Grails: getting object/model from AJAX response - ajax

Question

I'm new to Grails and now I'm trying to retrieve objects/model from a controller to a template using AJAX. I want to make it so that sms properties would accessible to messageBox template, but this would always return me a null value. Could anyone help me with this? Any answer would be appreciated, here's my current code.
On my client
<g:form>
<label for="id">Sms ID </label>
<g:textField name="id" />
<g:submitToRemote value="search" update="msgBox"
url="[controller:'sms', action:'send']"/>
</g:form>
<g:render template="messageBox" model="${[sms:sms]}/>
My controller
SmsController{
def send = {
def sms = new Sms(...)
//assume properties have been set
...
...
render(template: messageBox, model:[sms:sms])
}
}
and my _messageBox.gsp
<div id="msgBox">
<span>Sms Property 1: ${sms?.property1}</span>
<span>Sms Property 2: ${sms?.property2}</span>
<span>Sms Property 3: ${sms?.property3}</span>
</div>

Answer 1

There seems to be a few logistical errors here
First, you seem to be rending the messageBox template twice. In your 'client' gsp you are calling...
<g:render template="messageBox" model="${[sms:sms]}/>
On page load 'sms' will always be null unless you are provided one on the page load. Then you also seem to be calling it again in your controller...
render(template: messageBox, model:[sms:sms])
Also, I would move the div:'msgBox' outside of the template and into your client something like...
<g:form>
<label for="id">Sms ID </label>
<g:textField name="id" />
<g:submitToRemote value="search" update="msgBox"
url="[controller:'sms', action:'send']"/>
</g:form>
<div id="msgBox">Waiting for some AJAX!</div>
Lastly, make sure you have a javascript library in your header like prototype or jquery. I'm not sure this will solve your problems but it will be a good start. Let me know!