Creating multiple objects with one http request - ruby-on-rails

Question

I have an rails app with json api. So far I can create single objects via POST request.
It's fairly simple:
def create
customer = Customer.new(customer_params)
if customer.save
render json: customer, status: 201
else
render json: customer.errors, status: 422
end
end
and:
private
def customer_params
params.require(:customer).permit(:name, :city)
end
Now I want to create multiple customers by passing an array in my http request. Like this:
{
"customer": [
{
"name": "foo",
"city": "New York"
},
{
"name": "bar",
"city": "Chicago"
}
]
}
However, I don't know how to approach this. The first issue is that my strong parameters function doesn't accept arrays.
Is there a way to use strong parameters and let me loop through the array?

Answer 1

I would see it as a new controller method
something like:
def multi_create
render json: customer.errors, status: 422 and return unless params[:customers]
all_created = true
customers = []
params[:customers].each do |customer_params|
customer = Customer.create(name: customer_params[:name], city: customer_params[:city])
customers << customer
all_created &&= customer.valid?
end
if all_created
render json: customers, status: 201
else
render json: customers.map(&:errors), status: 422
end
end
You also need to add the route. then you could post your json to that route with the change that the outermost key should be customers.
I would not run this code without any changes but you get the general idea. And you can refactor it to your liking.