In Rails how can I implement a HTML select menu using an Array of Strings?

Question

I have a `FinancialDocument#document_type` model attribute. I'd like to let the user select the document type from an HTML select menu populated by an Array of Strings... ``` doctypes = [ 'Invoice', 'Packing slip', 'Other' ] ``` For each option, the displayed label and returned value would be identical. I looked at the `select` and `collection_select` helpers, but they seem geared toward selecting a child model, not merely a String value. I couldn't discover how to bend them to my purpose. Here's how I'm trying to do it (I'm using Haml, not Erb)... ``` form_for(@financial_document) do |f| - doctypes = [ 'Invoice', 'PS', 'Packing slip', 'Other' ] = f.collection_select @financial_document, :document_type, \ doctypes, :to_s, :to_s, :include_blank => true ``` I get this error... ``` undefined method `merge' for :to_s:Symbol ``` Is there a different helper that I could use for this? Or a way to use `select` or `collection_select`?

Accepted Answer

Is doctypes an ActiveRecord collection? Looking at the code it doesn't seems so. You can use the `select` helper.

```
= f.select :document_type, doctypes, :include_blank => true
```

Also, you don't need to pass `@financial_document` if you call the tag on the form object created with form_for.

In Rails how can I implement a HTML select menu using an Array of Strings?

Solution

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