Check username availability using jquery and Ajax in rails

Question

I am using rails with jquery and ajax to check the availability of username. I am using the following plugin for jquery validation purpose.

https://github.com/posabsolute/jQuery-Validation-Engine

In my controller i am using the following method to check the username availability.

def check_name
 name = params[:name]
 if name.strip == ""
  render :json => { :available => false } 
  return
 end
 user = User.find(:first, :conditions => [ "name = ?", name])
 if user
  render :json =>  ["name", false , "This name is already taken"]
 else
  render :json =>  ["name", true , ""]
 end
end

Is this the correct way to write the method? I checked many of the username availability posts in this forum, but nothing worked out.

Answer 1

I am adding the answer. Sorry for the delay guys.

First credit to the plugin:https://github.com/posabsolute/jQuery-Validation-Engine . Used the plugin for validations in the application.

In the view, i had

<%= f.username_field :username, :id => 'free-user', :placeholder=>'User Name', :class => "validate[required, ajax[ajaxUserCall]]", "data-prompt-position" => "topLeft:0,9"%>

In the same view, in java script:

<script type="text/javascript">
 $(document).ready(function(){
  $("#free-user").bind("jqv.field.result", function(event, field, errorFound, prompText){
    if(errorFound){
        $(".continue").attr("disabled", false);  // .continue is a button
    } else{
        $(".continue").attr("disabled", true);
    }
  })
 });
</script>

In routes.rb i have the following route.

match '/check-user' =>"users#check_user"  // creating route for ajax call

In jquery.validationEngine-en.js file i have following:

"ajaxUserCall": {
                "url": "/check-user",
                // you may want to pass extra data on the ajax call
                "alertText": "* This user is already taken",
                "alertTextLoad": "* Validating, please wait"
            },

In users controller, i have the following method

def check_user
  user = params[:fieldValue]
  user = User.where("username = ?", username).first
  if user.present?
    render :json =>  ["free-user", false , "This User is already taken"]
  else
    render :json =>  ["free-user", true , ""]
  end
end

Answer 2

To check the Username/Email Availability do the following:

Using the https://github.com/posabsolute/jQuery-Validation-Engine

edit the validationsEngines-en.js file for the AJAX calls, one for the email will look like the following:

            "ajaxEmailAvailable": {
                "url": "/route_to_send_the_parameters",
                // you may want to pass extra data on the ajax call
                "alertTextOk": "* This email is available",
                "alertText": "* This email is already taken",
                "alertTextLoad": "* Validating, please wait"
            },   

Make sure you configure your routes.rb file to match the route you want to use, the default action with the call is a GET HTTP Request.

Next set up the proper action in your controller to handle the request (I included a helper in the Application Controller so that the input value can be sanitized before queried in the database:

CONTROLLER HANDLING THE REQUEST

  def username_availability
     scrubb = help.sanitize(params[:fieldValue], :tags => '')
     user = User.find_by_email(scrubb)
        if user.blank?
            render :json =>  ["INPUT_ID", true , ""]
        else
            render :json =>  ["INPUT_ID", false , "This email is already taken"]
        end
   end

If you are unsure of the proper INPUT ID, watch the server logs for the parameters passed during the call and do a simple copy-paste. By default the request passes the INPUT ID and INPUT VALUE.

To gain access to this helper add the following:

APPLICATION CONTROLLER

  def help
    Helper.instance
  end

  class Helper
    include Singleton
    include ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper
  end

Now on the form itself, your input should read as the following:

<%= c.text_field :email, "data-validation-engine"=>"validate[required, custom[email], ajax[ajaxEmailAvailable]]" %>

As per the proper functionality always place the AJAX call as the last validation.

Don't forget to include jquery.js, jquery.validationEngine-en.js, jquery.validationEngine.js and validationEngine.jquery.css in the head of the document [in that order of js] and to call a

<script type="text/javascript">$(function() {$("#FORM_ID").validationEngine();});</script>

If you want to do this for username, just edit the above appropriately.