---
title: "Emoji select with `gem unicode-emoji`"
author: "Yaroslav Shmarov"
date: "2021-11-28"
canonical_url: "https://blog.superails.com/gem-unicode-emoji"
markdown_url: "https://blog.superails.com/gem-unicode-emoji.md"
description: "In this example we: select an emoji with a label save the emoji without the label to the database add the gems: get the data you need;"
tags: ["ruby","rails","ruby-on-rails","unicode","emoji"]
license: "GNU AGPL v3. Credit Yaroslav Shmarov and link the canonical URL."
---

# Emoji select with `gem unicode-emoji`

In this example we:
* select an emoji **with** a label
* save the emoji **without** the label to the database

![flag emoji select](https://blog.superails.com/assets/images/flag-emoji-select.gif)

### HOWTO:

* add the gems:

```ruby
# Gemfile
gem "unicode-emoji" # emoji list and regex (for validations)
gem "unicode-sequence_name" # emoji names
```

* get the data you need;
* for example, flag-country mapping:

```ruby
# app/helpers/emoji_helper.rb
module EmojiHelper
  # ["🇦🇨 Ascension Island", "🇦🇩 Andorra"]...
  EMOJI_LIST = Unicode::Emoji.list("Flags")["country-flag"].map do |c|
    "#{c} #{Unicode::SequenceName.of(c).delete_prefix('FLAG:').downcase.gsub(/\b('?[^0-9])/) do
      Regexp.last_match(1).capitalize
    end }"
  end

  # [["🇦🇨 Ascension Island", "🇦🇨"], ["🇦🇩 Andorra", "🇦🇩"]...
  def emoji_for_select
    EMOJI_LIST.map do |k|
      [k, k.split.first]
    end
  end
end
```

* add the collection select to any column:

```ruby
# app/views/posts/_form.html.erb
<%= form.select :icon, emoji_for_select, { include_blank: "Select a flag" }, {} %>
```

That's it!