GET/POST controller question

[craystar]

I'm curious about the following code...

class StoryController < ApplicationController
  def new
    @story = Story.new(params[:story])
    if request.post? and @story.save
      flash[:notice] = 'Story submission succeeded'
      redirect_to :action => 'index'
    end
  end
end

What's happening with the underlined line when the controller receives a GET? There isn't anything in the params hash right? I'm guessing it makes an empty story, but isn't that kind of a waste unless I actually need one (when the request is a POST)?

[craystar]

PS - I'm following the Lenz Rails book, that's why I don't understand my own code! =)

[samsm]

If you want to see what is in params on a given request, do:

<&#37;= debug params %> in a view.

However you are correct, in the case of a GET, params[:story] is probably nil, though it certainly would be possible to pump it full of values through the query string.

It isn't much of a waste. Creating the story object is a standard part of the Rails "new" process ... the model gets used to help shape the form. Until @story.save, nothing happens in the database.

[Luke Redpath]

BTW, the most up-to-date Rails REST-style convention is to have separate actions for new and create - create is called by using POST.

[Skyblaze]

a @story instance variable is required for form_for helper in the view to work correctly, even if it is a story object with empty/nil attributes.