working basic state

app/controllers/dashboard_controller.rb

@@ -16,16 +16,12 @@ class DashboardController < ApplicationController
   private
 
   def filter_records
+    if params.include?(:joint)
       records = Joint.all
-    records = records.where(joint: params[:joint]) if params[:joint].present?
+      records = records.where(joint: params[:joint])
       records
+    else
+      []
+    end
   end
-
-  # old broken: def index
-  # old broken:   @joint = Joint.distinct.pluck(:Joint)
-  # old broken: 
-  # old broken:   @records = Joint.all
-  # old broken: 
-  # old broken:   @records = @records.where(Joint: params[joint]) if params[:joint].present?
-  # old broken: end
 end

app/views/dashboard/index.html.erb

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <%= form_with url: dashboard_path, method: :get, id: "filter-form" do |f| %>
   <div>
     <%= f.label :joint, "Select Joint:" %>
-    <%= f.select :joint, options_for_select(@available_joints, params[:joint]), include_blank: "All joints", id: "joint" %>
+    <%= f.select :joint, options_for_select(@available_joints, params[:joint]), include_blank: "Select a joint", id: "joint" %>
   </div>
 <% end %>