---
title: "Button to update status attribute of a table"
author: "Yaroslav Shmarov"
date: "2021-03-15"
canonical_url: "https://blog.superails.com/ruby-on-rails-change-status-button"
markdown_url: "https://blog.superails.com/ruby-on-rails-change-status-button.md"
description: "Mission: add buttons to change the status of a post HOWTO: migration - add status column to posts post.rb - list available statuses posts_controller.rb - add…"
tags: ["ruby","rails","ruby-on-rails","polymorphism","polymorphic-associations"]
license: "GNU AGPL v3. Credit Yaroslav Shmarov and link the canonical URL."
---

# Button to update status attribute of a table

Mission: add buttons to change the `status` of a `post`

![change-status.gif](https://blog.superails.com/assets/images/change-status.gif)

HOWTO:

migration - add `status` column to `posts`

```
add_column :posts, :status, :string, null: false, default: "planned"
```

post.rb - list available statuses

```ruby
  validates :status, presence: true
  STATUSES = %i[planned progress done].map(&:to_s).freeze
  validates :quote_requestor, inclusion: { in: Post::STATUSES }
```

posts_controller.rb - add action to change status

```
  def change_status
    @post = Post.find(params[:id])
    if params[:status].present? && Post::STATUSES.include?(params[:status].to_sym)
      @post.update(status: params[:status])
    end
    redirect_to @post, notice: "Status updated to #{@post.status}"
  end
```
routes.rb
```
  resources :posts do
    member do
      patch :change_status
    end
  end
```
posts/show.html.erb
```
  <% Post::STATUSES.each do |status| %>
    <%= link_to change_status_post_path(@post, status: status), method: :patch do %>
      <%= status %>
    <% end %>
  <% end %>
```
or with a block
```
  <% Post::STATUSES.each do |status| %>
    <%= link_to_unless post.status.eql?(status.to_s), status, change_status_post_path(post, status: status), method: :patch %>
  <% end %>
```