From: Daniel Berger <Daniel.Berger@...>
Date: 2006-01-14T04:55:05+09:00
Subject: Re: Widget-like API for DOM objects?

Paul Duncan wrote:
> * Daniel Berger (Daniel.Berger@qwest.com) wrote:
> 
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Is there something out there that would let me create DOM objects in a more 
>>Rubyesque manner?  For example, say I want to create a 'select' object in a 
>>web page.  I'd like an API something along these lines:
>>
>>select = Select.new
>>select.options = ["joe", "bob", "moe"] # or {1=>"joe", 2=>"bob", 3=>"moe"}
>>select.selected_index = 2
>>select.title = "Three guys"
>>select.access_key = "A"
>>
>>p select.html # Show html that would be generated using above options
>>
>>You get the picture.  Is there anything like this out on the RAA?  Nothing 
>>immediately jumped out at me.
> 
> 
> REXML has a DOM-like API, and it comes pre-installed with Ruby:
> 
>   # load REXML 
>   require 'rexml/document'
> 
>   #
>   # Create an HTML select element.
>   # 
>   class HTMLSelect
>     attr_accessor :options, :attrs, :index
> 
>     def initialize(options = [], select_attrs = {}, selected_index = nil)
>       @options, @attrs, @index = options, select_attrs, selected_index
>     end
> 
>     def to_s
>       # create return select element and append requested attributes
>       ret = REXML::Element.new('select')
>       @attrs.each { |key, val| ret.attributes[key] = val }
>       
>       # iterate over, create, and append each option
>       @options.each_with_index do |opt, i|
>         # create and append element
>         opt_elem = ret << REXML::Element.new('option')
> 
>         # add option text, and option attributes
>         opt_elem << REXML::Text.new(opt)
>         opt_elem.attributes['value'] = i.to_s
>         opt_elem.attributes['selected'] = 'Y' if i == @index
>       end
> 
>       # convert select element to string and return
>       ret.to_s
>     end
>   end
> 
>   # define attributes, option items, and initial selected index
>   select_attrs = {
>       'name'        => 'which_guy',
>       'title'       => 'Three Guys',
>       'access_key'  => 'A',
>   }
>   selected_index, options = 2, %w{joe bob moe}
>   
>   # build select box and print out result
>   puts HTMLSelect.new(options, select_attrs, selected_index).to_s
> 
> Hope this helps...
> 

Ah, thanks Paul.  I'd like something prebuilt, but it looks like REXML would 
serve as a great way to build things behind the scenes.

Regards,

Dan