Rails 2.3 nested attributes issue

Question

I'm running into to a issue with a nested form which I'm sure should be easily solved, yet I can't find a way around it

Basically I have the following relationship

event has_many :contacts => through :event_contacts

the nested form works perfectly as long as I'm creating new contacts each time.

If I include a drop down to allow selection of an existing contact within the nested form, an event is created, however the contact_id is nil in the event_contacts table.

No contact is created, since I post an 'id' field for the nested contact.. (ie .new_record? returns false.)

So how do I update the event_contacts table to ensure that the 'selected' contacts is properly associated?

See snipbits below...

Models

class Event < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to  :user

  has_many    :event_contacts
  accepts_nested_attributes_for :event_contacts 

  has_many    :contacts, :through => :event_contacts
  accepts_nested_attributes_for :contacts


class EventContact < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to :event
  belongs_to :contact

  accepts_nested_attributes_for :contact


class Contact < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to  :user

  has_many    :event _contacts
  has_many    :events, :through => :event_contacts

View

- fields_for(@event) do |f|
  - f.fields_for :event_contacts do |rc|
    - rc.fields_for :contact do |c|
      = c.collection_select :id, Contact.all, :id, :name, { :selected => @contact.id || 0 }

      = c.hidden_field :user_id, :value => @current_user.id 
      = c.text_field :first_name
          = c.text_field :email

Answer 1

did you include the accepts_nested_attributes in you model?

Answer 2

Not quite the answer I was looking for .. but have hacked my way aroung this using a post save method in the parent controller (event) and checking through the child objects to inspect if the contact was new or existing..

I then update the intemediary table event_contacts manually...

Not the most elegant solution but it works and allows me to move on...

Still would appreciate any guidance as to how to do this the rails way..