Class Form
Form abstraction used to create forms not tied to ORM backed models, or to other permanent datastores. Ideal for implementing forms on top of API services, or contact forms.
Building a form
This class is most useful when subclassed. In a subclass you should define the _buildSchema
, _buildValidator
and optionally, the _execute
methods. These allow you to declare your form's fields, validation and primary action respectively.
You can also define the validation and schema by chaining method calls off of $form->schema()
and $form->validator()
.
Forms are conventionally placed in the App\Form
namespace.
Constants summary
-
string
BUILD_VALIDATOR_EVENT'Form.buildValidator'
-
string
DEFAULT_VALIDATOR'default'
-
string
VALIDATOR_PROVIDER_NAME'form'
Properties summary
- $_data protected
array
Form's data.
- $_errors protected
array
The errors if any
- $_eventClass protected
string
Default class name for new event objects.
- $_eventManager protected
\Cake\Event\EventManagerInterface|\Cake\Event\EventManager
Instance of the Cake\Event\EventManager this object is using to dispatch inner events.
- $_schema protected
\Cake\Form\Schema
The schema used by this form.
- $_schemaClass protected
string
Schema class.
- $_validator protected
\Cake\Validation\Validator
The validator used by this form.
- $_validatorClass protected
string
Validator class.
- $_validators protected
\Cake\Validation\Validator[]
A list of validation objects indexed by name
Method Summary
- getValidator() public
Returns the validation rules tagged with $name. It is possible to have multiple different named validation sets, this is useful when you need to use varying rules when saving from different routines in your system.
- validationDefault() public
Returns the default validator object. Subclasses can override this function to add a default validation set to the validator object.
Method Detail
__construct() public
__construct(\Cake\Event\EventManager $eventManager)
Constructor
Parameters
-
\Cake\Event\EventManager|null
$eventManager optional The event manager. Defaults to a new instance.
__debugInfo() public
__debugInfo()
Get the printable version of a Form instance.
Returns
array
_buildSchema() protected
_buildSchema(\Cake\Form\Schema $schema)
A hook method intended to be implemented by subclasses.
You can use this method to define the schema using the methods on Cake\Form\Schema, or loads a pre-defined schema from a concrete class.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Form\Schema
$schema The schema to customize.
Returns
\Cake\Form\Schema
The schema to use.
_buildValidator() protected
_buildValidator(\Cake\Validation\Validator $validator)
A hook method intended to be implemented by subclasses.
You can use this method to define the validator using the methods on Cake\Validation\Validator or loads a pre-defined validator from a concrete class.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Validation\Validator
$validator The validator to customize.
Returns
\Cake\Validation\Validator
The validator to use.
_execute() protected
_execute(array $data)
Hook method to be implemented in subclasses.
Used by execute()
to execute the form's action.
Parameters
-
array
$data Form data.
Returns
bool
buildValidator() public
buildValidator(\Cake\Event\Event $event, \Cake\Validation\Validator $validator, mixed $name)
Callback method for Form.buildValidator event.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Event\Event
$event The Form.buildValidator event instance.
-
\Cake\Validation\Validator
$validator The validator to customize.
-
string
$name Validator name
createValidator() protected
createValidator(mixed $name)
Creates a validator using a custom method inside your class.
This method is used only to build a new validator and it does not store it in your object. If you want to build and reuse validators, use getValidator() method instead.
Parameters
-
string
$name The name of the validation set to create.
Returns
\Cake\Validation\Validator
Throws
RuntimeException
dispatchEvent() public
dispatchEvent(mixed $name, mixed $data, mixed $subject)
Wrapper for creating and dispatching events.
Returns a dispatched event.
Parameters
-
string
$name Name of the event.
-
array|null
$data optional Any value you wish to be transported with this event to it can be read by listeners.
-
object|null
$subject optional The object that this event applies to ($this by default).
Returns
\Cake\Event\Event
errors() public
errors()
Get the errors in the form
Will return the errors from the last call to validate()
or execute()
.
Returns
array
Last set validation errors.
eventManager() public
eventManager(\Cake\Event\EventManager $eventManager)
Returns the Cake\Event\EventManager manager instance for this object.
You can use this instance to register any new listeners or callbacks to the object events, or create your own events and trigger them at will.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Event\EventManager|null
$eventManager optional the eventManager to set
Returns
\Cake\Event\EventManager
execute() public
execute(array $data)
Execute the form if it is valid.
First validates the form, then calls the _execute()
hook method. This hook method can be implemented in subclasses to perform the action of the form. This may be sending email, interacting with a remote API, or anything else you may need.
Parameters
-
array
$data Form data.
Returns
bool
False on validation failure, otherwise returns the result of the _execute()
method.
getData() public
getData(mixed $field)
Get field data.
Parameters
-
string|null
$field optional The field name or null to get data array with all fields.
