ujs_sort_helper

=UnobtrusiveSortHelper

This is a plugin version of Stuart Rackham's most excellent SortHelper helper. The link_to_remote ajax calls have been removed in favor of unobtrusive javascript using lowpro.js.

=== Features

• Consecutive clicks toggle the column's sort order.
• Sort state is maintained by a session hash entry.
• Icon image identifies sort column and state.
• Typically used in conjunction with will_paginate plugin

=== Usage

====Controller:

def list sort_init 'last_name' sort_update @items = Contact.find_all nil, sort_clause end

====Controller (using will_paginate)

def list sort_init 'last_name' sort_update

 options = {:page => params[:page], :include => :addresses, :order => sort_clause }

 @contacts = Contact.paginate(options)

end

====Layout (app/views/layouts/application.html.erb):

<%= stylesheet_link_tag "ujs_sort_helper"%> styles for nifty sort arrow images

<%= javascript_include_tag :defaults%> as long as prototype.js is included before lowpro and ujs_sort_helper

If you're not using jQuery, reference Dan Webb's lowpro and the Prototype version of the ujs_sort_helper:

<%= javascript_include_tag "lowpro"%> you SHOULD already have this ;-)

<%= javascript_include_tag "ujs_sort_helper", :plugin => "ujs_sort_helper"%>

If you're using jQuery, simply include the jQuery version (assuming you already have jQuery and livequery installed)

<%= javascript_include_tag "ujs_sort_helper.jquery.js", :plugin => "ujs_sort_helper"%>

====View (table header in index.rhtml):

<thead> <tr> <%= sort_header_tag('id', :title => 'Sort by contact ID') %> <%= sort_header_tag('last_name', :caption => 'Name') %> <%= sort_header_tag('phone') %> <%= sort_header_tag('address', :width => 200) %> </tr> </thead>

• The ascending and descending sort icon images are sort_asc.png and sort_desc.png and reside in the application's images directory.
• Introduces instance variables: @sort_name, @sort_default.
• Introduces params :sort_key and :sort_order.

Copyright (c) 2005 Stuart Rackham, (c) 2008 Wynn Netherland released under the MIT license