= Gridify
A Ruby wrapper and Rails plugin for jqGrid.
jqGrid is a rich featured data grid built with the jQuery javascript library. http://www.trirand.com/jqgridwiki/doku.php
Gridify defines a simplified, more consistent API for jqGrid rather than directly emulate the jqGrid api and options in Ruby.
Gridify tries to respect the MVC (model-view-controller) architecture of your application. This is challenging because grid features span all three areas: it's clearly part of the "view" as it mostly resides in the browser; columns in the table often directly map to columns in the model (database); and grid's ajax requests are handled by controllers. Gridfy gives you some flexibility in managing grids within MVC.
== Installation
$ script/plugin install git://github.com/linoj/gridify.git
== Scripts
Be sure to include all the javascripts and stylesheets in the +<head>+ section of your layouts which use the grid, for example
<%= stylesheet_link_tag 'application' %>
<%= stylesheet_link_tag 'ui/start/jquery-ui-1.7.2.custom' %>
<%= stylesheet_link_tag 'ui.jqgrid' %>
<%= stylesheet_link_tag 'ui.multiselect' %>
<%= javascript_include_tag 'jquery-1.3.2.min' %>
<%= javascript_include_tag 'jquery-ui-1.7.2.custom.min' %>
<%= javascript_include_tag 'grid.locale-en' %>
<%= javascript_include_tag 'jquery.jqGrid' %>
<%= javascript_include_tag 'ui.multiselect' %>
Note: When you download jqGrid, jQuery, and jqUI grab all the bits you'll be using (or just package everything)
== Examples
=== Example 1
Lets say we have an ActiveRecord model "Note" which we want to display in a grid.
In app/models/note.rb,
class Note < ActiveRecord::Base
gridify
end
In the NotesController,
def index
if request.xhr?
records = Note.find_for_grid :grid, params
render :xml => Note.grid.encode_records(records)
else
@grid = Note.grid
end
end
In the app/views/notes/index.html.erb,
<%= @grid %>
<h1>Notes Grid<h1>
<table id="notes_grid"></table>
<div id="notes_grid_pager"></div>
In this example, +gridify+ creates a default grid named "grid" for the Notes model. In the controller, the #index html action supplies the +@grid+ object used by the view; the #index xml action responds to request +params+ with the encoded data. In the view, +@grid.to_s+ generates the javascript code needed for the grid, which populates the table and pager div.
=== Example 2
Here we add some options, including
* use a grid named "mylist" (allowing multiple grids on a model)
* limit to specific grid columns
* ajax requests in json format (instead of xml)
* enable user resizing the grid width and height
* enable user arranging and resizing columns
* enable the search toolbar (search fields atop each column when search button is toggled)
In app/models/note.rb,
class Note < ActiveRecord::Base
gridify :mylist,
:only => [:title, :body, :updated_at],
:data_type => :json,
:resizeable => true,
:arranger => [:sortable, :hide_show],
:search_toolbar => true
end
In the NotesController is same as Example 1 except returns json instead of xml (all the search and sort params are handled by find_for_grid)
def index
if request.xhr?
records = Note.find_for_grid :mylist, params
render :json => Note.grid.encode_records(records)
else
@grid = Note.grid :mylist
end
end
In the app/views/notes/index.html.erb is the same as Example 1, except uses "mylist" name
<%= @grid %>
<h1>My Notes List<h1>
<table id="notes_mylist"></table>
<div id="notes_mylist_pager"></div>
=== Example 3
Here we progressively enhance an html table into a grid. Grid is independent of the ActiveRecord model. No ajax requests.
In app/views/notes/index.html.erb,
<%= Grid.new( Note, :dom_id => "list", :table_to_grid => true ) %>
<h1>Notes List</h1>
<table id="list">
<tr>
<th>Title</th>
<th>Body</th>
</tr>
<tbody>
<% for note in @notes %>
<tr>
<td><%=h note.title %></td>
<td><%=h note.body %></td>
</tr>
<% end %>
</tbody>
</table>
<div id="list_pager"></div>
NotesController#index is standard html response, for example,
def index
@notes = Note.all
end
=== Example 4
In the more complex example we take more control of individual columns, including
* initially hide the created_at column
* the title column is not resizable
and allow record (row) editing, adding, and delete via RESTful requests
In app/models/note.rb,
class Note < ActiveRecord::Base
gridify :editable => true,
:pager => true, :edit_button => true, :add_button => true, :delete_button => true do |grid|
grid.column :created_at, :hidden => true
grid.column :title, :resizable => false
end
end
In the NotesController is same as Example 1, with other actions
def index
if request.xhr?
records = Note.find_for_grid :grid, params
render :xml => Note.grid.encode_records(records)
else
@grid = Note.grid
end
end
def create
if request.xhr?
note_params = Note.grid.member_params(params)
@note = Note.new( note_params )
# must return nothing on success (until we setup a format for returning ok vs error)
msg = ""
unless @note.save
@note.errors.entries.each do |error|
msg << "<strong>#{error[0]}</strong> : #{error[1]}<br/>"
end
end
render :text => msg
else
@note = Note.new(params[:note])
if @note.save
flash[:notice] = "Successfully created note."
redirect_to @note
else
render :action => 'new'
end
end
end
def update
@note = Note.find(params[:id])
if request.xhr?
note_params = Note.grid.member_params(params)
msg = "success"
unless @note.update_attributes( note_params )
@note.errors.entries.each do |error|
msg << "<strong>#{error[0]}</strong> : #{error[1]}<br/>"
end
end
render :text => msg
else
if @note.update_attributes(params[:note])
flash[:notice] = "Successfully updated note."
redirect_to @note
else
render :action => 'edit'
end
end
end
def destroy
# NOTE: if allow multiselect should check :id for string of comma delimited id's
@note = Note.find(params[:id])
@note.destroy
if request.xhr?
render :nothing => true
else
flash[:notice] = "Successfully destroyed note."
redirect_to notes_url
end
end
In the app/views/notes/index.html.erb is the same as Example 1
<%= @grid %>
<h1>Notes Grid<h1>
<table id="notes_grid"></table>
<div id="notes_grid_pager"></div>
For this to work, you should use my fork of jqgrid http://github.com/linoj/jqGrid which adds support for RESTful routes (see http://www.vaporbase.com/postings/jqGrid_for_RESTful_Rails ) until it gets merged.
The #member_params method maps the attribute parameters into a hash as expected by update_attributes.
=== Example 5
By way of better practices, I recommend you ensure the grid javascript is placed in the document header. For example,
In views/layouts/application.rb, the +<header>+ should include
<header>
...
<%= yield :head %>
</header>
And in the views, say,
<% content_for :head %>
<%= @grid %>
<% end
<h1>Notes Grid<h1>
<table id="notes_grid"></table>
<div id="notes_grid_pager"></div>
If it bothers you to put view-specific options in the model, these can be added later (e.g. in the view or in a view helper) using #update. For example,
<%= @grid.update( :search_toolbar => false ) %>
== API
See the source code for all the options. For most of the grid and view options, see grid_options.rb. For column model options, see grid_column.rb.
You can escape the Gridify api and use the jqGrid native options directly.
-----
Copyright (c) 2010 Jonathan Linowes, released under the MIT license