Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu(3)

NAME
Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu - Catalyst integration for HTML::FormFu

SYNOPSIS
    package MyApp::Controller::My::Controller;

    use base 'Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu';

    sub index : Local {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # doesn't use an Attribute to make a form
        # can get an empty form from $self->form()

        my $form = $self->form();
    }

    sub foo : Local : Form {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # using the Form attribute is equivalent to:
        #
        # my $form = $self->form;
        #
        # $form->process;
        #
        # $c->stash->{form} = $form;
    }

    sub bar : Local : FormConfig {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # using the FormConfig attribute is equivalent to:
        #
        # my $form = $self->form;
        #
        # $form->load_config_filestem('root/forms/my/controller/bar');
        #
        # $form->process;
        #
        # $c->stash->{form} = $form;
        #
        # so you only need to do the following...

        my $form = $c->stash->{form};

        if ( $form->submitted_and_valid ) {
            do_something();
        }
    }

    sub baz : Local : FormConfig('my_config') {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # using the FormConfig attribute with an argument is equivalent to:
        #
        # my $form = $self->form;
        #
        # $form->load_config_filestem('root/forms/my_config');
        #
        # $form->process;
        #
        # $c->stash->{form} = $form;
        #
        # so you only need to do the following...

        my $form = $c->stash->{form};

        if ( $form->submitted_and_valid ) {
            do_something();
        }
    }

    sub quux : Local : FormMethod('load_form') {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # using the FormMethod attribute with an argument is equivalent to:
        #
        # my $form = $self->form;
        #
        # $form->populate( $c->load_form );
        #
        # $form->process;
        #
        # $c->stash->{form} = $form;
        #
        # so you only need to do the following...

        my $form = $c->stash->{form};

        if ( $form->submitted_and_valid ) {
            do_something();
        }
    }

    sub load_form {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        # Automatically called by the above FormMethod('load_form') action.
        # Called as a method on the controller object, with the context
        # object as an argument.

        # Must return a hash-ref suitable to be fed to $form->populate()
    }

You can also use specially-named actions that will only be called under certain circumstances.

    sub edit : Chained('group') : PathPart : Args(0) : FormConfig { }

    sub edit_FORM_VALID {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        my $form  = $c->stash->{form};
        my $group = $c->stash->{group};

        $form->model->update( $group );

        $c->response->redirect( $c->uri_for( '/group', $group->id ) );
    }

    sub edit_FORM_NOT_SUBMITTED {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        my $form  = $c->stash->{form};
        my $group = $c->stash->{group};

        $form->model->default_values( $group );
    }

METHODS

  form
This creates a new HTML::FormFu object, passing as it's argument the contents of the "constructor" config value.

This is useful when using the ConfigForm() or MethodForm() action attributes, to create a 2nd form which isn't populated using a config-file or method return value.

    sub foo : Local {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        my $form = $self->form;
    }

Note that when using this method, the form's query method is not populated with the Catalyst request object.

SPECIAL ACTION NAMES
An example showing how a complicated action method can be broken down into smaller sections, making it clearer which code will be run, and when.

    sub edit : Local : FormConfig {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        my $form  = $c->stash->{form};
        my $group = $c->stash->{group};

        $c->detach('/unauthorised') unless $c->user->can_edit( $group );

        if ( $form->submitted_and_valid ) {
            $form->model->update( $group );

            $c->response->redirect( $c->uri_for('/group', $group->id ) );
            return;
        }
        elsif ( !$form->submitted ) {
            $form->model->default_values( $group );
        }

        $self->_add_breadcrumbs_nav( $c, $group );
    }

Instead becomes...

    sub edit : Local : FormConfig {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        $c->detach('/unauthorised') unless $c->user->can_edit(
            $c->stash->{group}
        );
    }

    sub edit_FORM_VALID {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        my $group = $c->stash->{group};

        $c->stash->{form}->model->update( $group );

        $c->response->redirect( $c->uri_for('/group', $group->id ) );
    }

    sub edit_FORM_NOT_SUBMITTED {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        $c->stash->{form}->model->default_values(
            $c->stash->{group}
        );
    }

    sub edit_FORM_RENDER {
        my ( $self, $c ) = @_;

        $self->_add_breadcrumbs_nav( $c, $c->stash->{group} );
    }

For any action method that uses a "Form", "FormConfig" or "FormMethod" attribute, you can add extra methods that use the naming conventions below.

These methods will be called after the original, plainly named action method.

  _FORM_VALID
Run when the form has been submitted and has no errors.

  _FORM_SUBMITTED
Run when the form has been submitted, regardless of whether or not there was errors.

  _FORM_COMPLETE
For MultiForms, is run if the MultiForm is completed.

  _FORM_NOT_VALID
Run when the form has been submitted and there were errors.

  _FORM_NOT_SUBMITTED
Run when the form has not been submitted.

  _FORM_NOT_COMPLETE
For MultiForms, is run if the MultiForm is not completed.

  _FORM_RENDER
For normal "Form" base classes, this subroutine is run after any of the other special methods, unless "$form->submitted_and_valid" is true.

