Custom Input HTML with CakePHP's FormHelper

Question

I'm trying to use CakePHP's form helper to generate some input elements.

The HTML I am trying to generate is:

<div class="formRow">
    <label>LabelText:</label>
    <div class="formRight">
        <input name="data[User][email_address]" type="text" value="">
    </div>
    <div class="clear"></div>
</div>

Ive had a look through the Cake documentation (Using 2.1) and I can't find enough information on how to do this.

It looks like I need to use the format option on the input method, but can't figure out how to get it right. Especially concerned about the div surrounding the input field with a class name on it..

E.g. Ive tried something like this:

echo $this->Form->input('email_address', array(
                                                "input" => array('attributes' => array('wrap' => 'div','class' => 'formRight'))));

But this doesnt change any of the markup and just throws this error: Notice (8): Array to string conversion [CORE\Cake\View\Helper.php, line 459]

So my question is how can I get this form helper to create that markup?

Any help much appreciated

Dave · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-07 12:57:58Z

15

You're over-thinking it. (No worries, we all do). Just remember, CakePHP is all about making things easier for you (among other things) - if you're struggling with trying to force Cake to do something for you, just remember, you can fall back to the basics - it's just PHP/HTML after-all.

<div class="formRow">
    <label>LabelText:</label>
    <div class="formRight">
        <?php echo $this->Form->input('email_address', array(
            'div'=>false, 'label'=>false)); ?>
    </div>
    <div class="clear"></div>
</div>

You should use the Form helper for your forms when possible, but you don't have to use all of it's presets like surrounding divs & labels. In the case above, just tell it you don't want the div, and wrap it with a div yourself.

If you don't want <div>s or <label>s around any inputs, you can also set the form's inputDefaults:

$this->Form->create('Whatever', array(
    'inputDefaults' => array('label'=>false, 'div'=>false)
));

edited May 7, 2012 at 12:57

answered May 7, 2012 at 1:04

Dave

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2 Comments

cowls Over a year ago

Thanks, that does the trick and gives me more flexibility going forward :)

user216084 Over a year ago

@Dave Comforting words. Thank you.

ᴍᴇʜᴏᴠ · Accepted Answer · 2024-10-16 15:17:16Z

0

CakePHP 5 info, for those coming from search.

You can use your own templates. They will be stored under APP/config in a specific file. You will pass the name of that file to every form that has to use the templates. More info: https://book.cakephp.org/5/en/views/helpers/form.html#customizing-the-templates-formhelper-uses

Also here's the list of the built-in templates, maybe what you need is already there: https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/blob/a49776e545b72adbf7650d48cd0f393b3a4263aa/src/View/Helper/FormHelper.php#L99

answered Oct 16, 2024 at 15:17

ᴍᴇʜᴏᴠ

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Comments

Dubbo · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-20 05:24:27Z

-1

If you have a lot of fields, you can use Jquery.

php:

echo $this->Form->input('email_address', array('class' => 'formRow'));

Jquery:

$(".formRow").each(function() {
    $(this).wrapInner( "<div class='formRight'></div>");
    $(this).find("label").prependTo(this);
    $(this).append('<div class="clear"></div>');
});

answered Apr 20, 2015 at 5:24

Dubbo

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