By fuzzie on

I am trying to convert an old static site to drupal. So far, so good, except for the complex forms.

Here is an example:
http://deibler-insurance.com/node/34 is the form I would like to use instead of using the survey or contact module templates, like the other forms on the site are now. I just want to make them look a little cleaner, with drop downs for common things, etc.

Is it possible?

Comments

fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

bump...
can anyone help with this? I can't seem to get it to submit.

fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

Someone has to have already done this or know how to do it.

Or does everyone just use the form_mail and survey modules?

robert castelo’s picture

robert castelo commented

Which version of Drupal are you trying to make these forms for?

Cortext Communications
Drupal Themes & Modules

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Drupal Specialists: Consulting, Development & Training

Robert Castelo, CTO
Code Positive
London, United Kingdom
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fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

4.6
I have the forms and survey modules working, I am just trying to make them look prettier.

Make sense?

johnhanley’s picture

johnhanley commented

In 4.6 you need to create an array of form elements.

The following is an example 4-column table. Note the use of colspan if/when needed.

  $header = '';
  $form[] = array(array('data' => form_select(t('DOB Month'), 'claimant_dob_month', $node->claimant_dob_month, $months, null, 0, false, false), 'align' => 'left'),
			array('data' => form_textfield(t('Day'), 'claimant_dob_day', $node->claimant_dob_day, 1, 2, null, null, false), 'align' => 'left'),
			array('data' => form_textfield(t('Year'), 'claimant_dob_year', $node->claimant_dob_year, 4, 4, null, null, false), 'align' => 'left', 'colspan' => '2'));

return theme('table', $header, $form);

This isn't exactly spelled out in the docs. I learned by looking at other modules included with the Drupal distribution.

fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

Thanks, that makes some sense.
What is a themed table though? I searched and could not find any reference to it.

I tried creating a static php page with that code, and got:
warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/grace/public_html/includes/common.inc on line 1263.

warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/grace/public_html/includes/tablesort.inc on line 160.

warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/grace/public_html/includes/tablesort.inc on line 198.

warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/grace/public_html/includes/theme.inc on line 639.

johnhanley’s picture

johnhanley commented

Drupal is barfing because you haven't defined your own value arrays. $month and so on don't exist. Try the code using your own form elements.

Read up on Drupal themes. 'table' is just one built-in theme function, but you can create you're own. In fact, this is required for custom layouts. I'm currently learning this myself ("Damn it Jim, I'm a web developer, not a web designer!")

johnhanley’s picture

johnhanley commented

While the above syntax was fine for starters, I'm now in the process of converting all my custom module output to table-less 100% CSS.

fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

That is where I want to head too.

I just can't seem to get these "pretty" forms to work.

johnhanley’s picture

johnhanley commented

While using all CSS to output text (as when viewing a node) works as expected, trying the same with node forms (or any form for that matter) is nearly impossible because of the way Drupal insists on wrapping every form element with a div. I have been unsuccessful in getting nested divs to format properly.

To make matters worse there's the form_textfield justification problem. No matter what the 'size' attribute is set to, the field will stretch across the full length of the table column.

I know that 4.7 includes the form API (which may or may not solve these formatting dilemmas), but I find it unbelievable that this hasn't been more of an issue with users of 4.6.

This could possibly be my first AND last project using Drupal. I thought it would save me lots of time, but the trade off in dozens of lost hours trying to do the simpliest things is just not worth it.

fuzzie’s picture

fuzzie commented

Well, this form issue is the only thing holding me up.
Other than that, it's working great.

What do other folks do with forms using Drupal?

If you change (not again), what will you go to?

johnhanley’s picture

johnhanley commented

Fuzzie, I offer several useful tips here when formatting forms with CSS.

Formatting complex forms with 4.6 (can't speak for 4.7) is one of Drupal's dirty little secrets.