So far my view looks like this:

<%=
@pays = Pay.find(:all, :order => "id").map {|p| [p.name, p.id] }
select(:pay, :name, @pays) %>

<span id="wagespec"><%=
@wages = Wage.find(:all, :order => "id").map {|p| [p.name, p.id] }
select(:wage, :name, @wages, {},{:disabled => true}) %>
</span>

<%= observe_field("pay[id]",
  :frequency => 0.25,
  :update => "wagespec",
  :url => {:action => :get_wages},
  :with => "'pay_id='+value")
%>

So I need to create an action called get_wages that will enable and
update @wages.  Are there special calls to accomplish this ?

TIA
Stuart

Okay, I'm still trying to do a dynamic drop down based on user choice
in first select.
I came across this post -
http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/61521
and translating to my setup , so far it's not working , then again no
errors in log or debug.

First, I have two tables/model  'pay' with an id and name, and wage
with an id, pay_id, and name.

When user choose pay, I want to take the id of the pay selection and
update, or load partial from wage select.

Using the example above I created the following files:

#view
<p><label for="pay">Pay Type</label><br/>
<select id="pay[id] name="pay[id]">
  <%= options_from_collection_for_select(
   Pay.find_all, "id", "name") %>
</select></p>

<span id="wage_list">
<label for="wage">Wage specifics</label><br/>
  <select id="wage[pay_id]" name="wage[pay_id]"></select>
</span>

<%= observe_field("pay[id]",
    :frequency  => 0.0,
    :update => "wage_list",
    :url => {:action => :fill_wages},
    :with => "'wage[pay_id]='+value") %>

#controller method
  def fill_wages
    @lookups = Lookup.find_all_by_list_prompt(@params[:wage], :order
=> 'pay_id')
    render  :partial => 'wagespecs'
  end

I also created _wagespecs though Im not entirely sure what goes in
there since the example above didn't show it .

Anyone give me some help on this ?
Stuart

On 9/10/06, Dark Ambient <sambi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello "Dark" (strange first name, but, hey, thats what makes the world
go round* ;)
    I do something similiar to what your asking, except I use Agent's
and their currency. The quirk comes that if an agent only has one
currency, then it shouldn't even offer a select box, but rather default
to the single currency. Here is how I do it, you can take from it what
you want (or not, your choice ;);

    views/booking/new.html

    <p/>
        <% agent_change_ajax = remote_function(:update => :currencyList,
                    :url  => { :controller => 'agent', :action =>
:list_currency_ajax_search },
                    :with => "'agentid='+value")
        %>
        <label for="booking_agent">The Agent for this Booking is : </label>
        <%= select('booking', 'agent', Agent.default_quickbook_options,
{ :selected => 2828 }, { :onchange => agent_change_ajax }) %>

    <p/>
    <div id="currencyList">
        <label for="booking_currency">Which Currency should this Booking
be made in : </label>
        <!-- setup the default currency for the first pass //-->
        <%= select('booking', 'currency', Currency.currency_options, {
:selected => 2 }) %>
    </div>

    controllers/agent_controller.rb

    def list_currency_ajax_search
        myAgent = Agent.find(params['agentid'])
        @currencies = myAgent.currency # obtained by the model Agent
having a relation to currencies
        render(:layout=>false,:partial => 'list_currency_ajax_search')
    end

    views/agent/_list_currency_ajax_search.rhtml

<% if @currencies.size == 1 %>
    <input type="hidden" id="booking_currency" name="booking[currency]"
value="<%= @currencies.
first.currency_id %>" />
    <label for="booking_currency">Agent only accepts <%=
@currencies.first.iso_code %> </label>
<% else %>
    <label for="booking_currency">Which Currency should this Booking be
made in : </label>
    <select id="booking_currency" name="booking[currency]">
        <option value="" selected="selected">Please Select One</option>
        <% for currency in @currencies do -%>
            <option value="<%= currency.id %>"><%= currency.iso_code
%></option>
        <% end -%>
    </select>
<% end %>

    Hopefully, you should get an idea of what to do from this. I would
say having an 'onchange' is better than having a constantly polling
observer, but, I am not 1000% sure that observe_field does what I think
it does. Eh. ymmv ':)

    Regards
    Stef
(* apparently so does ; love, money, sex and rock n roll)