Returns
mixed
getErrors() public
getErrors()
Get the errors in the form
Will return the errors from the last call to validate()
or execute()
.
Returns
array
Last set validation errors.
getEventManager() public
getEventManager()
Returns the Cake\Event\EventManager manager instance for this object.
You can use this instance to register any new listeners or callbacks to the object events, or create your own events and trigger them at will.
Returns
\Cake\Event\EventManager
getValidator() public
getValidator(mixed $name)
Returns the validation rules tagged with $name. It is possible to have multiple different named validation sets, this is useful when you need to use varying rules when saving from different routines in your system.
If a validator has not been set earlier, this method will build a valiator using a method inside your class.
For example, if you wish to create a validation set called 'forSubscription', you will need to create a method in your Table subclass as follows:
public function validationForSubscription($validator) { return $validator ->add('email', 'valid-email', ['rule' => 'email']) ->add('password', 'valid', ['rule' => 'notBlank']) ->requirePresence('username'); } $validator = $this->getValidator('forSubscription');
You can implement the method in validationDefault
in your Table subclass should you wish to have a validation set that applies in cases where no other set is specified.
If a $name argument has not been provided, the default validator will be returned. You can configure your default validator name in a DEFAULT_VALIDATOR
class constant.
Parameters
-
string|null
$name optional The name of the validation set to return.
Returns
\Cake\Validation\Validator
hasValidator() public
hasValidator(mixed $name)
Checks whether or not a validator has been set.
Parameters
-
string
$name The name of a validator.
Returns
bool
implementedEvents() public
implementedEvents()
Get the Form callbacks this form is interested in.
The conventional method map is:
- Form.buildValidator => buildValidator
Returns
array
schema() public
schema(\Cake\Form\Schema $schema)
Get/Set the schema for this form.
This method will call _buildSchema()
when the schema is first built. This hook method lets you configure the schema or load a pre-defined one.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Form\Schema|null
$schema optional The schema to set, or null.
Returns
\Cake\Form\Schema
the schema instance.
setData() public
setData(array $data)
Set form data.
Parameters
-
array
$data Data array.
Returns
$this
setErrors() public
setErrors(array $errors)
Set the errors in the form.
$errors = [ 'field_name' => ['rule_name' => 'message'] ]; $form->setErrors($errors);
Parameters
-
array
$errors Errors list.
Returns
$this
setEventManager() public
setEventManager(\Cake\Event\EventManager $eventManager)
Returns the Cake\Event\EventManager manager instance for this object.
You can use this instance to register any new listeners or callbacks to the object events, or create your own events and trigger them at will.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Event\EventManager
$eventManager the eventManager to set
Returns
$this
setValidator() public
setValidator(mixed $name, \Cake\Validation\Validator $validator)
This method stores a custom validator under the given name.
You can build the object by yourself and store it in your object:
$validator = new \Cake\Validation\Validator($table); $validator ->add('email', 'valid-email', ['rule' => 'email']) ->add('password', 'valid', ['rule' => 'notBlank']) ->allowEmpty('bio'); $this->setValidator('forSubscription', $validator);
Parameters
-
string
$name The name of a validator to be set.
-
\Cake\Validation\Validator
$validator Validator object to be set.
Returns
$this
validate() public
validate(array $data)
Used to check if $data passes this form's validation.
Parameters
-
array
$data The data to check.
Returns
bool
Whether or not the data is valid.
validationDefault() public
validationDefault(\Cake\Validation\Validator $validator)
Returns the default validator object. Subclasses can override this function to add a default validation set to the validator object.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Validation\Validator
$validator The validator that can be modified to add some rules to it.
Returns
\Cake\Validation\Validator
validationMethodExists() protected
validationMethodExists(mixed $name)
Checks if validation method exists.
Parameters
-
string
$name Validation method name.
Returns
bool
validator() public
validator(\Cake\Validation\Validator $validator)
Get/Set the validator for this form.
This method will call _buildValidator()
when the validator is first built. This hook method lets you configure the validator or load a pre-defined one.
Parameters
-
\Cake\Validation\Validator|null
$validator optional The validator to set, or null.
Returns
\Cake\Validation\Validator
the validator instance.
Property Detail
$_data protected
Form's data.
Type
array
$_errors protected
The errors if any
Type
array
$_eventClass protected
Default class name for new event objects.
Type
string
$_eventManager protected
Instance of the Cake\Event\EventManager this object is using to dispatch inner events.
Type
\Cake\Event\EventManagerInterface|\Cake\Event\EventManager
$_schema protected
The schema used by this form.
Type
\Cake\Form\Schema
$_schemaClass protected
Schema class.
Type
string
$_validator protected
The validator used by this form.
Type
\Cake\Validation\Validator
$_validatorClass protected
Validator class.
Type
string
$_validators protected
A list of validation objects indexed by name
Type
\Cake\Validation\Validator[]
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https://api.cakephp.org/3.9/class-Cake.Form.Form.html