twitter bootstrap modal with ruby on rails

I have run into a bit of a problem and a head scratcher, as I'm not sure whether what I want to do is even possible with RoR.

A bit of background info: I have an app with several controllers... and would like to work with 2 of them for this modal example. The first is a users_controller and the other is a recommendations_controller.

Here is what I'm trying to do: In the user index view I have a lists of posts. Each post has a recommend button. If a user clicks it he/she is sent to the recommendation index page, and can search and find a user he/she would like to share the post with. The reason I have it set up this way is because the Recommendation model creates the recommend relationship.

I would like like it so when the user clicks the recommend button on the User index page, a modal appears (one that accesses the recommendation controller) and the user can search for the user he/she would like to share the post with. Basically, I want to know whether it's possible to access the Recommendation controller via the User controller's index view page.

If it's not, is there a work around? I can post the code I have if it's helpful, but I'm not sure that would help in this case--as I'm trying to see whether it's even possible to do what I'm trying to do.

Thank you!

More Details:

recommendations_controller:

  def index
    @user = Search.find_users(params[:name], current_profile)

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html
      format.js
    end   
  end

index.js.haml (located in the view/recommendations folder)

  :plain
    $(#my-modal).show();

index.html.haml (located in the view/recommendations folder)

  = form_tag post_recommendations_url, :method => "get" do
    = text_field_tag :name, '', :class => "span12", :placeholder => "Please enter the name of the users you would like to share this post with."
    %center
      = submit_tag "Search", :class => "btn btn-primary"

index.html.haml (located in the view/posts folder)

  %a{:href => "#{post_recommendations_path(post)}", :remote => true}
    %i.icon-share.icon-large
    Recommend Post

#my-modal.modal.hide.fade
  .modal-header
    %a.close{"data-dismiss" => "modal"} ×
    %h6 This is a header
  .modal-body
  %p This is where I would like the contents of the index.html.haml file, located in the view/recommendations folder to appear.

Part 2: Displaying the search results inside the modal/partial

Matzi, at the moment, a user clicks a link near the post they want to recommend. This link renders the modal with a partial (_recommendation.html.haml) inside of it.

This partial (now inside the modal) contains the search form_tag and the code to render all the users that match the search results. Unfortunately, when I try to run a search by entering a name and clicking the search button (again, now located inside of the modal) it takes me to the following url instead of rendering the results inside the modal.

http://localhost:3000/posts/2/recommendations?utf8=%E2%9C%93&name=Test&commit=Search

here is what my updated index.html.haml (located in the view/posts folder) looks like:

= link_to 'Recommend Post', post_recommendations_path(post), :remote => true, "data-toggle" => "modal"

#my-modal.modal.hide
.modal-header
  %a.close{"data-dismiss" => "modal"} ×
  %h6 
    %i.icon-share.icon-large
    Recommend Post
.modal-body
  #modal-rec-body
    %p *this is where _recommendation.html.haml is rendered*

updated index.js.haml

:plain
  $("#modal-rec-body").html("#{escape_javascript(render('recommendations/recommendation'))}");

  $('#my-modal').modal({
    keyboard: true,
    show: true
  });

_recommendation.html.haml

.span12
  = form_tag post_recommendations_path, :method => "get" do
    = text_field_tag :name, '', :class => "span12", :placeholder => "Please enter the name of the user you would like to share this post with.", :style => "max-width:520px;"
    %center
      = submit_tag "Search", :class => "btn btn-primary", :remote => "true"

- @user.each do |i|
  - unless current_profile == i
    .row-fluid
      .span6
        .row-fluid
          .well{:style => "margin-left:0px;"}
            .row-fluid
              .span2
                =image_tag i.avatar(:bio), :class=> "sidebar_avatar"
              .span6
                %dl{:style => "margin:0px"}
                  %dt
                    %i.icon-user
                    Name
                  %dd= i.name
                  %dt
                    %i.icon-map-marker
                    Location
                  %dd= i.location
              .span4
                - form_for :recommendation do |r|
                  = r.hidden_field :friend_id, :value => i.account.id 
                  = r.submit "Send Recommendation", :class => "btn btn-primary"

Problem: Unfortunately it seems that when I click the submit (search) button inside the modal instead of rendering the results inside the modal it re-directs the browser to the post_recommendations_path (posts/post.id/recommendations). I would like to display the search results inside the modal without having it redirect to the post recommendations path.

As always, thank you so much! I'm extremely grateful for your help--and I've gotten a much better grasp for AJAX thanks to you. Thank you!

Of course you can do this, but it needs some ajax magic.

First of all, you need to create an action, responding to .js requests, in the recommendation controller. It is done so far in your update. But, your .js is not quite right. The problem is that you render the modal form from the post view, but propably in post controller you dont have the right fields. I recommend the following .js.erb:

$("#modal-body").html(<%= escape_javascript render(:partial => 'recommendations/index')%>);
$("#my-modal").show();

This fills the modal with the form. The next step is to do a remote request from this form. Modify your posts/index the following way:

  = form_tag post_recommendations_url, :remote => true, :method => "get" do
    = text_field_tag :name, '', :class => "span12", :placeholder => "Please enter the name of the users you would like to share this post with."
    %center
      = submit_tag "Search", :class => "btn btn-primary"

The difference is the :remote => true tag, this sends an ajax request to your controller, so you must prepare for .js and .html response (in case of no JS on client). The .js should hide the modal form, and may refresh the original page, the html may redirect you back to the post.

Part 2: The problem is the :remote part. It needs to be part of the form's definition, not the submit button's. My mistake.

I found this guide now, it seems quite good.

I hope it helps! Ask if something is not clear.