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https://github.com/pellegrino/nested_form

Rails plugin to conveniently handle multiple models in a single form.
https://github.com/pellegrino/nested_form

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Rails plugin to conveniently handle multiple models in a single form.

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= Nested Form

This is a Rails gem for conveniently manage multiple nested models in a single form. It does so in an unobtrusive way through jQuery or Prototype.

This gem only works with Rails 3. See the {rails2 branch}[https://github.com/ryanb/nested_form/tree/rails2] for a plugin to work in Rails 2.

An example project showing how this works is available in the {complex-nested-forms/nested_form branch}[https://github.com/ryanb/complex-form-examples/tree/nested_form].

== Setup

Add it to your Gemfile then run +bundle+ to install it.

gem "nested_form"

And then add it to the Asset Pipeline in the appication.js file:

//= require jquery_nested_form

=== Non Asset Pipeline Setup

If you do not us the asset pipeline, run this generator to create the JavaScript file.

rails g nested_form:install

You can then include the generated JavaScript in your layout.

<%= javascript_include_tag :defaults, "nested_form" %>

== Usage

Imagine you have a Project model that has_many :tasks. To be able to use this gem, you'll need to add accepts_nested_attributes_for :tasks to your Project model. If you don't have the accepts_nested_attributes_for :tasks you'll get a Missing Block Error.

This will create a tasks_attributes= method, so you may need to add it to the attr_accessible array. (attr_accessible :tasks_attributes)

Then use the +nested_form_for+ helper method to enable the nesting.

<%= nested_form_for @project do |f| %>

You will then be able to use +link_to_add+ and +link_to_remove+ helper methods on the form builder in combination with fields_for to dynamically add/remove nested records.

<%= f.fields_for :tasks do |task_form| %>
<%= task_form.text_field :name %>
<%= task_form.link_to_remove "Remove this task" %>
<% end %>

<%= f.link_to_add "Add a task", :tasks %>

== SimpleForm and Formtastic Support

Use simple_nested_form_for or semantic_nested_form_for for SimpleForm and Formtastic support respectively. This is feature is not yet in a Gem release but is in the Git repo.

== Partials

It is often desirable to move the nested fields into a partial to keep things organized. If you don't supply a block to fields_for it will look for a partial and use that.

<%= f.fields_for :tasks %>

In this case it will look for a partial called "task_fields" and pass the form builder as an +f+ variable to it.

== Events

If you are using jQuery, nested:fieldAdded and nested:fieldRemoved events are triggered on the +form+ element after adding and removing fields.

== Enhanced jQuery JavaScript template

You can override default behavior of inserting new subforms into your form. For example:

window.nestedFormEvents.insertFields = function(content, assoc, link) {
return $(link).closest('form').find(assoc + '_fields').append($(content));
}

== Project Status

Unfortunately I have not had time to actively work on this project recently. If you find a critical issue where it does not work as documented please {ping me on Twitter}[http://twitter.com/rbates] and I'll take a look.

== Special Thanks

This gem was originally based on the solution by Tim Riley in his {complex-form-examples fork}[https://github.com/timriley/complex-form-examples/tree/unobtrusive-jquery-deep-fix2].

Thank you Andrew Manshin for the Rails 3 transition, {Andrea Singh}[https://github.com/madebydna] for converting to a gem and {Peter Giacomo Lombardo}[https://github.com/pglombardo] for Prototype support.

Andrea also wrote a great {blog post}[http://blog.madebydna.com/all/code/2010/10/07/dynamic-nested-froms-with-the-nested-form-gem.html] on the internal workings of this gem.

Thanks {Pavel Forkert}[https://github.com/fxposter] for the SimpleForm and Formtastic support.