Edit/create nested resources in Formtastic (Rails) - ruby-on-rails

Question

This question is regarding Rails 4/postgresql and the app is hosted on Heroku.
I am making a Quiz-functionality on a website and I am wondering on how to implement the forms (using Formtastic) best to make this is easy as possible. I have three models:
Quiz (has_many :quiz_questions), e.g. "Test to see how awesome you are"
QuizQuestion(belongs_to :quiz, has_many :quiz_options). e.g. "1. Which is your favorite color")
QuizOption (belongs_to :quiz_question). e.g. "Blue"
I have set up the forms like this:
<%= semantic_form_for([:admin, #quiz], :url => admin_quiz_path(#quiz.id)) do |f| %>
<%= render 'form' , :f => f %>
<% end %>
where the form looks like this:
<%= f.inputs %>
<h3>Quiz questions</h3>
<%= f.semantic_fields_for :quiz_questions do |qq_f| %>
<%= qq_f.inputs %>
<h4>Quiz options</h4>
<%= qq_f.semantic_fields_for :quiz_options do |qqo_f| %>
<%= qqo_f.inputs %>
<% end %>
<% end %>
<%= f.actions do %>
<%= f.action :submit %>
or go <%= link_to 'back', admin_quizzes_path %>
<% end %>
It seems, however, not to be working the way I want. I expect to be able to see the fields of QuizQuestion and QuizOptions in this form (there are objects for those) but I don't.
More importantly is that I would like to be able to create a New QuizQuestion and subsequently QuizOption in this form. It doesn't necessarily have to be jQuery/ajax or anything but I would like to do it all from this form.
Basically, I would like my workflow to be like:
Create a Quiz and add values to it. Click Create.
Add QuizQuestion number one and add the values to it (like "name label"). Click Create.
Add QuizOption related to QuizQuestion number one, and its "name label". Click create.
Repeat for QuizQuestion/QuizOption until the Quiz is done.
How can I do this?

Answer 1

For your workflow you might have to add accept_nested_attributes_for for the nested resources, this way when creating an object object you can actually create nested children (as long as they fulfill all the validations). This way:
# A quiz :has_many :quiz_questions
#quiz = Quiz.create(...)
with a declaration like:
has_many :quiz_questions
accepts_nested_attributes_for :quiz_questions
in your Quiz model you'll actually be able to create QuizQuestion from the quiz model like:
# using the previously quiz model
quiz.quiz_questions.create(...)
Doing the same for the deeply nested associations will do have the same effect.
Perhaps the reason why you don't see any field on the form is because there is not nested object created. Let me explain. When you create a new Quiz object, in your quizs_controller (or whatever the inflection for quiz is...) you need a:
def new
quiz = Quiz.new()
end
and
def create
Quiz.new(quiz_params)
end
private
def quiz_params
# whitelisted parameters sent along with the form
params.require(:quiz).permit(...)
end
if you actually want to be able to see the fields in the form you'll have to use the build method and actually populate that new object with respective the nested resources.
Note that for this to work with the form you will have to whitelist in the quizzes_controller the right attributes. You can debug the params you receive once you send the new quiz formulary and check that everything is right.
TIP! if you don't want to worry about the JS when adding nested resources dynamically, I recommend you using the cocoon gem