Rails: Passing a variable from one controller to another for two forms

Question

I have two models: one for patient and one for referral request. I've created two forms - one that allows a user to create a new patient and another that allows a user to create a referral request. A patient can have many referral requests, and and a referral request will belong to the user who created it as well as the patient it is created for.

I am having trouble figuring out how to link these forms together in a way that creates the association between the patient and the referral request being created for them by the user. I think I have to put something in the new or create actions of the referral requests controller, but I can't get anything I've tried to work.

Any help appreciated for a rookie!

Patients Controller:

class PatientsController < ApplicationController

def new
    @patient = current_user.patients.build
end

def create
    @patient = current_user.patients.build(patient_params)
    if @patient.save
        flash[:success] = "Patient Created!"
        redirect_to '/referral_requests/new'
    else
        Rails.logger.info(@patient.errors.inspect)
        render 'patients/new'
end
end


private

def patient_params
    params.require(:patient).permit(:age, :user_id, insurance_ids: [], gender_ids: [], concern_ids: [], race_ids: [])

end
end

Referal Requests Controller:

class ReferralRequestsController < ApplicationController
    before_action :logged_in_user, only: [:show, :index, :new, :create, :edit, :update, :destroy]

    def index
        if logged_in?
        @referral_request = current_user.referral_requests.build
        @feed_items = current_user.feed.paginate(page: params[:page])
    else
        @feed_items =[]

    end
end

    def create
        @referral_request = current_user.referral_requests.build(referral_request_params)
        if @referral_request.save
            flash[:success] = "Referral Request Created!"
            render 'referral_requests/index'
         else
    Rails.logger.info(@referral_request.errors.inspect)
      @feed_items = []
      render 'static_pages/home'

    end
  end

    def destroy
    end

    def new 
    @referral_request = current_user.referral_requests.build if logged_in?
    end

private

def referral_request_params
    params.require(:referral_request).permit(:content, concern_ids: [],
     insurance_ids: [], race_ids: [], language_ids: [], gender_ids: [])

end
end

Answer 1

you need to pass in the patient_id in your redirect in the create action of PatientsController.

redirect_to '/referral_requests/new'

should become

redirect_to new_referral_request_path(patient_id: @patient.id)

then in ReferralRequestsController you can associate the newly built referral_request with the patient

def new
  @patient = Patient.find(params[:patient_id])
  @referral_request = current_user.referral_requests.build(patient: @patient) if logged_in?
end

Then in your referral_requests/new.html.erb form you can add a hidden_field_tag

form_for(@referral_request) do |f|
  f.hidden_field :patient_id
  .....
end

which will then add patient_id to into the form params and pickup the patient_id that got associated in the new action of the controller

You will need to add :patient_id into your referral_request_params method as well