gistfile1.txt

# Here are the params to my QuestionsController update action.
# accepts_nested_attributes_for is defined on the Question model 
# for its child relationship Choice. (Question has many Choices).

# Adding new choices to a question in bulk as shown below works except for the order
# that the Choices are created in.  Choices use acts_as_list and have a list_index column.

# The order that update_attributes (on the Question instance) creates 
# the Choice objects is the sort order of the hash keys below.  The 'new_NNNNN' id
# within the hash is created in JavaScript using new Date().getTime(), so it always
# increments.  The order below just happens to be how the keys of the has are
# enumerated, (c a b) but the child choices where actually created ( a b c).

# Any idea how I can solve this?  I don't really want to crack open 
# update_attributes in order to sort keys lexically before creating child models.

{"commit"=>"Update",
 "_method"=>"put",
 "action"=>"update",
 "id"=>"1",
 "question"=>
  {"text"=>
    "What is your living situation? (married, co-habiting, living with parents, single, widowed etc)",
   "choices_attributes"=>
    {"new_1266143955074"=>{"text"=>"c", "id"=>"", "_destroy"=>""},
     "new_1266143949291"=>{"text"=>"a", "id"=>"", "_destroy"=>""},
     "new_1266143952987"=>{"text"=>"b", "id"=>"", "_destroy"=>""}},
   "answer_type"=>"one_choice"},
 "controller"=>"admin/questions"}