_form.html.erb

  <% if @user.errors.any? %>
    <div id="error_explanation">
      <h2><%= pluralize(@user.errors.count, "error") %> prohibited this user from being saved:</h2>

      <ul>
      <% @user.errors.full_messages.each do |msg| %>
        <li><%= msg %></li>
      <% end %>
      </ul>
    </div>
  <% end %>

  <div class="row">
    <div class="span12">
      <h1>Update Your Profile</h1>
      <%= form_for(@user) do |f| %>
        <fieldset>
          <div class="row">
            <div class="span5 offset1">
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :title, "Prefix" %>
                <%= f.text_field :title %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :first_name %>
                <%= f.text_field :first_name %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :last_name %>
                <%= f.text_field :last_name %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :suffix, "Suffix" %>
                <%= f.text_field :suffix %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :email_address %>
                <%= f.text_field :email_address %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :job_title %>
                <%= f.text_field :job_title %>
              </div>
            </div>
            <div class="span6">
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :address1 %>
                <%= f.text_field :address1 %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :address2 %>
                <%= f.text_field :address2 %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :address3 %>
                <%= f.text_field :address3 %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <div class="span6">
                  <div class="row">
                    <div class="span2">
                      <%= f.label :city %>
                      <%= f.text_field :city %>
                    </div>
                    <div class="span2">
                      <%= f.label :state_id %>
                      <%= f.select(:state_id, state_options, { :include_blank => true }) %>
                    </div>
                    <div class="span2">
                      <%= f.label :zip_code %>
                      <%= f.text_field :zip_code  %>
                    </div>
                  </div>
                </div>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :office_fax %>
                <%= f.text_field :office_fax %>
              </div>
              <div class="row">
                <%= f.label :office_phone %>
                <%= f.text_field :office_phone %>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </fieldset>
        <div class="well">
          <div class="actions">
            <%= f.submit :class => "btn btn-primary" %>
            <%= link_to 'Cancel', @user, :class => "btn" %>
          </div>
        </div>
      <% end %>
    </div>
  </div>

show.html.erb

<p>
  <b>State:</b>
  <%= @user.state.name %>
</p>

state.rb

class State < ActiveRecord::Base

  # Association
  has_many :users

end

states_helper.rb

module StatesHelper
	# returns an array of colors and ids for boxes
  def state_options
    State.all.collect {|b| [ b.name, b.id ] }
  end
end

user.rb

class User < ActiveRecord::Base

  # Associations
  belongs_to :state

end

users_controller.rb

class UsersController < ApplicationController
  def show
    @user = User.find(params[:id])

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html # show.html.erb
      format.json { render json: @user }
    end
  end
end