Create API for non-node forms

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(Calling variable_set like that is ugly. It invalidates the variable cache and is in general bad practice.)

Here's a patch with the aim to make it damn easy for people to use it in form alter

Some notes on some of the changes

-    $list = array_keys(content_fields(NULL, $type));
+    $info = content_types($type);
+    $list = array_keys($info['fields']);
 

if content_fields is provided NULL for the first paramater, it returns all fields, even if $type is passed (common issue).

+define('MAXLENGTH_DEFAULT_TEXT', 'Content limited to !limit characters, remaining: <strong>!remaining</strong>');
+define('MAXLENGTH_DEFAULT_USE_JS', TRUE);
+define('MAXLENGTH_DEFAULT_LENGTH', 0);

Defines are nice. Everyone loves defines.

use_js feels like it would be better to default to true as that seems like the more generic case. I do not think this will effect existing sites as it's very likely they have set the variables up.

I also wanted to change max_length_properties as max_length doesn't have an underscore anywhere else and it's a hardish to remember key.

+  if (!is_array($element['#max_length_properties'])) {
+    $element['#max_length_properties'] = array(
+      'limit' => $element['#max_length_properties'],
+    );
+  }

Make it easier for them to use? Shrug, don't care if this line makes it or not.

I figured I'd test out sandboxes, so the changes are also available at a fork at http://drupal.org/sandbox/hefox/1089978

Had some bugs :(

(Duplicate comment -- clickity click click)

*sigh*

This patch really looks fine, added a api file and some more things.

Thanks!! this is really a helpful patch.

This has to be ported to 7.x-2.x

Can't get fields working without a special case (that's a hackish special case), which isn't done usually so gotta look into why that's happening, so putting this needs work.

Maxlength just suffered a big change.

It will now work with the code form maxlngth_js http://drupal.org/project/maxlength_js

maxlength_js byt default is an API so that any textfield can get a character counter.

Should we close this issue as won't fix?

The http://drupal.org/project/maxlength_js project takes care of the D7 branch.

But this module here is going to continue for D6, and this is still a very useful feature here.

Hence restoring the version to D6, and setting to needs review -- the patch in #6 that is.
Though #7 seems to suggest it's RTBC for D6.

Huh. Patch no longer applies to 6.x-2.x branch, and commit 82d0d487a00048af653273d07ee22ae7b171b225 looks like it adds this sort of feature.

Yup, this functionality is in the dev version. Any chance of a new beta release?

The API can be used like this:

  module_load_include('inc', 'maxlength');
  $form['pony']['#max_length_properties'] = array(
    'limit' => $limit,
    'use_js' => TRUE,
    'text' => t('Your message, where the tokens "!limit", "!remaining" and "!count" are replaced with their values.'),
  );
  

I'll file a separate issue with a docs patch :)

Since not relavent for 7.x and fixed for 6.x marking as fixed