[Solar-talk] Form submission help

[Paul M Jones]

On Jul 21, 2007, at 8:09 PM, Raymond Kolbe wrote:

> Rodrigo,
>
> Thank you for your help!
>
> Note: Most of this email was written while I was trying to resolve my
> issue...I have since then resolved my issue but think it is worth
> mentioning my error and the solution to it.
>
> I suppose that echo $this->form()->auto($this->form)->fetch(); would
> make sense to grab the form.
>
> That being said, I did try taking _auth.php from the Solar_App_Base
> Layout directory and tried to replicate the way it is used there. It
> makes use of $this->form()...->fetch() and it outputs my form just
> fine. My issue at this point is to have my action pick up on the
> submission of data..
>
> Example (non-functioning/sample code):
>
> //------Vendor/App/Preferences.php-----//
> class Vendor_App_Preferences
>
> function actionChangePassword(){
>    $request = Solar::factory('Solar_Request');
> 		
>    // get the requested process
>    $process = $request->post('process');
> 		
>    // handle processes based on the localized button values
>    if ($process == $this->locale('PROCESS_UPDATEPASSWORD')) {
>        // I just wanted to change something to verify that the form  
> is working
>        $this->layout_head['title'] = 'Updated your password';
>    }
> }

I know you've solved it, but here's some background info that might  
make things easier in future:

* A request object already exists for your use; it's $this- 
 >_request.  Strangely, I don't expect you'll need it in common  
cases, because you have access to the the request portions you need  
through other means.  For example ...

* To check a process submission, you can use $this->_isProcess 
('PROCESS_UPDATEPASSWORD').  That will do the locale translation and  
$_request->post('process') value checking for you.  (Good on you for  
doing the locale translation, by the way -- lots of folks don't get  
that so quickly, and have trouble localizing their apps later on.)

So the revised version would be:

     function actionChangePassword()
     {
        // handle processes based on the localized button values
        if ($this->_isProcess('PROCESS_UPDATEPASSWORD')) {
            // I just wanted to change something to verify that the  
form is working
            $this->layout_head['title'] = 'Updated your password';
        }
     }

(or use PROCESS_UPDATEPASSWORD, whichever you settled on at the end.)

> As a side question, without directly instantiating/adding it to the
> factory, how does Solar know to what $this->form is?

Every public property of your Solar_Controller_Page object gets  
passed into the view.  So, $this->foo in the page controller becomes  
$this->foo in the Solar_View object.  Does that help at all?



> I drilled down
> the class hierarchy and couldn't find anything off hand. I know that
> the bookmark application uses Solar_Content_Abstract and that happens
> to call form which adds Solar_Form to the factory...My Vendor
> directory though has the bookmark application omitted yet I am still
> able to call form() without a hitch.

This relates to how the helpers get called.  Basically, everything in  
Solar/View/Helper/* can be called as a method through Solar_View.   
Solar_View_Helper_Anchor, for example, gets automatically loaded when  
you call $this->anchor() inside a view script.  The  
Solar_View_Helper_Form class gets called via $this->form().  So the  
helper itself not dependent on the content object at all.

Now, the content objects do provide the ability to generate a form  
processor object (Solar_Form) and load it up with elements related to  
that content type.  I think you get this already, but I'll reiterate:  
Solar_Form is the processor, and provides "hints" about how to  
generate output, but does not itself generate output.   
Solar_View_Helper_Form can take the hints from a Solar_Form object  
and generate output.  That way we get good separation of concerns,  
and can plug in or replace the separate concerns independent of each  
other (as long as they behave as expected).

Hope that all makes sense, please let me know if it does not ... and  
thank you for using Solar.  Welcome aboard.  :-)




--

Paul M. Jones  <http://paul-m-jones.com>

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