The new form framework

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The new form framework
Bernhard Schussek

What is different in the new form
framework?

symfony 1.x
User

sfForm

Controller

Domain Model

symfony 1.x
User

sfForm

Business Logic
Controller

Domain Model

symfony 1.x
User

sfForm

Business Logic
Controller

Domain Model...

symfony 1.x
User

function configure()
...

New architecture

Simplicity and Reusability

Embrace your domain model

Symfony 2
User

Form

Domain Model

Symfony 2
User
Presentation
Form

Domain Model Business Log...

Business Logic

class Customer
{

public $name = 'Default';

public getGender();

public setGender($gender);...

Business Logic Presentation

class Customer Form
{
...

$form = new Form('customer', $customer, ...);

$form->add(new TextField('name'));

$form->add(new ChoiceField('gender', ar...

$$form = new Form('customer', $customer, ...); ... if (isset($_POST['customer'])) { $form->bind($_POST['customer']); }$

Business Logic Presentation

class Customer Form
{
to-one relations FieldGroup...

$group = new FieldGroup('address');

$group->add(...);
$group->add(...);
$group->add(...);

$form->add($group);

Business Logic Presentation

class Customer Form
{
Colle...

$group = new FieldGroup('emails');

$group->add(...);
$group->add(...);

$form->add(new CollectionField($group));

Default Localized

TextField NumberField TimeField

TextareaField IntegerFie...

● Field groups
— light-weight subforms
— compose other fields or field groups
...

Form Rendering

<?php echo $form->renderFormTag('url') ?>

<?php echo $form->renderErrors() ?>
<?php echo $form->render() ?>

<input...

<label for="<?php echo $form['name']->getId() ?>">
Enter a name
</label>

<?php echo $form['name']->renderErrors() ?>
<?...

<?php echo $form['date']['day']->render() ?>
<?php echo $form['date']['month']->render() ?>
<?php echo $form['date']['year...

Validation

symfony 1.x
sfForm
sfValidator

Controller

Domain Model
Doctrine_Validator

symfony 1.x
sfForm
sfValidator

Controller Duplicate validation
...

Symfony 2

Form

Domain Model

Symfony 2

Form

Validator

Domain Model

Symfony 2

Form

Validator

Domain Model

...

Customer:
properties:
name:
- MinLength: 6
birthday:
- Date: ~
gender:
- Choice: [male, fe...

<class name="Customer">
<property name="name">
<constraint name="MinLength">6</constraint>
</property>
<property...

class Customer
{
/** @Validation({ @MinLength(6) }) */
public $name;

/** @Validation({ @Choice({"male", "female"}...

Type Check String Other

AssertTrue AssertType MinLength Min

AssertFalse Date ...

● Constraints can be put on
— Classes
— Properties
— Methods with a "get" or "is" prefix

$validator = $container->getService('validator');

$validator->validate($customer);

Independent from Symfony 2

Zend Doctrine 2 Propel

How does all this fit into the form
framework?

$form = new Form('customer', $customer,
$this->container->getService('validator'));

$$form->bind($_POST['customer']); if ($form->isValid()) { // do something with $customer }$

● The validation is launched automatically
upon submission

Common Questions

Q: What if my form does not translate
1:1 to a domain model?

A: Then the domain model doesn't
exist yet ;-)

● Use Case
— Extend our form for a checkbox to accept terms
and conditions
— Should not be stored as...

class Registration {
/** @Validation({ @Valid }) */
public $customer;

/**
* @Validation({
* @AssertT...

$form->add(new CheckboxField('termsAccepted'));

$group = new FieldGroup('customer');
$group->add(new TextField('name'));
...

if ($form->isValid())
{
$registration->process();
}

● The Registration class
— can be reused (XML requests, …)
— can be unit tested

Q: What if I don't want to validate all
attributes of an object?

A: Use Constraint groups

● Use Case
— Administrators should be able to create
Customers with empty names
— Normal users not

class Customer
{
/**
* @Validation({
* @NotBlank(groups="User")
* })
*/
public $name;

...
}

$validator->validate($customer, 'User');

$$form->setValidationGroups('User'); $form->bind($_POST('customer')); if ($form->isValid()) { ... }$

● Constraint groups can be sequenced
— first validate group "Fast"
— then, if "Fast" was valid, validate gro...

Questions?