Is it possible to create form for simple class

Question

I just want to have ablility to edit class properties whish is not successor of ActiveRecord class.

Here is my class /app/model/entry.rb:

class Entry
  attr_accessor :title, :body
end

Here is a controller:

class DiaryController < ApplicationController
  def new
    @entry = Entry.new
  end
end

Here is a view:

<%= form_for(@entry) do |f| %>
<%= f.text_field :title %> <br />
<%= f.text_area :body %> <br />
<% end %>

I got the error message while I was opening form:

undefined method `model_name' for Entry:Class

Here is full stack:

Extracted source (around line #1):

1: <%= form_for(@entry) do |f| %>
2: <%= f.text_field :title %> <br />
3: <%= f.text_area :body %> <br />
4: <% end %>


Full trace:

activemodel (3.0.6) lib/active_model/naming.rb:95:in `model_name_from_record_or_class'
activemodel (3.0.6) lib/active_model/naming.rb:82:in `singular'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/helpers/form_helper.rb:312:in `form_for'
app/views/diary/new.html.erb:1:in `_app_views_diary_new_html_erb___902027577_26033568_187052521'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/template.rb:135:in `block in render'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:54:in `instrument'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/template.rb:127:in `render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:59:in `block in _render_template'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `block in instrument'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:21:in `instrument'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `instrument'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:56:in `_render_template'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:26:in `render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:115:in `_render_template'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:109:in `render_to_body'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/renderers.rb:47:in `render_to_body'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/compatibility.rb:55:in `render_to_body'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:102:in `render_to_string'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:93:in `render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/rendering.rb:17:in `render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:40:in `block (2 levels) in render'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/core_ext/benchmark.rb:5:in `block in ms'
c:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/1.9.1/benchmark.rb:309:in `realtime'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/core_ext/benchmark.rb:5:in `ms'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:40:in `block in render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:78:in `cleanup_view_runtime'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:15:in `cleanup_view_runtime'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:39:in `render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/implicit_render.rb:10:in `default_render'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/implicit_render.rb:5:in `send_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:150:in `process_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/rendering.rb:11:in `process_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:18:in `block in process_action'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:436:in `_run__776311234__process_action__123531476__callbacks'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:410:in `_run_process_action_callbacks'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:94:in `run_callbacks'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:17:in `process_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `block in process_action'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `block in instrument'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:21:in `instrument'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `instrument'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:29:in `process_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:17:in `process_action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:119:in `process'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:41:in `process'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:138:in `dispatch'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb:14:in `dispatch'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:178:in `block in action'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:62:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:62:in `dispatch'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:27:in `call'
rack-mount (0.6.14) lib/rack/mount/route_set.rb:148:in `block in call'
rack-mount (0.6.14) lib/rack/mount/code_generation.rb:93:in `block in recognize'
rack-mount (0.6.14) lib/rack/mount/code_generation.rb:68:in `optimized_each'
rack-mount (0.6.14) lib/rack/mount/code_generation.rb:92:in `recognize'
rack-mount (0.6.14) lib/rack/mount/route_set.rb:139:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:493:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/best_standards_support.rb:17:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/head.rb:14:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:24:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/params_parser.rb:21:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/flash.rb:182:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/session/abstract_store.rb:149:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/cookies.rb:302:in `call'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:32:in `block in call'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/query_cache.rb:28:in `cache'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:12:in `cache'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:31:in `call'
activerecord (3.0.6) lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:354:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:46:in `block in call'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:416:in `_run_call_callbacks'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:44:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/sendfile.rb:107:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/remote_ip.rb:48:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/show_exceptions.rb:47:in `call'
railties (3.0.6) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:13:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/runtime.rb:17:in `call'
activesupport (3.0.6) lib/active_support/cache/strategy/local_cache.rb:72:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/lock.rb:11:in `block in call'
<internal:prelude>:10:in `synchronize'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/lock.rb:11:in `call'
actionpack (3.0.6) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb:30:in `call'
railties (3.0.6) lib/rails/application.rb:168:in `call'
railties (3.0.6) lib/rails/application.rb:77:in `method_missing'
railties (3.0.6) lib/rails/rack/log_tailer.rb:14:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/content_length.rb:13:in `call'
rack (1.2.2) lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:52:in `service'
c:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/httpserver.rb:111:in `service'
c:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/httpserver.rb:70:in `run'
c:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/server.rb:183:in `block in start_thread'

Is the ability to edit class properties using the form_for-tag?

Answer 1

This blog entry should get you started:

http://yehudakatz.com/2010/01/10/activemodel-make-any-ruby-object-feel-like-activerecord/

You can include some of the modules ActiveRecord uses to get things like validation and serialization. Then, if you want something like a "save" method that doesn't go to the database, just create one. I did that for a contact model. It's not AR, just a plain old ruby object that pulls in some ActiveModel stuff for validation, provides some required methods, then the save method just fires an e-mail. I think there's even a mixin you can use to take care of that initialization stuff I'm doing to allow mass assignment on creation, but I haven't looked into it that closely. This object looks like an AR object to the front end, so the basic helpers all work.

class Contact
  include ActiveModel::Validations

  attr_accessor :id, :name, :email, :subject, :body

  validates :name, :presence => true
  validates :email, :presence => true
  validates :subject, :presence => true
  validates :body, :presence => true

  def initialize(attributes = {})
    attributes.each do |key, value|
      self.send("#{key}=", value)
    end
    @attributes = attributes
  end

  def read_attribute_for_validation(key)
    @attributes[key]
  end

  def to_key
  end

  def save
    if self.valid?
      ContactNotifier.website_contact(self).deliver
      return true
    end
    false
  end
end

Answer 2

jdc answered this, but didn't show the actual implementation you requested. As jdc stated you need to include some ActiveModel modules, which will give your ruby class the features you need.

It looks like you need ActiveModel::Naming and ActiveModel::AttributeMethods.

class Entry
  extend ActiveModel::Naming
  include ActiveModel::AttributeMethods
end

The first line will give you model_name and the second line allow your model to function with the form helpers. There are other lines you can use: check the blog posted linked in jdc's answer or the Rails API.

More links with detailed information:

http://www.rubyinside.com/rails-3-0s-activemodel-how-to-give-ruby-classes-some-activerecord-magic-2937.html

http://railscasts.com/episodes/219-active-model

Answer 3

For one thing your entry model file should start like this:

class Entry < ActiveRecord::Base

Answer 4

I found this RailsCasts Episode#193 to be very helpful with what you're trying to do.

Answer 5

It looks like the error your getting is from the following line in the form_helper.rb:

object_name = options[:as] || ActiveModel::Naming.param_key(object)

If you hardcode in :as => "Entry", you will get a tad farther. Or you could extend the class to respond to the method model_name. Here is the code in ActiveModel::Naming that calls model_name:

 def self.model_name_from_record_or_class(record_or_class)
        (record_or_class.is_a?(Class) ? record_or_class : convert_to_model(record_or_class).class).model_name
      end

I could continue following the calls, but I'd recommend you follow it yourself. Eventually you will find a call that returns a hash of attributes and values that the form builder uses in form_for.

Just look through the rails source, see where your code throws an error, and extend your class to respond to the proper call. Keep doing it and your model will respond fine. You don't need to be an activerecord model to look, walk, and sound like an activerecord model.