Re-ordering Webform Component Descriptions

I don't have a solution for you, but I wanted to bump your post because I'd be interested in doing this too. Does anyone else know how to accomplish this?

I've just been looking at this myself... function theme_webform_element in webform.module reads as being responsible for outputting the item including it's description but editing it doesn't affect my output. Looking at the submission tree you have... for example

[7] => Array
                                (
                                    [nid] => 9
                                    [cid] => 7
                                    [form_key] => membership_number
                                    [name] => Membership Number
                                    [type] => textfield
                                    [value] => 
                                    [extra] => Array
                                        (
                                            [description] => You need to be a member of the BMC . MCofS. MCI to host
                                            [title_display] => 0
                                            [disabled] => 0
                                            [unique] => 0
                                            [conditional_operator] => =
                                            [width] => 
                                            [maxlength] => 
                                            [field_prefix] => 
                                            [field_suffix] => 
                                            [attributes] => Array
                                                (
                                                )

                                            [conditional_component] => 
                                            [conditional_values] => 
                                        )

                                    [mandatory] => 0
                                    [pid] => 3
                                    [weight] => 8
                                    [page_num] => 1
                                )

Here you can see the description is held in ...[extra][description]

That array seems to be built by function webform_node_load

switching

    $component['value'] = $c['value'];
    $component['extra'] = unserialize($c['extra']);

around doesn't alter my output either. After clearing all caches and with the theme registry rebuilt.

I'm reaching the end of my understanding of the loading process. Theme developer module suggests that theme_webform_element_wrapper is responsible for outputting the element but putting a drupal_set_message call within that function doesn't set a message.

I think being able to switch this would be a great alteration to the module. It was the first thing two of my users asked for once they'd seen what could be done.

If I put watchdog('info','<pre>'. check_plain(print_r($content,TRUE)) .'</pre>'); for example in theme_webform_element, theme_webform_element_wrapper and webform_element_wrapper I don't get any output to the dblog. If I put watchdog('info','<pre>'. check_plain(print_r($form['submitted'],TRUE)) .'</pre>'); into webform-form.tpl.php then I get output to dblog.

Does this mean those functions aren't involved? Or that I can't dblog from them?

Subscribing heh

Look in the sites/all/modules/webform folder and find the file webform.module

Edit this to find the function theme_form_element

Copy this entire function and then paste it into your template.php file in your current theme.

Rename the function from theme_form_element to MYTHEMENAME_form_element (for example, if your theme is called infrared then rename the function infrared_form_element).

Now edit this function to move the description field to where you want it. For example, I want the description to appear immediately after the title of the field, so I edited it like this:

/**
 * Replacement for theme_form_element().
 */
function infrared_stf_webform_element($variables) {
  // Ensure defaults.
  $variables['element'] += array(
    '#title_display' => 'before',
  );

  $element = $variables['element'];

  // All elements using this for display only are given the "display" type.
  if (isset($element['#format']) && $element['#format'] == 'html') {
    $type = 'display';
  }
  else {
    $type = (isset($element['#type']) && !in_array($element['#type'], array('markup', 'textfield'))) ? $element['#type'] : $element['#webform_component']['type'];
  }
  $parents = str_replace('_', '-', implode('--', array_slice($element['#parents'], 1)));

  $wrapper_classes = array(
   'form-item',
   'webform-component',
   'webform-component-' . $type,
  );
  if (isset($element['#title_display']) && $element['#title_display'] == 'inline') {
    $wrapper_classes[] = 'webform-container-inline';
  }
  $output = '<div class="' . implode(' ', $wrapper_classes) . '" id="webform-component-' . $parents . '">' . "\n";
  $required = !empty($element['#required']) ? '<span class="form-required" title="' . t('This field is required.') . '">*</span>' : '';

  // If #title is not set, we don't display any label or required marker.
  if (!isset($element['#title'])) {
    $element['#title_display'] = 'none';
  }
  $prefix = isset($element['#field_prefix']) ? '<span class="field-prefix">' . _webform_filter_xss($element['#field_prefix']) . '</span> ' : '';
  $suffix = isset($element['#field_suffix']) ? ' <span class="field-suffix">' . _webform_filter_xss($element['#field_suffix']) . '</span>' : '';

  switch ($element['#title_display']) {
    case 'inline':
    case 'before':
    case 'invisible':
      $output .= ' ' . theme('form_element_label', $variables);
	  if (!empty($element['#description'])) {
		$output .= ' <div class="description">' . $element['#description'] . "</div>\n";
	  }

      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix . "\n";
      break;

    case 'after':
      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix;
      $output .= ' ' . theme('form_element_label', $variables) . "\n";
	  if (!empty($element['#description'])) {
		$output .= ' <div class="description">' . $element['#description'] . "</div>\n";
	  }

      break;

    case 'none':
    case 'attribute':
      // Output no label and no required marker, only the children.
      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix . "\n";
      break;
  }

  $output .= "</div>\n";

  return $output;
}

You'll need to flush the cache (or at least the theme registry) for the change to take effect.

This might be a dead issue, but I solved my problem by putting this function in my template.php file. The affects all drupal forms so other use cases would probably call for targeting specific forms.

function THEMENAME_form_alter(&$form, $form_state, $form_id) {
if(isset($form['submitted'])){
foreach ($form['submitted'] as &$curr){
if(isset($curr['#description']) && isset($curr['#title'])){
$curr['#title'].='

';
$curr['#description']='';
}
}
}
}

Seems like this older thread doesn't yet tie into an important reference that I found useful.

The following page covers a variety of modules and approaches. The comment by Atomox should be heeded as well.

https://www.drupal.org/node/2319111

Cheers!

For Drupal 7.x is so easy as do this in your theme template.php:

function YOURTHEME_preprocess_node(&$vars) {
    $form = $vars['content']['webform']['#form']['submitted'];
    foreach($form as $k => $el) {
      if(is_array($el) && isset($el['#type']) && $el['#type'] == 'checkboxes') {
        $vars['content']['webform']['#form']['submitted'][$k]['#webform_component']['extra']['description_above'] = 1;                                     
      }
  }
}