Database Structure for Multiple Form Checkboxes in Rails

Question

I have a rails app I am working on that allows users to create a schedule. In doing so, they should be able to select on which days of the week an event occurs. The way I was planning on doing this in a form was a checkbox next to every, weekday, like so:

<%= f.check_box :monday %> <%= f.label :monday %>
<%= f.check_box :tuesday %> <%= f.label :tuesday %>
<%= f.check_box :wednesday %> <%= f.label :wednesday %>

etc...

However, It occured to me that this probably isn't a very efficient way of handling this, storing each date as a boolean value in the database. It will be very difficult to display the dates in the 'show' view; I'll have to do something like

Event Dates:
<% if @event.monday? %>
  Monday
<% end %>
<% if @event.tuesday? %>
  Tuesday
<% end %>
<% if @event.wednesday? %>
  Wednesday
<% end %>

Which seems less than ideal to me.

My other idea would be to just create one string column in the database that holds all of the event dates, using attr_accesors and a model method to create the string after_create. However, in this case, how will users be able to edit the Event?

It got me thinking, there must be some sort of best practice here that I don't know about (I've never tried to create something with this type of structure before).

Any advice?

Thanks!

Rob · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-22 16:33:55Z

Don't do this:

My other idea would be to just create one string column in the database that holds all of the event dates, using attr_accesors and a model method to create the string after_create.

That sort of thing will just cause problems like making per-day queries a horrific ugly mess; how would you, for example, count how many events are available on Monday if you stored your days mashed into a single column?

Instead, keep your seven booleans and add a simple convenience method to your model that returns the days in some more convenient format. Something like this perhaps:

def days
  Date::DAYNAMES.map { |d| read_attribute(d.downcase) }
end

and then you can simply iterate over @event.days in your view and map the day numbers to names:

<% @event.days.each_with_index do |on_day, i| %>
  <% if on_day %>
    <%= Date::DAYNAMES[i] %>
  <% end %>
<% end %>

The specific details of the days method and how you deal with it in your ERB will, of course, depend on your specific circumstances.

Ashoor · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-24 13:21:23Z

1

A detailed better code than the approved one "In my opinion" would be:

Model:

serialize :days

def weekdays
    Date::DAYNAMES.map { |d| d.upcase }
end

View:

<% Model.weekdays.each do |day| %>
   <%= check_box :model, :days, { :multiple => true }, day.downcase, nil %> <%=day.downcase %>
<% end %>

answered Aug 24, 2015 at 13:21

Ashoor

1,3661 gold badge9 silver badges11 bronze badges

2 Comments

goddamnyouryan Over a year ago

Where can I get more information on the "serialize" method for rails models?

Ashoor Over a year ago

supposing you're saving the days array in a :string column type, and in this case the serialize method is needed apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/Base/serialize/class

Bohdan · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-12 07:32:00Z

0

%{Mon Tue ... Sun}.each_with_index do |day, index| 
  <%= check_box_tag 'name', '1', model.attribute[index].to_i %> 
end

Yes workaround but should work

to match records from DB that occur on Sunday

Model.where("models.name LIKE '1______'")

edited Jul 12, 2011 at 7:32

answered Jul 12, 2011 at 7:02

Bohdan

8,4187 gold badges44 silver badges54 bronze badges

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