For "MultiForm" base classes, this subroutine is run after any of the other special methods, unless "$multi->complete" is true.

CUSTOMIZATION
You can set your own config settings, using either your controller config or your application config.

    $c->config( 'Controller::HTML::FormFu' => \%my_values );

    # or

    MyApp->config( 'Controller::HTML::FormFu' => \%my_values );

    # or, in myapp.conf

    <Controller::HTML::FormFu>
        default_action_use_path 1
    </Controller::HTML::FormFu>

  form_method
Override the method-name used to create a new form object.

See "form".

Default value: "form".

  form_stash
Sets the stash key name used to store the form object.

Default value: "form".

  form_attr
Sets the attribute name used to load the Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Form action.

Default value: "Form".

  config_attr
Sets the attribute name used to load the Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Config action.

Default value: "FormConfig".

  method_attr
Sets the attribute name used to load the Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Method action.

Default value: "FormMethod".

  form_action
Sets which package will be used by the Form() action.

Probably only useful if you want to create a sub-class which provides custom behaviour.

Default value: "Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Form".

  config_action
Sets which package will be used by the Config() action.

Probably only useful if you want to create a sub-class which provides custom behaviour.

Default value: "Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Config".

  method_action
Sets which package will be used by the Method() action.

Probably only useful if you want to create a sub-class which provides custom behaviour.

Default value: "Catalyst::Controller::HTML::FormFu::Action::Method".

  constructor
Pass common defaults to the HTML::FormFu constructor.

These values are used by all of the action attributes, and by the "$self->form" method.

Default value: "{}".

  config_callback
Arguments: bool

If true, a coderef is passed to "$form->config_callback->{plain_value}" which replaces any instance of "__uri_for(URI)__" found in form config files with the result of passing the "URI" argument to "uri_for" in Catalyst.

The form "__uri_for(URI, PATH, PARTS)__" is also supported, which is equivalent to "$c->uri_for( 'URI', \@ARGS )". At this time, there is no way to pass query values equivalent to "$c->uri_for( 'URI', \@ARGS, \%QUERY_VALUES )".

The second codeword that is being replaced is "__path_to( @DIRS )__". Any instance is replaced with the result of passing the "DIRS" arguments to "path_to" in Catalyst. Don't use qoutationmarks as they would become part of the path.

Default value: 1

  config_file_path
Location of the form config files, used when creating a form with the "FormConfig" action controller.

Default Value: "$c->path_to( 'root', 'forms' )"

  default_action_use_name
If set to a true value the action for the form will be set to the currently called action name.

Default value: "false".

  default_action_use_path
If set to a true value the action for the form will be set to the currently called action path. The action path includes concurrent to action name additioal parameters which were code inside the path.

Default value: "false".

Example:

    action: /foo/bar
    called uri contains: /foo/bar/1

    # default_action_use_name => 1 leads to:
    $form->action = /foo/bar

    # default_action_use_path => 1 leads to:
    $form->action = /foo/bar/1

  model_stash
Arguments: \%stash_keys_to_model_names

Used to place Catalyst models on the form stash.

If it's being used to make a DBIx::Class schema available for "options_from_model" in HTML::FormFu::Model::DBIC, for "Select" and other Group-type elements - then the hash-key must be "schema". For example, if your schema model class is "MyApp::Model::MySchema", you would set "model_stash" like so:

    <Controller::HTML::FormFu>
        <model_stash>
            schema MySchema
        </model_stash>
    </Controller::HTML::FormFu>

  context_stash
To allow your form validation packages, etc, access to the catalyst context, a weakened reference of the context is copied into the form's stash.

    $form->stash->{context};

This setting allows you to change the key name used in the form stash.

Default value: "context"

  languages_from_context
If you're using a L10N / I18N plugin such as Catalyst::Plugin::I18N which provides a "languages" method that returns a list of valid languages to use for the currect request - and you want to use formfu's built-in I18N packages, then setting "languages_from_context"

  localize_from_context
If you're using a L10N / I18N plugin such as Catalyst::Plugin::I18N which provides it's own "localize" method, you can set localize_from_context to use that method for formfu's localization.

  request_token_enable
If true, adds an instance of HTML::FormFu::Plugin::RequestToken to every form, to stop accidental double-submissions of data and to prevent CSRF attacks.

  request_token_field_name
Defaults to "_token".

  request_token_session_key
Defaults to "__token".

  request_token_expiration_time
Defaults to 3600.

DEPRECATED CONFIG SETTINGS

  config_file_ext
This is now unnecessary, and has been removed. Config files are now searched for, with any file extension supported by Config::Any.

CAVEATS
When using the "Form" action attribute to create an empty form, you must call $form->process after populating the form. However, you don't need to pass any arguments to "process", as the Catalyst request object will have automatically been set in $form->query.

When using the "FormConfig" and "FormMethod" action attributes, if you make any modifications to the form, such as adding or changing it's elements, you must call $form->process before rendering the form.

SEE ALSO
HTML::FormFu, Catalyst::Helper::HTML::FormFu

AUTHOR
Carl Franks, "cfranks@cpan.org"

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
Copyright (C) 2007 by Carl Franks

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.8 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.