Is it possible to detect the key for the array within the Rails params hash?

Question

I'm using a inherited controller for an abstracted class. I'm trying to avoid overriding actions within all of the descendant controllers. How could I find out the name of the key where the array of form values is living? For example:

The master class currently uses this to update rows

if @parent.update_attributes(params[:parent])

Every class that inherits from it has its own name that will not be recognized

<input type="text" value="" name="child[title]" id="child_title">

How can I dynamically detect the :name I need to use in the params[ ] for each form? I would settle for some form_for guidance for my partial that handles edit and new:

form_for @parent do |f|

I've tried what is below but I can't get it to do PUT. When I edit it makes a new row:

form_for @child, :as => :parent, :url => child_path do |f|

Answer 1

Thanks for nothing guys (save Cryo of course). I had the name of the key all along in my instance variable. I just didn't know how to get it out and turn it into the symbol I needed for the params hash. Here is how I did it:

@element.update_attributes(params[@element.class.name.downcase.to_sym])

This way I can make a resource, have it inherit from a parent controller, use the default form setup, and still recycle the logic from the parent controller.