Forms, simplified v3

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The Challenge

The Files

The Changes

The Examples

In Conclusion

The License

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The challenge

Programming HTML forms in PHP with emails, urls, checkboxes, selects, textareas, and validation is a time consuming process. This system makes it easy - with examples! I use this tiny library because:

• Building most forms is as simple as one line of PHP per input.
• Customizing the look & feel of my forms is CSS easy.
• Validating my forms with javascript is done automatically on demand.
• It's all been carefully commented to be easily understood.
• I can put several forms on the same page - their validations & styles don't conflict.
• I can warn users that they are leaving a changed, unsaved form just by adding a class to a form!
• It's been thoroughly tested in real world situations.

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The Files

Grab the files here: forms-3.zip

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Changes

• v1

  • + Initial version.

• v2

  • + Added 'changed' class to input_blocks.
  • + Added 'confirm_unload' class to make per-form abandonment warnings.
  • + Added __form_cancel_warning to forms.js.
  • + Added __form_abandon_change_warning to forms.js.
  • ~ Clarified some comments.

• v3

  • + Added form_date(), using Kevin Luck's jQuery DatePicker.
  • ! Fixed form_static() error message.
  • ! Fixed form_select() to use set selected value.
  • ~ Changed includes to requires to force errors.
  • ! Fixed form_select() javascript died when required select had no options.

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Examples

Output from submitting forms will appear here:

Array
(
)

Example 1: Basic usage

form_start();
form_text('name');
form_submit();
form_end();

 

 

Example 2: Into the deep end.

form_start('#examples','post','test_form','edit_form confirm_unload');  // edit form gives it some style
form_text('name','Your Name','','I set .required .input_title to be bold.
I set .invalid .input_title to be red.','required');
form_password('password','Your Pass','','Hint: If I was going to sleigh citizen kane...');
form_email('email','Your Email','','We won\'t save any of these.  It\'s just a demo.','required');
form_hidden('hidden_value','Yo momma');
form_static('Note','I hid a value in the code just above this line.','It\'s true, he did.');
form_url('url','Your URL','invalid URL','don\'t forget the http:// part!');
form_textarea('textarea','Your Comment');
form_checkbox('checkbox','Check this:','','I rarely read the terms of service.','required');
$arr=array(''=>'','1'=>'Puppies','2'=>'Death Metal','3'=>'Videos of people operating on themselves','4'=>'Babies');
form_date('date','When?',
  array('min'=>date('Y-m-d'),
        'max'=>date('Y-m-d', strtotime('+1 month'))),
  date('Y-m-d', strtotime('+1 week')),
  'test','required');
form_select('choice','Favorite:',$arr,0,'The rest will all be shipped to North Korea.','required');
form_cancel('cancel','No, No, No!','Do not click me');
form_submit('submit','Oh, YEAH!','Click me, I love it!','Have you double checked everything?');
form_end();

Your Name

I set .required .input_title to be bold.
I set .invalid .input_title to be red.

Your Pass

Hint: If I was going to sleigh citizen kane...

Your Email

We won't save any of these. It's just a demo.

Note

I hid a value in the code just above this line.

It's true, he did.

Your URL

don't forget the http:// part!

Your Comment

Check this:

I rarely read the terms of service.

Favorite:

Puppies Death Metal Videos of people operating on themselves Babies

The rest will all be shipped to North Korea.

When?

test

No, No, No!

Oh, YEAH!

Have you double checked everything?

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In conclusion

Please read the forms.php, form_block.php, forms.js, and forms.css files for more details.

If you have anything to contribute to the library, please feel free to send it and I will add it in.

I don't expect anything for this but feedback, donations, and offers of work are always welcome. ;)

Thanks!

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Forms, simplified by Dan Royer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.
Based on a work at www.marginallyclever.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.marginallyclever.com/forms/.

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