Rails - view a picture which represents data in the database

Question

I'm searching for some idea how to let the stars view like on this example:

Right now, I have a table with a column for the black stars and a column for the grey stars.(in "Hüllenkontrolle" for example a "2" for 2 black stars and "4" for 4 grey stars). So I thought about something that shows another picture depending on which number is in the database (1 = 1 Star, 2 = 2 stars, 3 = 3 stars, 4 = 4 stars...)

I have no idea what to search on internet or how to realize that not the numbers will be viewed but some stars. Has anybody any idea how to implement this?

---

some information about my database model: http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/kwenevyz/beziehungen.png

• all data is viewed in the employee's html.erb.
• the black stars represent the current_qualification-table (column "qualificationstars"), the grey stars represent the expected qualification-table (column "qualificationstars"). Right now it's written in html.erb like this:

<% @employee.position.expected_qualifications.each do |expected_qualification| %>

<%= expected_qualification.qualificationstars %>

<%end%>

---

Some good news! This seems to work

<% @employee.position.skills.zip(@employee.position.expected_qualifications, @employee.current_qualifications).each do |skill, expected_qualification, current_qualification| %>
    <p>
    <% (current_qualification.istqualifikation).times do %>
            <%= image_tag("black.png") %>
    <% end %>
    <% (expected_qualification.sollqualifikation - current_qualification.istqualifikation).times do %>  
        <%= image_tag("grey.png") %>
    <% end %>
    </p>
<% end %>

This is how it looks in browser now:

Answer 1

If you have an image file each for a black and grey star, try something like this in your view:

<% @employee.position.expected_qualifications.each do |expected_qualification| %>

<% @employee.current_qualification.qualificationstars.times do %>
<%= image_tag("black_star.png") %>
<% end %>

<% [expected_qualification.qualificationstars - @employee.current_qualification.qualificationstars].times do %>
<%= image_tag("grey_star.png")  %>
<% end %>

<% end %>

EDIT:

The images go into "public/images" (Rails < 3.1) or "app/assets/images" (Rails 3.1)

EDIT 2: Using your model names.

(I'd suggest renaming "qualificationstars" to simply "stars" in your DB. qualification.qualificationstars is redundant and a bit cumbersome.)