Question

I have a pretty simple form with some fields from a doctrine model.

$this->widgetSchema['fields'] = new sfWidgetFormDoctrineChoice(array(
  'model'          => 'FieldModel',
  'expanded'       => true,
  'multiple'       => true,));

$this->validatorSchema['fields'] = new sfValidatorDoctrineChoice(array(
  'model'    => 'FieldModel',
  'multiple' => true,));

The fields are rendered in the form as checkboxes and I’m able to check and save correctly. This ‘fields’-field is converted to a json-structure and saved to the database as text. So far so good.

NOTE: The field ‘fields’ is stored as TEXT in the database, but the user should be able to select values from a list of checkboxes.

The problem arise when I want to have some of the checkboxes checked by default.

I tried to do:

$this->setDefault('fields', array('key1','key2','key3'));

Where ‘keyX’ correspond to the actual value of the primary key (string) for Field in the database.

If I do a

$this->getDefault('fields');

I get back exactly what I put in previously.

However, symfony is not outputing any of the checkboxes as checked. I have even tried to remove both the ‘expanded’ and ‘multiple’ options to the choice-widget so I get a simple SELECT-box and the provide only one value as default selected.

Setting default values for other widgets (text-inputs, choice, etc) work.

Btw; The Field-model is i18n. Don’t know if that matters here, since both storing / retrieving works as expected.

Also; the form is rendered as part of another form by means of include_partial(). Can that sabotage anything? In the ‘parent’ form class:

$this->embedRelation('TheRelationThatBugsMe');

And then in the _form.php for the ‘parent’:

include_partial('the_relation_that_bugs_me/form', array('form' => $form['TheRelationThatBugsMe']));

Does anyone have an idea where I might have gone wrong, or at least can give me some pointers as to where I should start digging?

[UPDATE]

If I create a new field in the form ‘fields2’ (that does not exist as a field in the database) and use the exact same code to create widget, validator and set defaults, then the defaults are rendered correctly. How come it doesn’t work setting defaults for a field mapped to a column in the database?

Answer 1

If you’re calling setDefault before updateDefaultFromObject gets called in sfDoctrineForm, then the object’s values will override form defaults if the object exists. updateDefaultsFromObject contains the relevant logic. You’ll have to call setDefault later, or override the method.