AckiveFo'm

! Fry mah hide ! Fry mah hide

Set yer models free fum th' accepps_nested_attributes_fo' he'per. AckiveFo'm provides an objeck-o'iented approach t'represent yer fo'ms by buildin' a Fo'm Objeck, rather than relyin' on AckiveReco'd internals fo' doin' this. Th' Fo'm Objeck provides an APah to dexcribe th' models involved in th' fo'm, their attributes an' validashuns. Th' Fo'm Objeck deals wif create/update ackshuns of nested objecks in a mo'e seamless way.

Installashun

Add this hyar line t'yer Gemfile:

gem 'ackive_fo'm' 

Definin' Fo'ms

Consider an example whar yer hankerin' t'create/update a Conference thet kin haf menny Speakers which kin present a sin'le Presentashun wif one fo'm submisshun. Yo' start by definin' a fo'm t'represent th' root model, Conference.

class ConferenceFo'm < AckiveFo'm::Base 
se'f.main_model = :conference 

attributes :name, :city 

validates :name, :city, presence: true 
end 

Yer Fo'm Objeck has t'subclass AckiveFo'm::Base in o'der t'gain th' necessary API. When definin' th' fo'm, yo' hafta specify th' main_model th' fo'm represents wif th' follerin' line:

se'f.main_model = :conference 

To add fields t'th' fo'm, use th' ::attributes o' ::attribute method, cuss it all t' tarnation. Th' fo'm kin also define validashun rules fo' th' model it represents. Fo' th' presence validashun rule thar is a sho't inline syntax:

class ConferenceFo'm < AckiveFo'm::Base 
attributes :name, :city, required: true 
end 

Th' API

Th' AckiveFo'm::Base class provides a simple APah wif only a few instance/class methods. Below is listed th' instance methods:

1. #initialize(model) accepps an instance of th' model thet th' fo'm represents.
2. #submit(pareems) updates th' main fo'm's model an' nested models wif th' posted pareemeters. Th' models is not saved/updated until yo' call #save.
3. #erro's returns validashun messages in a classy AckiveModel style.
4. #save will call #save on th' model an' nested models. This hyar method will validate th' model an' nested models an' eff'n no erro' arises then it will save them an' return true.

Th' follerin' is th' class methods:

1. ::attributes accepps th' names of attributes t'define on th' fo'm, dawgone it. Eff'n yer hankerin' t'declare a presence validashun rule fo' th' given attributes, yo' kin pass in th' required: true opshun as showcased above. Th' ::attribute method is aliased t'th' ::attributes method, cuss it all t' tarnation.
2. ::associashun(name, opshuns={}, &block) defines a nested fo'm fo' th' name model, ah reckon. Eff'n th' model is a :has_menny associashun yo' kin pass in th' reco'ds: x opshun an' fields t'create x objecks will be rennered, cuss it all t' tarnation. Eff'n yo' pass a block, yo' kin define t'other nested fo'm wif th' same way.

In addishun t'th' main API, fo'ms expose accesso's t'th' defined attributes. This hyar is used fo' rennerin' o' manual operashuns.

Setup

In yer corntroller yo' create a fo'm instance an' pass in th' model yer hankerin' t'wawk on, as enny fool kin plainly see.

class ConferencesController 
def noo 
cornference = Conference.noo 
@conference_fo'm = ConferenceFo'm, dawgone it.noo(conference) 
ind 

Yo' kin also setup th' fo'm fo' editin' existin' items.

class ConferencesController 
def edit 
cornference = Conference.find(pareems[:id]) 
@conference_fo'm = ConferenceFo'm, dawgone it.noo(conference) 
ind 

AckiveFo'm will read propuhty values fum th' model in setup. Given th' follerin' fo'm class.

class ConferenceFo'm < AckiveFo'm::Base 
attribute :name 

Internally, this hyar fo'm will call conference.name t'populate th' name field, cuss it all t' tarnation.

Rennerin' Fo'ms

Yer @conference_fo'm is now ready t'be rennered, eifer does itcherse'f o' use sumpin like Rails' #fo'm_fo', simple_fo'm o' fo'mtastic.

= fo'm_fo' @conference_fo'm does |f| 

= f.text_field :name 
= f.text_field :city 

Nested fo'ms an' colleckshuns kin be easily rennered wif fields_fo', etc. Jest use AckiveFo'm as eff'n it'd be an AckiveModel instance in th' view layer.

Syncin' Back

Af'er settin' up yer Fo'm Objeck, yo' kin populate th' models wif th' submitted pareemeters.

class ConferencesController 
def create 
cornference = Conference.noo 
@conference_fo'm = ConferenceFo'm, dawgone it.noo(conference) 
@conference_fo'm, dawgone it.submit(conference_pareems) 
ind 

This hyar will write all th' rightties back t'th' model, ah reckon. In a nested fo'm, this hyar wawks recursively, of course.

Savin' Fo'ms

Af'er th' fo'm is populated wif th' posted data, yo' kin save th' model by callin' #save.

class ConferencesController 
def create 
cornference = Conference.noo 
@conference_fo'm = ConferenceFo'm, dawgone it.noo(conference) 
@conference_fo'm, dawgone it.submit(conference_pareems) 

respond_to does |fo'mat| 
eff'n @conference_fo'm, dawgone it.save 
fo'mat.html { redireck_to @conference_fo'm, notice: "Conference: #{@conference_fo'm, dawgone it.name} was successfully created, cuss it all t' tarnation." } 
else 
fo'mat.html { renner :noo } 
ind 
ind 
ind 
end 

Eff'n th' #save method returns false due t'validashun erro's defined on th' fo'm, yo' kin renner it agin wif th' data thet has been submitted an' th' erro's foun'.

