f.text_field :title %>
<%= f.label :isbn %>
<%= f.text_field :isbn %>
<%= f.label :price %>
<%= f.password_field :price %>
<%= f.submit "Save book" %>
<% end %>
Just had the very same question, so maybe this might help somebody someday. You basically have to make 3 adjustments in order for this thing to work, although my solution is still not ideal.
1) In the create action:
if @book.save
redirect_to(@book)
else
flash[:book] = @book
redirect_to new_book_path
end
2) In the new action:
@book = flash[:book] ? Book.new(flash[:book]): Book.new
3) Wherever you parse the flash hash, be sure to filter out flash[:book].
--> correct URL is displayed, Form data is preserved. Still, I somehow don't like putting the user object into the flash hash, I don't think that's it's purpose. Does anyboy know a better place to put it in?
It doesn't land you at /books/new
since you are creating resource by posting to /books/
. When your create fails it is just rendering the new action, not redirecting you to the new action. As @MrYoshiji says above you can try redirecting it to the new action, but this is really inefficient as you would be creating another HTTP request and round trip to the server, only to change the url. At that point if it matters you could probably use javascript change it.
It can be fixed by using same url but different methods for new and create action.
In the routes file following code can be used.
resources :books do
get :common_path_string, on: :collection, action: :new
post :common_path_string, on: :collection, action: :create
end
Now you new page will render at url
books/common_path_string
In case any errors comes after validation, still the url will be same.
Also in the form instead using
books_path
use
url: common_path_string_books_path, method: :post
Choose common_path_string of your liking.