Having trouble passings params to embedded action in view

Working on some legacy code (Rails v2.3) and I've become stuck.

I have a view that uses the embed tag to run an action that produces a PDF. Copying code from the other working view in my project, I have the embed code link to the controller action:

<embed height="400px" width="95%" name="plugin" src="<%= formatted_report_reports_path(:pdf) %>" type="application/pdf" />

The src links to an action called report that needs the values for some params on the view called params[:startdate] and params[:enddate], but those become nil in the def report action once the embed code runs.

I proved to myself that the embed tag works by hardcoding some date values into the def report action, so at least I know that works when it does actually have dates.

I thought I could pass the params[:] to the src like this:

src="<%= formatted_report_reports_path(params[:startdate], :pdf) %>"

but that returns an error like this:

undefined method 'has_key?' for :pdf:Symbol

In my research I found that the :pdf symbol is what is used for determing the "format" like what's in my default connections routes. I tried adding another connection for using the :startdate symbol along with the format symbol, but that also didn't work:

map.connect ':controller/:action/:startdate.:format'

It had been my understanding that params[:] keep their values throughout the program, and I've hit a wall understanding why they're nil once the embed code runs the action. Some other threads I came across mention that once another :action is called in a :controller the params values are wiped until they're set again, and I guess that's what's happening, but how do I set them again so that the embed code will have it?

Code I'm looking at:

report.html.erb

<%- form_tag report_reports_url, :method => 'get' do -%>
<p>
    <%= label_tag :startdate, 'Start Date Range' %>
    <%= calendar_date_select_tag :startdate, params[:startdate] %>
    to
    <%= calendar_date_select_tag :enddate, params[:enddate] %>
</p>
            <%= submit_tag 'Run Report' %>
        <%- end -%>
    </p>
  </div>
  
 <p></p>
 
 <%- if params[:startdate].nil? -%>
 <%- else -%>
<div id = 'results'>
<embed height="400px" width="95%" name="plugin" src="<%= formatted_report_reports_path(:pdf) %>" type="application/pdf" />
</div>
<%- end -%>

reports_controller.rb

def report        
      respond_to do |format|
                    format.html do
                    end
                    format.pdf do
                    pdf = make_report_pdf(params[:startdate],params[:enddate])                  
                     if pdf.nil?                          
                     else
                       send_file pdf, :type=> "application/pdf", :disposition => "inline"
                     end
                    end
                   end
    end

Solution

...the params values are wiped until they're set again, and I guess that's what's happening, but how do I set them again so that the embed code will have it?

Yes, this is the case. The params only have the lifespan of a given request.

I'm guessing a little here, but I think you need this for your path call:

formatted_report_reports_path(:startdate => params[:startdate], :format => :pdf)