Perth Hackfest October 2012/Forms API

• Problems with Form API
  • Cannot use forms in a javascript popout (MDL-17146)
  • Cannot override how they look
  • Forms lib was done before renderers (but should not be required, otherwise we cannot use existing form libraries)
  • Handling files simpler
  • Ability to have form elements appear/disappear (now able to be accessible with ARIA attributes)
  • ARIA support is required
  • Ability to create custom form elements for plugins
  • No easy way to create special forms (eg: rubrics form)
  • Multi-step forms are not possible
  • Admin tree is a separate form library (should be unified)
  • Ability to submit by AJAX
  • Needs to be backwards compatible
  • Complex dependencies between form elements
  • label in form submit button - bad for accessibility
• Discuss: Could forms api sort of extend web services to help in implementing ws throughout moodle? (bad performance?)
  • abstracting validation functions
  • This is blue sky perhaps as theres too much to cZhange and its too late to introduce validations into xmldb
• Drupal forms uses hooks: Drupal Forms API ( http://drupal.org/node/751826 )
  • plugin extends forms
  • people can create local plugins to modify, reorder, etc core forms
  • form extensions can define fields, etc..
• Existing form frameworks
  • Symfony [https://github.com/symfony/Form
  • Drupal forms
  • Reinvent the wheel
    • From scratch (like database framework) => moodleforms2
    • Or upgrade using Quickform2
      • No, it is a dead end
      • We don’t use Quickform elements, etc, we only use 10% of existing Quickform library. Quickform was mainly used as just a renderer
      • But author of Quickform library wants to help ( https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=200124 )
  • Zend Framework forms ( http://framework.zend.com/manual/1.12/en/zend.form.html )
  • List of possibilities: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/910708/html-form-library-for-php-5 (circa 2009-2011)
  • How much work is it to integrate moodle with existing frameworks? (lang packs, editors, )
• Petr’s speech on *3’ QF2
  • frozen + hard freeze history/problems
  • we have bc issues and currently tied into QF
  • Author shares the same perspective on using code as Petr ;-)
• Forms library should be so easy to use for first time coder.
  • should ensure sesskey
  • should have validations somehow..?
  • all the day to day stuff that we don’t want to have to think about everyday - thats the win we can get from our forms lib.
  • as few as possible bc issues from any simple bug fixes. (eg: accessibility sprint)
  • dynamic form elements/validation

Forms API breakout session notes

People Present

• Marina,
• Andrew Davies
• Andrew Nicols
• Mark Nielson

Problems at moment:

• There aren’t any (many?) renderers in use at present
• Forms are too long (Scroll of death)
• Required fields not really required sometimes
• Non-required fields sometimes required by code
• Quickforms sucks - we need to replace it
• Add three more answers type lists
• We don’t support hierarchical structure of forms
  • This is display layer
  • but it should? be fed by the API layer
• Poor support for accessibility
• No ability to re-sort forms
• Freeze of form elements doesn’t work
• No support for hooking into a plugin to change it from a local plugin (for example)
• No inline errors
  • Error checking as you go
• No ability to be able to override a renderer for a specific form (from a plugin for example)
  • Is this a good idea (e.g. accessibility, UX consistency)
• No modality
• No ability to create a basic version of a form - would be useful for activity chooser to be able to display an in-line form when adding a new module as a JS overlay

Examples of potential solutions or desirable features

Drupal

Symfony Forms

Zend Framework 2?

See list of possibilities in other doc (https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WSzBHDVMIk6GwsSigDvimaA5PX74w1-U0GMK1cuKb0/edit)

LUNS - Shortforms features

Replace quickforms

Requirements:

• must be backwards compatible or at least provide a compatibility framework
• need to switch to renderers (fits in with Responsive Design outcomes http://goo.gk/RTChk)
• Proper Freezing of elements
• ARIA support
• Allow for different layouts for forms
  • Per Form
  • Per Section
  • Per Form Element
  • Inherit from the parent section or element
  • Allow for overrides
• Hooks
• Ability to retrieve a form through JS
• Ability to create a basic version of the form without required elements
• Rewrite JavaScript
• Ability to set the additional required JS to include as a form method/property
• Form checking (as you go)

Actions (+ Actionee)

• We need to replace quickforms
• Audit of all forms
  • Look for fields which aren’t really required