How to provide AJAX status messages in a standard layout location with Rails

Question

Hi folks,

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to provide a single place where ajax status/error messages are displayed for a rails app. This is similar to the rails flash subsystem, but for ajax requests.

Google Reader and gmail are good examples that have this functionality.

Any chance there is a simple plugin that provides this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

In your layout:

<div id="flash_container"></div>

In your AJAX response

<script type='text/javacript'>
document.getElementById('flash_container').innerHTML="<%=escape_javascript render_flash %>";
</script>

In your helpers

def render_flash

  html = ""

  flash.each do |key,value|
    html << "<div class="flash_#{key}">#{h value}</div>"
  end

  html
end

Maybe, of course, it could be a plugin :)