From: ara.t.howard@...
Date: 2007-04-05T00:13:30+09:00
Subject: Re: Problem Extracting Array Values

On Wed, 4 Apr 2007, Dustin Anderson wrote:

>
>> Dustin, why are you storing those values that way? Why not have a
>> normalized table with a row for each? In other words you create a
>> blocks table, define a Block model which belongs_to whatever model you
>> currently use the blocks column in, and then that model will have many
>> blocks. Then you could just do @model.blocks.each do |block| in your
>> view.
>>
>> Ryan
>
> Thanks Chris, ilan, Ryan for the help... You got it exactly correct.
>
> Ryan - I think you're right - I was storing the value in the database
> like that because it's a variable for a Javascript app.  I'm writing an
> app to allow users to store the state of the  view (like Google
> personalized homepage or netvibes) and the javascript that I'm using
> requires a v to look like this:
>
> value = ["block1_name", "block2_name", "block3_name"]
>
> so, if I store "value" in the database like this, I can just read it
> into my javascript.  Otherwise, I'll need a helper to construct the
> string to look like this.

not really

   values = ["block1_name", "block2_name", "block3_name"]

   javascript = "value = #{ values.inspect }"

fyi.

-a
-- 
be kind whenever possible... it is always possible.
- the dalai lama