Rails 3 - render :template is not the same as current_page?

Question

I've recently ran into a little for when an object fails to save due to serving content based of the current_page? method. I'm using a near scaffolding controller:

def create
@topic = Topics.new(params[:topic])

respond_to do |format|
  if @topic.save
    format.html { redirect_to(topic_links_path(@topic), :notice => "New Topic Created") }
  else
    format.html { render "new" }
    format.xml  { render :xml => @topic.errors, :status => :unprocessable_entity }
  end
end

end

The problem is, if validation fails, it gets caught and then simply renders my new template. You are not on the new_topic_path route location causing my view helpers to serve the wrong content.

If my @topic does indeed fail to save, I could do a redirect_to, but I'm not sure how to preserve and display errors after a redirect?

Anyway, looking for some help for an elegant way to do this.

Edit for Clarifications:

Basically, what I'm doing is serving a different toolbar based of the current_page. So dev.app:3000/topics/new has a different toolbar than dev.app:3000/topics.

For my controller, if a @topic fails to save, it renders the new action, but still goes to the dev.app:3000/topics path rather than staying on the /topics/new path therefore displaying the wrong toolbar.

Answer 1

You should reconsider how your custom toolbar display thing works, instead of using current_page? you should use action_name and check whether it's equal to new or to create

Answer 2

Instead of a redirect call:

render :action => :new