Rails 4.2: Client Side Validations for Associations

Question

I have a complex form with associations that I would like to view validation errors inline in real-time. I stumbled upon RailsCasts episode Client Side Validations and decided to take that approach and installed the gem.

gem 'client_side_validations', 
      github: "DavyJonesLocker/client_side_validations", 
      branch: "4-2-stable"

As required by the gem, I placed validate: true at the top of the form helper and saw that it only worked on attribute fields and not on the associated objects.

For example, when the field name is blank, it displays the error inline stating can't be blank. When the user has not selected a program, I would like it to inform the user Need a program! but it does not. Currently, it simply throws the flash[:error] message I stated in the controller that "There was a problem launching your Campaign." with no inline message specific to the program select box.

Here is the set-up..

views/campaigns/_forms.html.erb

<%= form_for @campaign, url: {action: "create"}, validate: true do |f| %>

                <%= f.label :campaign_name, "Campaign Name", class: "right-label" %>
                <%= f.text_field :name %>

                <%= f.label :comments %>
                <%= f.text_area :comment %>

                <%= f.label :program %> 
                <%= f.select :program_id, 
                        Program.all.collect { |p| [ p.name, p.id ] }, { include_blank: true }, validate: { presence: true } %>

                <%= f.label :data_file, "Data File (.zip)", class: "right-label" %>

                <%= select_tag :uploadzip_id, 
                                options_from_collection_for_select(
                                Uploadzip.all, :id, :file_name
                                ), { include_blank: "Include a Zip File" } %>

                <%= f.label :additional_files %>

                <ul><%= f.collection_check_boxes :uploadpdf_ids, Uploadpdf.last(5).reverse, :id,
                             :file_name, { mulitple: true } do |b| %>
                             <li><%= b.label do %>
                                    <%= b.check_box + truncate(File.basename(b.text,'.*'), length: 45) %>
                                 <% end %>
                </ul><% end %>

<%= render 'target', :f => f %> 
<%= f.submit "Confirm & Execute", id: "campaign-create-button" %>

<% end %>

views/campaigns/_target.html.erb

            <%= f.label :plan, "Pick a Plan", class: "right-label" %>

            <%= f.select :plan_id,
                    Plan.all.collect { |p| 
                        [ p.name, p.id ] 
                        }, { include_blank: true } %>

                <%= f.label :channels, "Distribution Channel", class: "right-label" %>

            <ul class="channels-list">
                <% ["Folder", "Fax", "Email"].each do |channel| %>

                <li><%= check_box_tag "campaign[channels][]", channel,
                        @campaign.channels.include?(channel), 
                        id: "campaign_channels_#{channel}"  %> <%= channel %></li>
                <% end %>
            </ul>

app/models/campaign.rb

class Campaign < ActiveRecord::Base
    belongs_to :program
    belongs_to :plan

    has_many :uploadables, dependent: :destroy
    has_many :uploadpdfs, through: :uploadables
    has_one :uploadzip, dependent: :nullify

    validates :name, presence: true,
                    uniqueness: true
    validates :program, presence: { message: "Need a program!"}
    validates :uploadzip, presence: true
    validates :uploadpdf_ids, presence: true

    serialize :channels, Array

end

app/controllers/campaigns_controller.rb

class CampaignsController < ApplicationController
      def index
        @campaigns = Campaign.all.order("created_at DESC")
      end

      def new
        @campaign = Campaign.new
      end

      def create
        @campaign = Campaign.new(campaign_params)


        if @campaign.save

            zip = Uploadzip.find(params[:uploadzip_id])
            zip.campaign = @campaign
            zip.save

            flash[:success] = "Campaign Successfully Launched!"
            redirect_to @campaign
        else
            flash[:error] = "There was a problem launching your Campaign."
            redirect_to new_campaign_path
        end
      end

      def show
        @campaign = Campaign.includes(:program, :uploadzip, :plan, :uploadpdfs).find(params[:id])
      end

  private

      def campaign_params
        params.require(:campaign).permit(:name, :comment, :plan_id, :program_id, :campaign_id, uploadpdf_ids: [], channels: [])
      end
end

I also followed this tutorial that provided code to help display validation errors for associations in the view.

config/initializers/errors_for_associations.rb

module ActionView::Helpers::ActiveModelInstanceTag
  def error_message_with_associations
    if @method_name.end_with?('_ids')
      # Check for a has_(and_belongs_to_)many association (these always use the _ids postfix field).
      association = object.class.reflect_on_association(@method_name.chomp('_ids').pluralize.to_sym)
    else
      # Check for a belongs_to association with method_name matching the foreign key column
      association = object.class.reflect_on_all_associations.find do |a|
        a.macro == :belongs_to && a.foreign_key == @method_name
      end
    end
    if association.present?
      object.errors[association.name] + error_message_without_associations
    else
      error_message_without_associations
    end
  end
  alias_method_chain :error_message, :associations
end