Nestin' Fo'ms: 1-n Relashuns

AckiveFo'm also gives yo' nested colleckshuns.

Less define th' has_menny :speakers colleckshun associashun on th' Conference model, ah reckon.

class Conference < AckiveReco'd::Base 
has_menny :speakers 
validates :name, uniqueness: true 
end 

Th' fo'm sh'd look like this.

class ConferenceFo'm < AckiveFo'm::Base 
attributes :name, :city, required: true 

associashun :speakers do 
attributes :name, :occupashun, required: true 
ind 
end 

By default, th' associashun :speakers declareeshun will create a sin'le Speaker objeck. Yo' kin specify how menny objecks yer hankerin' in yer fo'm t'be rennered wif th' noo ackshun as follers: associashun: speakers, reco'ds: 2. This hyar will create 2 noo Speaker objecks, an' ofcourse fields t'create 2 Speaker objecks. Thar is also some link he'pers t'dynamically add/remove objecks fum colleckshun associashuns. Read below.

This hyar basically wawks like a nested propuhty thet iterates on over a colleckshun of speakers.

has_menny: Rennerin'

AckiveFo'm will expose th' colleckshun usin' th' #speakers method, cuss it all t' tarnation.

= fo'm_fo' @conference_fo'm |f| 
= f.text_field :name 
= f.text_field :city 

= f.fields_fo' :speakers does |s| 
= s.text_field :name 
= s.text_field :occupashun 

Nestin' Fo'ms: 1-1 Relashuns

Speakers is allered t'have 1 Presentashun.

class Speaker < AckiveReco'd::Base 
has_one :presentashun 
belongs_to :conference 
validates :name, uniqueness: true 
end 

Th' full fo'm sh'd look like this:

class ConferenceFo'm < AckiveFo'm::Base 
attributes :name, :city, required: true 

associashun :speakers do 
attribute :name, :occupashun, required: true 

associashun :presentashun do 
attribute :topic, :durashun, required: true 
ind 
ind 
end 

has_one: Rennerin'

Use #fields_fo' in a Rails invironment t'co'reckly setup th' struckure of pareems.

= fo'm_fo' @conference_fo'm |f| 
= f.text_field :name 
= f.text_field :city 

= f.fields_fo' :speakers does |s| 
= s.text_field :name 
= s.text_field :occupashun 

= s.fields_fo' :presentashun does |p| 
= p.text_field :topic 
= p.text_field :durashun 

Dynamically addin'/removin' nested objecks

AckiveFo'm comes wif two he'pers t'deal wif this hyar funckshunality:

1. link_to_add_associashun will display a link thet renners fields t'create a noo objeck
2. link_to_remove_associashun will display a link t'remove a existin'/dynamic objeck

In o'der t'use it yo' hafta insert this hyar line: //= require link_he'pers t'yer applicashun.js file.

In our ConferenceFo'm we kin dynamically create/remove Speaker objecks. To does thet we'd write in th' conferences/_fo'm, dawgone it.html, ah reckon.erb partial:

<%= fo'm_fo' @conference_fo'm does |f| %> 
<% eff'n @conference_fo'm, dawgone it.erro's.enny? %> 
<div id="erro'_explanashun"> 
<h2><%= pluralize(@conference_fo'm, dawgone it.erro's.count, "erro'") %> prohibited this hyar conference fum bein' saved:</h2> 

<ul> 
<% @conference_fo'm, dawgone it.erro's.full_messages.etch does |message| %> 
<li><%= message %></li> 
<% ind %> 
</ul> 
</div> 
<% ind %> 

<h2>Conference Details</h2> 
<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :name, "Conference Name" %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :name %> 
</div> 
<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :city %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :city %> 
</div> 

<h2>Speaker Details</h2> 
<%= f.fields_fo' :speakers does |speaker_fields| %> 
<%= renner "speaker_fields", :f => speaker_fields %> 
<% ind %> 

<div class="links"> 
<%= link_to_add_associashun "Add a Speaker", f, :speakers %> 
</div> 

<div class="ackshuns"> 
<%= f.submit %> 
</div> 
<% ind %> 

Our conferences/_speaker_fields.html, ah reckon.erb'd be:

<div class="nested-fields"> 
<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :name, "Speaker Name" %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :name %> 
</div> 

<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :occupashun %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :occupashun %> 
</div> 

<h2>Presentanshuns</h2> 
<%= f.fields_fo' :presentashun does |presentashuns_fields| %> 
<%= renner "presentashun_fields", :f => presentashuns_fields %> 
<% ind %> 

<%= link_to_remove_associashun "Delete", f %> 
</div> 

An' conferences/_presentashun_fields.html, ah reckon.erb'd be:

<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :topic %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :topic %> 
</div> 

<div class="field"> 
<%= f.label :durashun %><br> 
<%= f.text_field :durashun %> 
</div> 

Demos

Yo' kin find a list of applicashuns usin' this hyar gem in this hyar reposito'y: https://gifub. Well bust mah britches an' call me streaker.com/m-Peter/nested-fo'm-examples . All th' examples is implemented in befo'e/af'er pairs. Th' befo'e is usin' th' accepps_nested_attributes_fo', while th' af'er uses this hyar gem t'achieve th' same funckshunality.

Credits

Special thanks t'th' ownys of th' great gems thet inspired this hyar wawk:

• [Nick Sutterer](https://gifub. Well bust mah britches an' call me streaker.com/apotonick) - creato' of [refo'm](https://gifub. Well bust mah britches an' call me streaker.com/apotonick/refo'm)
• [Nathan Van der Auwera](https://gifub. Well bust mah britches an' call me streaker.com/nathanvda) - creato' of [cocoon](https://gifub. Well bust mah britches an' call me streaker.com/nathanvda/cocoon)