Module | ActionView::Helpers::JavaScriptMacrosHelper
In: | lib/action_view/helpers/java_script_macros_helper.rb

Provides a set of helpers for creating JavaScript macros that rely on and often bundle methods from JavaScriptHelper into larger units. These macros also rely on counterparts in the controller that provide them with their backing. The in-place editing relies on ActionController::Base.in_place_edit_for and the autocompletion relies on ActionController::Base.auto_complete_for.

### Methods

auto_complete_field auto_complete_result in_place_editor in_place_editor_field text_field_with_auto_complete

### Public Instance methods

auto_complete_field(field_id, options = {})

Adds AJAX autocomplete functionality to the text input field with the DOM ID specified by `field_id`.

This function expects that the called action returns a HTML <ul> list, or nothing if no entries should be displayed for autocompletion.

You‘ll probably want to turn the browser’s built-in autocompletion off, so be sure to include a autocomplete="off" attribute with your text input field.

The autocompleter object is assigned to a Javascript variable named `field_id`_auto_completer. This object is useful if you for example want to trigger the auto-complete suggestions through other means than user input (for that specific case, call the `activate` method on that object).

Required `options` are:

`:url`: | URL to call for autocompletion results in url_for format.

Addtional `options` are:

`:update`: | Specifies the DOM ID of the element whose innerHTML should be updated with the autocomplete entries returned by the AJAX request. Defaults to field_id + ‘_auto_complete‘
`:with`: | A JavaScript expression specifying the parameters for the XMLHttpRequest. This defaults to ‘fieldname=value’.
`:frequency`: | Determines the time to wait after the last keystroke for the AJAX request to be initiated.
`:indicator`: | Specifies the DOM ID of an element which will be displayed while autocomplete is running.
`:tokens`: | A string or an array of strings containing separator tokens for tokenized incremental autocompletion. Example: `:tokens => ’,’` would allow multiple autocompletion entries, separated by commas.
`:min_chars`: | The minimum number of characters that should be in the input field before an Ajax call is made to the server.
`:on_hide`: | A Javascript expression that is called when the autocompletion div is hidden. The expression should take two variables: element and update. Element is a DOM element for the field, update is a DOM element for the div from which the innerHTML is replaced.
`:on_show`: | Like on_hide, only now the expression is called then the div is shown.
`:after_update_element`: | A Javascript expression that is called when the user has selected one of the proposed values. The expression should take two variables: element and value. Element is a DOM element for the field, value is the value selected by the user.
`:select`: | Pick the class of the element from which the value for insertion should be extracted. If this is not specified, the entire element is used.

auto_complete_result(entries, field, phrase = nil)

Use this method in your view to generate a return for the AJAX autocomplete requests.

Example action:

      def auto_complete_for_item_title
        @items = Item.find(:all,
          :conditions => [ 'LOWER(description) LIKE ?',
          '%' + request.raw_post.downcase + '%' ])
        render :inline => '<%= auto_complete_result(@items, 'description') %>'
      end

The auto_complete_result can of course also be called from a view belonging to the auto_complete action if you need to decorate it further.

in_place_editor(field_id, options = {})

Makes an HTML element specified by the DOM ID `field_id` become an in-place editor of a property.

A form is automatically created and displayed when the user clicks the element, something like this:

      <form id="myElement-in-place-edit-form" target="specified url">
        <input name="value" text="The content of myElement"/>
        <input type="submit" value="ok"/>
        <a onclick="javascript to cancel the editing">cancel</a>
      </form>

The form is serialized and sent to the server using an AJAX call, the action on the server should process the value and return the updated value in the body of the reponse. The element will automatically be updated with the changed value (as returned from the server).

Required `options` are:

`:url`: | Specifies the url where the updated value should be sent after the user presses "ok".

Addtional `options` are:

`:rows`: | Number of rows (more than 1 will use a TEXTAREA)
`:cols`: | Number of characters the text input should span (works for both INPUT and TEXTAREA)
`:size`: | Synonym for :cols when using a single line text input.
`:cancel_text`: | The text on the cancel link. (default: "cancel")
`:save_text`: | The text on the save link. (default: "ok")
`:loading_text`: | The text to display when submitting to the server (default: "Saving…")
`:external_control`: | The id of an external control used to enter edit mode.
`:load_text_url`: | URL where initial value of editor (content) is retrieved.
`:options`: | Pass through options to the AJAX call (see prototype’s Ajax.Updater)
`:with`: | JavaScript snippet that should return what is to be sent in the AJAX call, `form` is an implicit parameter
`:script`: | Instructs the in-place editor to evaluate the remote JavaScript response (default: false)

in_place_editor_field(object, method, tag_options = {}, in_place_editor_options = {})

Renders the value of the specified object and method with in-place editing capabilities.

See the RDoc on ActionController::InPlaceEditing to learn more about this.

text_field_with_auto_complete(object, method, tag_options = {}, completion_options = {})

Wrapper for text_field with added AJAX autocompletion functionality.

In your controller, you’ll need to define an action called auto_complete_for_object_method to respond the AJAX calls,

See the RDoc on ActionController::AutoComplete to learn more about this.

[Validate]