Includes the Action Pack JavaScript libraries inside a single <script> tag. The function first includes prototype.js and then its core extensions, (determined by filenames starting with "prototype"). Afterwards, any additional scripts will be included in random order.

Note: The recommended approach is to copy the contents of lib/action_view/helpers/javascripts/ into your application’s public/javascripts/ directory, and use javascript_include_tag to create remote <script> links.

Makes the element with the DOM ID specified by element_id draggable.

This method requires the inclusion of the script.aculo.us JavaScript library.

Example:

  <%= draggable_element("my_image", :revert => true)

You can change the behaviour with various options, see script.aculo.us for more documentation.

Makes the element with the DOM ID specified by element_id receive dropped draggable elements (created by draggable_element). and make an AJAX call By default, the action called gets the DOM ID of the element as parameter.

This method requires the inclusion of the script.aculo.us JavaScript library.

Example:

  <%= drop_receiving_element("my_cart", :url => { :controller => "cart", :action => "add" }) %>

You can change the behaviour with various options, see script.aculo.us for more documentation.

Escape carrier returns and single and double quotes for JavaScript segments.

Returns ‘eval(request.responseText)’ which is the Javascript function that form_remote_tag can call in :complete to evaluate a multiple update return document using update_element_function calls.

Returns a form tag that will submit using XMLHttpRequest in the background instead of the regular reloading POST arrangement. Even though it’s using JavaScript to serialize the form elements, the form submission will work just like a regular submission as viewed by the receiving side (all elements available in @params). The options for specifying the target with :url and defining callbacks is the same as link_to_remote.

A "fall-through" target for browsers that doesn’t do JavaScript can be specified with the :action/:method options on :html

  form_remote_tag :html => { :action => url_for(:controller => "some", :action => "place") }

The Hash passed to the :html key is equivalent to the options (2nd) argument in the FormTagHelper.form_tag method.

By default the fall-through action is the same as the one specified in the :url (and the default method is :post).

Returns a JavaScript tag with the content inside. Example:

  javascript_tag "alert('All is good')" # => <script type="text/javascript">alert('All is good')</script>

Returns a link that’ll trigger a javascript function using the onclick handler and return false after the fact.

Examples:

  link_to_function "Greeting", "alert('Hello world!')"
  link_to_function(image_tag("delete"), "if confirm('Really?'){ do_delete(); }")

Returns a link to a remote action defined by options[:url] (using the url_for format) that’s called in the background using XMLHttpRequest. The result of that request can then be inserted into a DOM object whose id can be specified with options[:update]. Usually, the result would be a partial prepared by the controller with either render_partial or render_partial_collection.

Examples:

 link_to_remote "Delete this post", :update => "posts", :url => { :action => "destroy", :id => post.id }
 link_to_remote(image_tag("refresh"), :update => "emails", :url => { :action => "list_emails" })

You can also specify a hash for options[:update] to allow for easy redirection of output to an other DOM element if a server-side error occurs:

Example:

 link_to_remote "Delete this post",
     :url => { :action => "destroy", :id => post.id },
     :update => { :success => "posts", :failure => "error" }

Optionally, you can use the options[:position] parameter to influence how the target DOM element is updated. It must be one of :before, :top, :bottom, or :after.

By default, these remote requests are processed asynchronous during which various JavaScript callbacks can be triggered (for progress indicators and the likes). All callbacks get access to the request object, which holds the underlying XMLHttpRequest.

To access the server response, use request.responseText, to find out the HTTP status, use request.status.

Example:

  link_to_remote word,
      :url => { :action => "undo", :n => word_counter },
      :complete => "undoRequestCompleted(request)"

The callbacks that may be specified are (in order):

You can further refine :success and :failure by adding additional callbacks for specific status codes:

Example:

  link_to_remote word,
      :url => { :action => "action" },
      404 => "alert('Not found...? Wrong URL...?')",
      :failure => "alert('HTTP Error ' + request.status + '!')"

A status code callback overrides the success/failure handlers if present.

If you for some reason or another need synchronous processing (that’ll block the browser while the request is happening), you can specify options[:type] = :synchronous.

You can customize further browser side call logic by passing in JavaScript code snippets via some optional parameters. In their order of use these are:

Observes the field with the DOM ID specified by field_id and makes an AJAX call when its contents have changed.

Required options are:

Additional options are:

Additionally, you may specify any of the options documented in link_to_remote.

Like observe_field, but operates on an entire form identified by the DOM ID form_id. options are the same as observe_field, except the default value of the :with option evaluates to the serialized (request string) value of the form.

Periodically calls the specified url (options[:url]) every options[:frequency] seconds (default is 10). Usually used to update a specified div (options[:update]) with the results of the remote call. The options for specifying the target with :url and defining callbacks is the same as link_to_remote.

Returns the javascript needed for a remote function. Takes the same arguments as link_to_remote.

Example:

  <select id="options" onchange="<%= remote_function(:update => "options", :url => { :action => :update_options }) %>">
    <option value="0">Hello</option>
    <option value="1">World</option>
  </select>

Makes the element with the DOM ID specified by element_id sortable by drag-and-drop and make an AJAX call whenever the sort order has changed. By default, the action called gets the serialized sortable element as parameters.

This method requires the inclusion of the script.aculo.us JavaScript library.

Example:

  <%= sortable_element("my_list", :url => { :action => "order" }) %>

In the example, the action gets a "my_list" array parameter containing the values of the ids of elements the sortable consists of, in the current order.

You can change the behaviour with various options, see script.aculo.us for more documentation.

Returns a button input tag that will submit form using XMLHttpRequest in the background instead of regular reloading POST arrangement. options argument is the same as in form_remote_tag

Returns a Javascript function (or expression) that’ll update a DOM element according to the options passed.

• :content: The content to use for updating. Can be left out if using block, see example.
• :action: Valid options are :update (assumed by default), :empty, :remove
• :position If the :action is :update, you can optionally specify one of the following positions: :before, :top, :bottom, :after.

Examples:

  <%= javascript_tag(update_element_function(
        "products", :position => :bottom, :content => "<p>New product!</p>")) %>

  <% replacement_function = update_element_function("products") do %>
    <p>Product 1</p>
    <p>Product 2</p>
  <% end %>
  <%= javascript_tag(replacement_function) %>

This method can also be used in combination with remote method call where the result is evaluated afterwards to cause multiple updates on a page. Example:

  # Calling view
  <%= form_remote_tag :url => { :action => "buy" }, :complete => evaluate_remote_response %>
  all the inputs here...

  # Controller action
  def buy
    @product = Product.find(1)
  end

  # Returning view
  <%= update_element_function(
        "cart", :action => :update, :position => :bottom,
        :content => "<p>New Product: #{@product.name}</p>")) %>
  <% update_element_function("status", :binding => binding) do %>
    You've bought a new product!
  <% end %>

Notice how the second call doesn’t need to be in an ERb output block since it uses a block and passes in the binding to render directly. This trick will however only work in ERb (not Builder or other template forms).

Returns a JavaScript snippet to be used on the AJAX callbacks for starting visual effects.

This method requires the inclusion of the script.aculo.us JavaScript library.

Example:

  <%= link_to_remote "Reload", :update => "posts",
        :url => { :action => "reload" },
        :complete => visual_effect(:highlight, "posts", :duration => 0.5 )

If no element_id is given, it assumes "element" which should be a local variable in the generated JavaScript execution context. This can be used for example with drop_receiving_element:

  <%= drop_receving_element (...), :loading => visual_effect(:fade) %>

This would fade the element that was dropped on the drop receiving element.

You can change the behaviour with various options, see script.aculo.us for more documentation.