Til Tracker

Discussion: Native `date_field` vs alternatives

Discussion: I considered alternatives to the native HTML5 date_field due to inconsistent styling/icon placement across browsers (Chrome vs Firefox vs Safari).
Alternative Considered: Rails date_select helper (outputs three dropdowns: Year, Month, Day). Custom JS date pickers were ruled out by the 37signals philosophy.
Decision: I stuck with date_field for simplicity and reliance on native browser behavior, accepting the minor cross-browser styling limitations. I added (YYYY-MM-DD) format hint to the label for clarity, as placeholder text isn't supported consistently for date inputs.
Learning: Native form elements offer simplicity, accessibility, and avoid JS dependencies but have limited styling control. I learned to weigh the trade-offs between custom solutions (more control, more complexity/JS) and accepting native limitations based on project philosophy (e.g., 37signals favors simplicity and defaults). Providing clear labels and format hints is important.

Tags: frontend ui ux html css form date date_field date_select accessibility browser-compatibility 37signals decision

Learned on: April 19, 2024 Edit

NoMethodError: undefined method `learned_on` on `new` learning page

Context: The new.html.erb view tried to access @learning.learned_on to set the default value for the date field (value: @learning.learned_on || Date.today), causing NoMethodError.
Resolution: I changed the date_field value in the view to just value: Date.today. The @learning instance created by LearningsController#new (Learning.new) is unsaved and doesn't have attributes populated from database defaults until saved.
Learning: I learned to be mindful of when database defaults are applied (on save) versus needing to set defaults explicitly in the controller (Model.new(attr: default)) or view (value: default) for new object instances presented in forms.

Tags: rails-core controller view form model date nomethoderror database default

Learned on: April 13, 2024 Edit

Feature: Implemented retroactive learning logging

Feature: I implemented retroactive learning logging.
Details: I added learned_on date field (type: :date, null: false, default: 'CURRENT_DATE') to the Learning model/migration. I updated the controller learning_params to permit :learned_on. I updated index sorting to use ORDER BY learned_on DESC, created_at DESC. I added a date_field to _form.html.erb. I updated index view display.
Learning: I learned that using SQL default CURRENT_DATE is effective for database-level defaults upon record creation. However, for new, unsaved records in a form, a default needs to be set in the view (e.g., <%= form.date_field :learned_on, value: Date.today %>) or controller (@learning = Learning.new(learned_on: Date.today)).

Tags: feature rails-core model migration controller view form database sql date

Learned on: April 13, 2024 Edit