Rails 4 - Combine Params from Previous Page (Pass Array in Hidden Field?) - ruby-on-rails

Question

On Rails 4. I'm working on an e-commerce app where a user can choose to go through a wizard-like process.
First the user selects a color scheme,
then selects products from two different pages,
then the results of those product selections are displayed on a fourth page.
No rows are created or updated in the database, I just want the results to be displayed on the fourth page (because this info is then fed to a third-party service).
Because the array would be no more than five or six choices, I am passing the product ids through the URL params. Here's the controller (let's say on the second page the user selects paper products and on the third page the user selects pencil products)
class WizardController < ApplicationController
def index
# Where the user clicks on a color scheme link
end
def paper
#color = ColorScheme.find(params[:color_scheme_id])
#product = Product.all
end
def paper_submit
respond_to do |format|
format.html { redirect_to wizard_pencils_path(
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme][:color_scheme_id],
id: params[:ids]) }
end
end
def pencils
#color = ColorScheme.find(params[:color_scheme_id])
#product = Product.all
#paper = Product.find(params[:id])
end
def pencils_submit
respond_to do |format|
format.html { redirect_to wizard_finish_path(
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme][:color_scheme_id],
id: params[:ids] + [:paper_ids]) } # ?? Not sure what goes here
end
end
def finish
# Haven't gotten here yet
end
private
def color_scheme_params
params.require(:wizard).permit(:color_scheme_id, :id)
# Also not too sure about this area either
end
end
Routes:
get '/wizard/paper', controller: 'wizard', action: 'paper'
put '/wizard/paper', controller: 'wizard', action: 'paper_submit'
get '/wizard/pencils', controller: 'wizard', action: 'pencils'
put 'wizard/pencils', controller: 'wizard', action: 'pencils_submit'
get '/wizard/finish', controller: 'wizard', action: 'finish'
resources :wizard
Form for the second page (selecting paper products)
<%= form_for([#color], html: {multipart: true}, url: {action: "paper_submit"}, method: 'put') do |f| %>
<%= f.hidden_field(:color_scheme_id, value: #color.id) %>
<div class="row">
<% #product.where(enabled: true, color_scheme_id: #color).each do |product| %>
<% if product.tags.where(name: "Paper").count > 0 %>
<div class="col-lg-3 col-md-4 col-sm-6">
<%= check_box_tag 'ids[]', product.id -%>
<%= link_to image_tag(product.thumbnail.url(:thumbnail_small_opt), alt: product.name), product %>
<p><%= link_to product.name, product %>, $<%= product.price %></p>
</div>
<% end %>
<% end %>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-lg-12">
<p style="text-align:right;"><%= f.submit "Next: Select Pencils", class: "btn bg-primary" %></p>
</div>
</div>
<% end %>
So far this all works fine. But, the problem is when the user makes product selections on the third page and reaches the fourth page. Ideally I want my application to combine the product id params from the second page with the different product ids from the third page.
<%= form_for([#color], html: {multipart: true}, url: {action: "embellishments_submit"}, method: 'put') do |f| %>
<%= f.hidden_field(:color_scheme_id, value: #color.id) %>
<!-- A hidden field maybe?? This does not work though -->
<%= f.hidden_field(:paper_ids, multiple: true, value: #paper) %>
<div class="row">
<% #product.where(enabled: true, color_scheme_id: #color).each do |product| %>
<% if product.tags.where(name: "Pencil").count > 0 %>
<div class="col-lg-3 col-md-4 col-sm-6">
<%= check_box_tag 'ids[]', product.id -%>
<%= link_to image_tag(product.thumbnail.url(:thumbnail_small_opt), alt: product.name), product %>
<p><%= link_to product.name, product %>, $<%= product.price %></p>
</div>
<% end %>
<% end %>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-lg-12">
<p style="text-align:right;"><%= f.submit "Next: Purchase Your Selections", class: "btn bg-primary" %></p>
</div>
</div>
<% end %>
It seems like a simple thing, I just want to combine an array from two different pages from the URL params but I can't figure out how to do this. Don't really want to use a gem for this because this is all I need to figure out. Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

Just put your variables into session:
def paper_submit
session[:paper_ids] = params[:ids]
respond_to do |format|
format.html { redirect_to wizard_pencils_path(
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme][:color_scheme_id]
) }
end
end
def pencils
#color = ColorScheme.find(params[:color_scheme_id])
#product = Product.all
#paper = Product.find(params[:id])
end
def pencils_submit
session[:pencil_ids] = params[:ids]
respond_to do |format|
format.html { redirect_to wizard_finish_path(
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme][:color_scheme_id]
) }
end
end
def finish
#all_products = Product.where(
enabled: true,
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme_id],
id: session[:paper_ids] + session[:pencil_ids]
)
end
finish.html.erb:
<% #all_products.each do |product| %>
<%= product.name %>
<br />
<% end %>

Answer 2

You should add those two arrays and make something like:
def pencils_submit
respond_to do |format|
format.html { redirect_to wizard_finish_path(
color_scheme_id: params[:color_scheme][:color_scheme_id],
product_ids: params[:ids] + [:paper_ids]) }
end
end
Then in your form:
<% #product_ids.each do |id| %>
<%= f.hidden_field_tag 'product_ids[]', id %>
<% end %>
Then in your last finish action do whatever you want.