Create multiple entries with checkbox and strong params in Rails4 - ruby-on-rails

Question

I am having problems with the following scenario:
My users do searches by keywords which produces a list. The user has 2 actions either add them to a favorites table or block them using check boxes.
The problem I have is that when users click "Add to Favorites" the form passes a list of hashes to my strong params method and I am not able to pass it correctly.
I think the problem is that the hash required by strong_params is inside another hash.
Also I have no idea on how to pass the same hash to the BlockController when user click "Block"
This is the error message:
param is missing or the value is empty: {:favorites=>{:name=>"Jon Doe", :title=>"Provider", :company=>"Acme", :location=>"Dubai", :profile=>"Group A", :notes=>""}}
My results.html.erb is
<table class="table table-striped table-bordered">
<tr>
<th class="center">Name</th>
<th class="center">Title</th>
<th class="center">Company</th>
<th class="center">Location</th>
<th class="center">Profile</th>
<th class="center">Select</th>
</tr>
<%= form_tag favorites_path do %>
<%= #results.length %>
<% #results.each do |key,value| %>
<tr>
<td><%= value['name'] %></td>
<td><%= value['title'] %></td>
<td><%= value['company'] %></td>
<td><%= value['location'] %></td>
<td><%= link_to 'Profile', value['profile'],:target => "_blank"%></td>
<td><%=check_box_tag 'favorite[]', {:name => value['name'],:title =>value['title'],:company => value['company'],:location => value['location'], :profile=> value['profile'], :notes =>""}%></td>
</tr>
<% end %>
<%= submit_tag "Add to Favorites", name: 'add', class: 'btn btn-primary' %>
<%= submit_tag "Block Profiles", name: 'block', class: 'btn btn-danger' %>
<% end %>
</table>
this is how my strong_params method looks:
def favorite_params
params[:profiles].each do |e|
params.require(e).permit(:name, :title, :company, :location, :profile, :notes)
end
end
Any ideas?
Update:
I am able to pass params as:
def favorite_params
params.permit(:commit,favorite:[])
end
create method:
def create
#favorite = Favorite.new(favorite_params)
#favorite.user_id = current_user.id
respond_to do |format|
if #favorite.save
format.html { redirect_to #favorite, notice: 'Favorite was successfully created.' }
format.json { render :show, status: :created, location: #favorite }
format.js { render :show, status: :created, location: #favorite }
else
format.html { render :new }
format.json { render json: #favorite.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity }
end
end
end

Answer 1

Reference to http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionController/Parameters.html
Don't use each, use permit or require directly
Try this:
params.permit(profiles: {favorites: [:name, :title, :company, :location, :profile, :notes]})
#or :
params.permit(profiles: [{favorites: [:name, :title, :company, :location, :profile, :notes]}])
#=>{:profiles=>{:favorites=>{:name=>"Jon Doe", :title=>"Provider", :company=>"Acme", :location=>"Dubai", :profile=>"Group A", :notes=>""}}}
or :
params.require(:profiles).permit( favorites: [:name, :title, :company, :location, :profile, :notes])
#=>{:favorites=>{:name=>"Jon Doe", :title=>"Provider", :company=>"Acme", :location=>"Dubai", :profile=>"Group A", :notes=>""}}
UPDATE
According to OP's modification of the view, the favorite_params should be:
params.require(:favorite)
Then in the create action use each to create every member of the array, becase check_box pass string as value, we have to eval the string into hash again.
favorite_params.each do |fp|
f=Favorite.new(eval(fp))
f.user_id = current_user.id
f.save
end
But use eval to transfer the params is not safe. I suggest you to modify your view to:
<%= form_tag favorites_path do %>
<%= #results.length %>
<% #results.each do |key,value| %>
<tr>
<td><%= value['name'] %></td>
<td><%= value['title'] %></td>
<td><%= value['company'] %></td>
<td><%= value['location'] %></td>
<td><%= link_to 'Profile', value['profile'],:target => "_blank"%></td>
<td><%= check_box_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][checked]", 'checked',true %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][name]" , value['name'] %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][title]" , value['title'] %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][company]" , value['company'] %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][location]" , value['location'] %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][profile]" , value['profile'] %>
<%= hidden_field_tag "favorites[#{value['name']}][note]" , "" %>
</td>
</tr>
<% end %>
<%= submit_tag "Add to Favorites", name: 'add', class: 'btn btn-primary' %>
<%= submit_tag "Block Profiles", name: 'block', class: 'btn btn-danger' %>
<% end %>
From this view, you may have params like this:
{:favorites=>{
"Jon Doe" => {:checked => "checked", :name=>"Jon Doe", :title=>"Provider", :company=>"Acme", :location=>"Dubai", :profile=>"Group A", :notes=>""},
"Alberto" => {:name=>"Alberto", :title=>"DS", :company=>"Dufrain", :location=>"chester", :profile=>"", :notes=>""}
}
}
Then change your favorite_params to :
params.require(:favorites).select{|k,v| v[:checked]}.map{|k,v| v.except(:checked)}
Use select to get all checked members, and except the checked hash key that generated by check_box,so you could get an array of hashes like:
[{"name"=>"Jon Doe", "title"=>"Provider", "company"=>"Acme", "location"=>"Dubai", "profile"=>"Group A", "notes"=>""}]
Then you could use favorite_params safely without eval.
But on my point, your requiement is so similar as Mark V's question. So you can study using accepts_nested_attributes_for to simplify your code.

Answer 2

i am on the way home so have to use my phone to type a new answer. my spell may wrong.
as you see in your console. you should get the favorites array use require only.
params.require(:favorite)
then in your create action use each to create every member of the array.
favorite_params.each do |fp|
f=Favorite.new(fp)
f.user_id =
f.save
end