Rails 4 Nested Attributes with simple_fields_for One Saves and One Doesn't Save to Database

Question

Research: [Rails 4 Nested Attributes with fields_for Don't Save to Database] [Rails 4 - nested attributes with Cocoon gem]1[Rails 4.1 Nested Attributes and Fields For Getting Unpermitted Parameters and Not Saving]2

My specific problem is:

I have two nested forms: Ingredients and Directions

The ingredients save but the directions do not save. It doesn't throw up an error, nor do the logs have a clue as to if there even is a problem.

First, let's get the most common problem out of the way: incorrectly named attributes parameters for strong parameters. Mine is correctly plural.

class RecipesController < ApplicationController
def recipe_params
        params.require(:recipe).permit(:title, :image, directions_attributes: [:id, :name, :_destroy], ingredients_attributes: [:id, :name, :_destroy])
    end

And my models are setup correctly as well

class Recipe < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_many :ingredients
    has_many :directions
    belongs_to :user
    accepts_nested_attributes_for :ingredients, reject_if: :all_blank, allow_destroy: true
    accepts_nested_attributes_for :directions, reject_if: :all_blank, allow_destroy: true
    validates :title, presence: true
    mount_uploader :image, ImageUploader
end

#_form.html.haml
= simple_form_for @recipe, html: { multipart: true } do |f|
    - if @recipe.errors.any?
        #errors
            %p
                = @recipe.error.count
                Prevented this recipe from saving
            %ul
                %li= msg
    .panel-body
        = f.input :title, label: "Name", input_html: { class: 'form-control' }
        = f.input :image, label: "Picture",input_html: { class: 'form-control' }
        .row
            .col-md-6
                %h3 Ingredients
                #ingredients
                    = f.simple_fields_for :ingredients do |ingredient|
                        = render 'ingredient_fields', f: ingredient
                    .links
                        = link_to_add_association 'Add Ingredient', f, :ingredients, class: "btn btn-default add-button"

            .col-md-6
                %h3 Directions
                #directions
                    = f.simple_fields_for :directions do |direction|
                        = render 'direction_fields', f: direction
                    .links
                        = link_to_add_association 'Add Step', f, :directions, class: "btn btn-default add-button"

    = f.button :submit, class: "btn btn-primary"

Here are both my partials for ingredients and directions

_ingredient_fields.html.haml
.form-inline.clearfix
    .nested-fields
        = f.input :name, input_html: { class: "form-input form-control"}
        = link_to_remove_association 'Remove', f, class: "form-button btn btn-default"

_direction_fields.html.haml
.form-inline.clearfix
    .nested-fields
        = f.input :name, input_html: { class: "form-input form-control"}
        = link_to_remove_association 'Remove', f, class: "form-button btn btn-default"

Ok here is the funny thing, my app doesn't throw any errors. The name, image and ingredients save but the directions do not.

Here is the log

Started POST "/recipes" for ::1 at 2016-02-12 19:00:07 -0800 Processing by RecipesController#create as HTML Parameters: {"utf8"=>"✓", "authenticity_token"=>"YEXiv10mHkfdLPRFGHFGNJX2szJQVXK7gezeakEFbe+57afx6Ih1UjRS6tJNftDLsMI5NS1W84pf2sRhQi0J8g==", "recipe"=>{"title"=>"Honey Apple Chicken", "image"=>#, @original_filename="Honey-Mustard-Chicken-and-Apples.jpg", @content_type="image/jpeg", @headers="Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"recipe[image]\"; filename=\"Honey-Mustard-Chicken-and-Apples.jpg\"\r\nContent-Type: image/jpeg\r\n">, "ingredients_attributes"=>{"1455332308170"=>{"name"=>"Chicken Thighs", "_destroy"=>"false"}, "1455332308175"=>{"name"=>"Honey", "_destroy"=>"false"}}, "directions_attributes"=>{"1455332325877"=>{"step"=>"Brown Chicken with skin on.", "_destroy"=>"false"}, "1455332325880"=>{"step"=>"Add apples", "_destroy"=>"false"}}}, "commit"=>"Create Recipe"} User Load (0.1ms) SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "users"."id" = ? ORDER BY "users"."id" ASC LIMIT 1 [["id", 1]] Unpermitted parameter: step Unpermitted parameter: step (0.1ms) begin transaction Recipe Exists (0.2ms) SELECT 1 AS one FROM "recipes" WHERE "recipes"."image" = ? LIMIT 1 [["image", "1455332407-84040-0233/Honey-Mustard-Chicken-and-Apples.jpg"]] SQL (0.4ms) INSERT INTO "recipes" ("title", "image", "user_id", "created_at", "updated_at") VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?) [["title", "Honey Apple Chicken"], ["image", "1455332407-84040-0233/Honey-Mustard-Chicken-and-Apples.jpg"], ["user_id", 1], ["created_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.756946"], ["updated_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.756946"]] SQL (0.2ms) INSERT INTO "ingredients" ("name", "recipe_id", "created_at", "updated_at") VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?) [["name", "Chicken Thighs"], ["recipe_id", 1], ["created_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.758440"], ["updated_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.758440"]] SQL (0.1ms) INSERT INTO "ingredients" ("name", "recipe_id", "created_at", "updated_at") VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?) [["name", "Honey"], ["recipe_id", 1], ["created_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.759655"], ["updated_at", "2016-02-13 03:00:07.759655"]] (2.5ms) commit transaction Redirected to http://localhost:3000/recipes/1 Completed 302 Found in 1499ms (ActiveRecord: 3.5ms)

Started GET "/recipes/1" for ::1 at 2016-02-12 19:00:09 -0800 Processing by RecipesController#show as HTML Parameters: {"id"=>"1"} Recipe Load (0.3ms) SELECT "recipes".* FROM "recipes" WHERE "recipes"."id" = ? LIMIT 1 [["id", 1]] User Load (0.2ms) SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "users"."id" = ? LIMIT 1 [["id", 1]] Ingredient Load (0.3ms) SELECT "ingredients".* FROM "ingredients" WHERE "ingredients"."recipe_id" = ? [["recipe_id", 1]] Direction Load (0.1ms) SELECT "directions".* FROM "directions" WHERE "directions"."recipe_id" = ? [["recipe_id", 1]] User Load (0.1ms) SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "users"."id" = ? ORDER BY "users"."id" ASC LIMIT 1 [["id", 1]] Rendered recipes/show.html.haml within layouts/application (9.2ms) Completed 200 OK in 47ms (Views: 41.2ms | ActiveRecord: 1.0ms)

I don't understand Karl's answer to his own question: Rails 4.1 Nested Attributes and Fields For Getting Unpermitted Parameters and Not Saving If you can see anything, you are Macgyver!

Answer 1

You can change:

params.require(:recipe).permit(:title, :image, directions_attributes: [:id, :name, :_destroy], ingredients_attributes: [:id, :name, :_destroy])

for

params.require(:recipe).permit(:title, :image, directions_attributes: [:id, :name, :step, :_destroy], ingredients_attributes: [:id, :name, :_destroy])

you are trying to send "step" when is not permitted, if you have a not_blank validation in your Direction model for the setp column, it will not be saved.