I want to implement a search functionality in my Rails app by using the pg_search gem. I've set up everything like it says in the documentation. Then I've set up a search controller with a show action:
def show
@pg_search_documents = PgSearch.multisearch(search_params)
end
The search itself works but I have a really annoying problem in my view. Whatever I do, it always outputs an array of PgSearch::Document objects. Even when I only write this in my view:
<%= @pg_search_documents.each do |document| %>
<% end %>
I get this (I've shortened it):
[#<PgSearch::Document id: 2, content: "…", searchable_id: 28, searchable_type: "Vessel">, #<PgSearch::Document id: 3, content: "…", searchable_id: 27, searchable_type: "Vessel">]
I know that pg_search sets up a polymorphic association which I've never dealt with before — could that be the problem?
Thanks in advance
<%= @pg_search_documents.each do |document| %>
<% end %>
This is a classic error, one I remember being puzzled over when I first started learning Rails. The mistake is using <%= %> with each. The return value of each is the array that you're iterating over (in this case, @pg_search_documents), and by using <%=, you're telling Rails to create a string from that array and insert it into your view. That generally isn't what you want: you want the view to be generated by the code inside the block you're passing to each.
Use <% @pg_search_documents.each do |document| %> instead (omitting the =) and you'll avoid the dump of the array's content.
You may also need to use .searchable as @blelump suggests, but I wanted to answer the other half of your question, as it's a common pitfall.