NAME

HTML::FormHandler::Manual::Reference - concise reference

VERSION

version 0.40016

DESCRIPTION

Manual Index

This is a concise reference of HTML::FormHandler.

HTML::FormHandler has a lot of options and many ways to customize your forms. More complete documentation can be found in the rest of the manual as HTML::FormHandler::Manual and in HTML::FormHandler, HTML::FormHandler::Field, HTML::FormHandler::Model::DBIC, HTML::FormHandler::Render::Simple, and in the individual field classes.

Form

Form Attributes

params           HTTP parameters; if present validation will be attempted
name             Form name. Used in 'id' of form element

field_name_space  Where to search for fields
widget_name_space Where to search for widgets

language handle  For MakeText
ctx              Application context for your use

init_object      For default values instead of $item
dependency       Array of arrays of field names. If one name has a value, all
                    fields in the list are set to 'required'

fields           Field array
sorted_fields    The sorted array of fields
field( $name )   Returns a field object
has_field        Moose-y sugar for declaring fields
field_list       Non-moose-y way to define fields

clear            Resets state. Used in persistent forms.
value            Returns a hashref of values (with accessor keys)
fif              Returns a hashref for filling in form

Form database attributes

item             DB row object
item_class       Class of db item
item_id          Primary key of db item
schema           Schema of item

Also 'update_model' sub

Form processing

process           Sets up form, validates, updates model
run               Returns a result object and clears form
update_field_list Updates to fields on process
posted            Flag to say whether or not to validate, instead of
                     depending on presence of params

Validation

validate        Sub for validation after individual fields are validated
validate_model  Sub for additional database type validation
validated       Flag that form has validated
is_valid        Synonym of 'validated'
ran_validation  Flag that validation has already been run
dependency      Set groups of fields that are set to required if one is present
validate_$fieldname  Validation routine for field (also 'validate_method')

Errors

has_errors      True if any field has errors
num_errors      The number of errors (field errors + form errors)
error_fields    An array of fields with errors
errors          Returns an array of all errors
error_field_names Returns an array of field names with errors

Form Methods and process hooks

update_model      To perform additional database actions on update
update_fields     Sub providing convenient place to update fields on 'process'
update_subfields  Sub providing place to update fields on Build (useful for
                    roles and compound field classes)
init_object       can be a method instead of an attribute

Form Rendering

html_prefix         Flag to prefix html field names with the form name.
                        Useful for multiple instances of the same form
do_form_wrapper     flag to wrap form. (build_do_form_wrapper)
form_tags           Various strings and flags used by rendering
form_element_attr   For arbitrary html attributes in the 'form' tag
form_element_class  Arrayref of classes for 'class="..."' in form element
form_wrapper_attr   For arbitrary html attributes on the form wrapper
form_wrapper_class  Arrayref of classes for 'class="..."' in form wrapper
http_method         For storing 'post' or 'get'
action              Store the form 'action' on submission. No default value.
enctype             Request enctype
uuid                generates a string containing an HTML field with UUID
style               adds a 'style' attribute to the form tag
id                  the form tag 'id' attribute is set to the form name
html_attributes     hook that allows customizing html attributes (form & field)

Field specific form methods

options_$fieldname   Sub returning options array (also 'options_method')
validate_$fieldname  Validation routine for field (also 'validate_method')
default_$fieldname   Set default for field (also 'default_method')

Fields

Field attributes

name          Field name. Must be the same as database column name or rel
type          Field type. From a Field class: 'Text', 'Select', etc
order         Set the order for fields. Default order is set by FH.

dump          For debugging
active        Arrayref of fields to set active
is_active
inactive      Arrayref of fields to set inactive
is_inactive
input_without_param  The value of the field if there is no input from the submitted form

default       Default value for the field
default_method   Coderef to set default or 'default_$fieldname' (by default)
not_nullable  Don't convert an empty field ('', etc) to undef

trim          Transform to trim the field
deflation     Function to deflate the field (in 'apply') (opposite of transform)
deflate_method          Coderef to deflate the field (for filling in the form)
inflate_method          Coderef to inflate the field (before validation)
inflate_default_method  Coderef to inflate value from item/init_object
deflate_value_method    Coderef to deflate value after validation
fif_from_value  Flag to use 'value' of field for 'fif'.

password      Remove from params and do not display in forms.

Select fields

options       Sorted array of hashes; keys: "value", "label"
options_method
label_column  Column to use for labels (default: name)
active_column Which values to list in options
sort_column   Column to use for sorting (default: label_column)

Field errors

errors        Errors associated with this field
              (also num_errors, clear_errors, has_errors, add_error)
messages      Hashref of message identifiers and text

Field validation

apply         Array of constraint/coercion/transformation actions
              ( type, check, transform, message, when )
validate_method  Validation coderef, or 'validate_$fieldname' in form (default)
required      Field is required
required_when Takes a hashref of field name keys and values
missing       Flag set when a 'required' or 'required_when' fails
maxlength     Text fields. Validated.
minlength     Text fields. Used in validation
range_start   Range start for number fields
range_end     Range end for number fields

Field attributes for DB

accessor      Database accessor name if different than field name
unique        Field should be unique in the database
noupdate      Don't update this field in the database
writeonly     Do not retrieve initial values

Also see the select field _columns attributes

Field rendering

widget          Determines which rendering widget to use for the field
widget_wrapper  Which wrapper widget to apply to the field
element_attr    Hashref to store arbitrary html attributes.
label_attr      Hashref for html attributes for the label
wrapper_attr    Hashref for html attributes for the wrapping element (div, etc)
element_class   Arrayref for classes for the form element
wrapper_class   Arrayref for classes for the form element wrapper
label_class     Arrayref for classes for the form element label
label           Text label for this field. Defaults to ucfirst field name.
build_label_method   provide a builder for 'label' attribute
wrap_label_method    provide a coderef to wrap the label
id              Useful for javascript (default is html_name. to prefix with
                    form name, use 'html_prefix' in your form)
build_id_method Provide a builder for 'id' attribute
do_wrapper      Flag to render wrapper
do_label        Flag to render label
size            Text & select fields.

render          Widget method to render the field ($field->render)
render_element  Widget method to render unwrapped field ($field->render_element)

render_field    Method used by Render::Simple to render field

Field attributes managed by FormHandler

These attributes are usually accessed in a subroutine or in a template, but are usually set only by FormHandler. ('value' may be changed as a transform _in a validation routine_.)

init_value    Initial value from the database
value         The value of your field.
input         Input value from parameter or initial value from database
fif           Retrieve (do not set) values for filling in a form

AUTHOR

FormHandler Contributors - see HTML::FormHandler

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2012 by Gerda Shank.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.