rjstemplates

RJS Templates

A new template in Rails 1.1

RJS is:

· A means to Ajaxify your application without

writing JavaScript.

· The most lacking feature from Rails 1.0 for

front-end developers (well, maybe not that bold)

What does it do?

· Not invoked directly · Called through Ajax (xmlHttpRequest)

requests browser

· Returns JavaScript to be executed in the

Rails 1.1

· Added new helper: JavaScriptGenerator · New methods in Prototype.js, most notably:

$$()

(aka: getElementsBySelector())

· New object available to generate JavaScript: page · Become familiar with available methods:

JavaScriptGenerator Docs

First thing

· Upgrade to Rails 1.1.1: gem install rails --include-dependencies

rake rails:update

· Already running 1.1? Update to 1.1.1 for lots

of minor fixes, including JavaScript fixes

· Start playing with RJS templates

Usage

· RJS templates go where all templates

normally go, in the view.

· Just like RXML, except with an RJS extension · No need to use <% ... %>

RJS code is small

· Most of the time, creating an RJS template is

overkill (and overly tedious). existing view. follow)

· RJS isn't exactly a view, but manipulating an · Put it in the controller instead (example to

Simple RJS Example

· Updating a page element in an RJS template: page.replace_html `element_id', · From within an action (no RJS file needed): render :update do |page|

page.replace_html `element_id', `New HTML or Text' end `New HTML or Text'