By nicopepe on

Hello to everybody,

I have seen a pear module (HTML_QuickForm) which is very powerful. We can have many features like :
* More than 20 ready-to-use form elements.
* XHTML compliant generated code.
* Numerous mixable and extendable validation rules.
* Automatic server-side validation and filtering.
* On request javascript code generation for client-side validation.
* File uploads support.
* Total customization of form rendering.
* Support for external template engines (ITX, Sigma, Flexy, Smarty).
* Pluggable elements, rules and renderers extensions.

So i would like to implement that module into Drupal. Is anybody interested to provide help or advice how to to do that (I am new in drupal, so any guideline would help me a lot).

Thank in advance

Nicolas

Comments

dtoshack’s picture

dtoshack commented

Hi Nicolas,

I'm not sure why HTML_QuickForm isn't used more often. Not just in Drupal but in many other frameworks. Its a great package cross CMS extension compatibility would be a lot easier if more frameworks used it.

Maybe this will be considered for FAPI 3.0.

Cheers,
David

sime’s picture

sime
any/any
Location Melbourne
commented

Hi nicopepe/dtoshack

I wasn't around at the time, but Drupal used to rely on a pear project until an issue with a security hole (or something like that). This is one reason among many why the Drupal community strives to do everything the Drupal way.

It would be interesting to hear what the limitations of Fapi are compared to HTML_QuickForm. For example, with FAPI 2 in Drupal 5.0, we will be able to start writing macros, say something that submits a series of forms, with ease. Also, because the Forms API sets a flexible and elegant standard, dynamic form-builders (eg. with a jQuery interface) will be within the reach of many coders.

Perhaps there is also an argument that says the Drupal model of processing form data is highly secure, and trying to go around it with another form builder model will require direct processing of $_POST / $_GET vars which reduces the built in security. Well, I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised.

So, nicopepe, I highly recommend learning as much about Fapi as possible, rather than working on a contrib module integration of HTML_QuickForms. But.... I'm not your Mother of course!

HTH
Simon