"Exploring Layouts in Rails 3 - Answers to Common Questions

Question

"Exploring Layouts in Rails 3 - Answers to Common Questions

I'm struggling to grasp the overall application layout of Rails.

Currently, I am developing a web app for football plays where coaches can log in and access the /coach/index page. On this page, they can draw their plays using a JavaScript front end. My challenge lies in saving these plays by sending JSON to the server to store them in the correct Play database entry.

Is my current layout logical? Should coaches be directed to this specific page upon logging in to draw, save, create, and load plays, or should these actions be performed on pages controlled by the Play controller?
I need assistance with saving the JSON data generated by the play drawing engine into the database. How can I achieve this without a traditional form approach typically used in Rails AJAX tutorials? How do I make an AJAX POST/GET request to the Rails DB without an explicit form and handle the input?
My lack of experience in Rails is evident as I navigate through this project. What would be the best practice to ensure that coaches have access to the plays they have created? How can controllers interact with resources managed by other controllers effectively? Are there any established conventions for this scenario?

Upon further consideration, it seems more appropriate to direct coaches to the /plays directory after logging in and adjust the create functions there to align with my desired workflow. Thank you for your support and guidance in advance.

javascript ajax ruby-on-rails-3 mootools

Answer 1

Answer №1

Is the structure of your layout logical? The /coaches URL makes sense as a destination for Coaches who are logging in. If all users of your application are coaches, then even the root URL may make sense. When a Coach logs in, they typically go to some form of coaches#show, but it's not necessary for every URL to strictly adhere to REST conventions. In reality, not every action like new needs its own separate page. If it is logical to have a new Play form nested within the /coaches page, then the URL doesn't necessarily need to reflect this nesting.

Controllers are responsible for managing interactions with a resource. Even from the /coaches page, you will still be sending delete play requests to plays#destroy and validating new plays through plays#create. In case of failure, you might use render 'coaches/index'.

I haven't had much experience with AJAX in Rails.
To ensure that Coaches can only see their own plays, you can scope them using the Coach has_many :plays association. Commonly in Rails authentication solutions like Devise, there is a method called current_user which returns the current logged-in user instance of the User model.

Your coaches#index action could look like:

# Coaches controller
def index
  @plays = current_user.plays
end

The corresponding view could include:

# views/coaches/index.erb
<ul>
<% for play in @plays %>
  <li><%= play.name %></li>
<% end %>
</ul>

Avoid doing this:

@plays = Play.where(:user_id => @user.id)

.

This approach also simplifies and secures other actions. For instance:

@play = current_user.plays.new

@play = current_user.plays.build(:name => "My First Play")
redirect_to @play, :notice => "Success!" if @play.save

current_user.plays.find(params[:id]).destroy

In response to your comment/question:

# Coaches controller
def new
  @play = current_user.plays.new
end

def create
  @play = current_user.plays.build(params[:play]) # @play now already contains the association to the coach that created it.
  if @play.save!
    redirect_to # somewhere
  else
    render 'coaches/index'
  end
end

If you are unfamiliar with Railscasts, I highly recommend checking them out. Watching episodes on various topics, even those you may not be implementing immediately, can provide valuable exposure.
For example, here's a Railscast on Devise. Devise also offers good documentation on Github.
I recently purchased CodeSchool's course on Rails Best Practices. While some content may be advanced initially, it serves as a great resource for future reference. I often consult the accompanying slides to find better ways of accomplishing tasks.

Answer 2

Is the structure of your layout logical? The /coaches URL makes sense as a destination for Coaches who are logging in. If all users of your application are coaches, then even the root URL may make sense. When a Coach logs in, they typically go to some form of coaches#show, but it's not necessary for every URL to strictly adhere to REST conventions. In reality, not every action like new needs its own separate page. If it is logical to have a new Play form nested within the /coaches page, then the URL doesn't necessarily need to reflect this nesting.

Controllers are responsible for managing interactions with a resource. Even from the /coaches page, you will still be sending delete play requests to plays#destroy and validating new plays through plays#create. In case of failure, you might use render 'coaches/index'.

I haven't had much experience with AJAX in Rails.
To ensure that Coaches can only see their own plays, you can scope them using the Coach has_many :plays association. Commonly in Rails authentication solutions like Devise, there is a method called current_user which returns the current logged-in user instance of the User model.

Your coaches#index action could look like:

# Coaches controller
def index
  @plays = current_user.plays
end

The corresponding view could include:

# views/coaches/index.erb
<ul>
<% for play in @plays %>
  <li><%= play.name %></li>
<% end %>
</ul>

Avoid doing this:

@plays = Play.where(:user_id => @user.id)

.

This approach also simplifies and secures other actions. For instance:

@play = current_user.plays.new

@play = current_user.plays.build(:name => "My First Play")
redirect_to @play, :notice => "Success!" if @play.save

current_user.plays.find(params[:id]).destroy

In response to your comment/question:

# Coaches controller
def new
  @play = current_user.plays.new
end

def create
  @play = current_user.plays.build(params[:play]) # @play now already contains the association to the coach that created it.
  if @play.save!
    redirect_to # somewhere
  else
    render 'coaches/index'
  end
end

If you are unfamiliar with Railscasts, I highly recommend checking them out. Watching episodes on various topics, even those you may not be implementing immediately, can provide valuable exposure.
For example, here's a Railscast on Devise. Devise also offers good documentation on Github.
I recently purchased CodeSchool's course on Rails Best Practices. While some content may be advanced initially, it serves as a great resource for future reference. I often consult the accompanying slides to find better ways of accomplishing tasks.

"Exploring Layouts in Rails 3 - Answers to Common Questions

Answer №1

Similar questions

Creating a function to determine if at least one checkbox has been selected

Vue: update data and trigger function upon completion of animation transformation, utilizing animation transformation completion listener

What is the best method for extracting information from different websites? I typically utilize the $.post function for this task

Spin Sphere on x-Axis Using Mouse Location in three.js

Displaying various results using a range slider

How can I dynamically assign a random class to a new div using jQuery?

Steps for passing $scope to an AngularJS 1.5 component or directive

jquery ajax not ready - responsetext empty - status code 0 - statustext error occurred

Ways to prompt a specific text value to generate varied responses

The ASP.net AJAX may throw a PageRequestManagerServerErrorException when an object reference is not set

Why is it not functioning when storing responses in a jQuery variable?

Errors found during compilation when running the npm start command

Tips for refreshing a Wicket component following the reception of an event

Function not being triggered by button

Execute a JavaScript function when an element loaded via Ajax in a Spring MVC framework triggers the onChange event

What is the best way to have setState function properly within setInterval? (currently functioning somewhat)

Tips for shrinking a sticky header when scrolling using Angular and JavaScript

Issue encountered when making API requests in JavaScript that is not present when using Postman

Leverage scope Variable in Angular Service URL

struggling to find the precise value in the array