Question

I’m using Zend Framework and Zend_Form to render my form. But as I found it hard to customize it, I decided to print elements individually.

Problem is, I don’t know how to print individual elements inside a display group. I know how to print my display groups (fieldsets) but I need to add something inside it (like a <div class="spacer"></div> to cancel the float:left.

Is there any way to display the group only without its content so I can print them individually myself?

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

What you are looking for is the ‘ViewScript’ decorator. It allows you to form your html in any way you need. Here is a simple example of how it works:

The form, a simple search form:

<?php
class Application_Form_Search extends Zend_Form
{
    public function init() {
        // create new element
        $query = $this->createElement('text', 'query');
        // element options
        $query->setLabel('Search Keywords');
        $query->setAttribs(array('placeholder' => 'Query String',
            'size' => 27,
            ));
        // add the element to the form
        $this->addElement($query);
        //build submit button
        $submit = $this->createElement('submit', 'search');
        $submit->setLabel('Search Site');
        $this->addElement($submit);
    }
}

Next is the ‘partial’ this is the decorator, here is where you build the html how you want it:

<article class="search">
<!-- I get the action and method from the form but they were added in the controller -->
    <form action="<?php echo $this->element->getAction() ?>"
          method="<?php echo $this->element->getMethod() ?>">
        <table>
            <tr>
            <!-- renderLabel() renders the Label decorator for the element
                <th><?php echo $this->element->query->renderLabel() ?></th>
            </tr>
            <tr>
            <!-- renderViewHelper() renders the actual input element, all decorators can be accessed this way -->
                <td><?php echo $this->element->query->renderViewHelper() ?></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
            <!-- this line renders the submit element as a whole -->
                <td><?php echo $this->element->search ?></td>
            </tr>
        </table> 
    </form>
</article>

and finally the controller code:

public function preDispatch() {
        //I put this in the preDispatch method because I use it for every action and have it assigned to a placeholder.
        //initiate form
        $searchForm = new Application_Form_Search();
        //set form action
        $searchForm->setAction('/index/display');
        //set label for submit button
        $searchForm->search->setLabel('Search Collection');
        //I add the decorator partial here. The partial .phtml lives under /views/scripts
        $searchForm->setDecorators(array(
            array('ViewScript', array(
                    'viewScript' => '_searchForm.phtml'
            ))
        ));
        //assign the search form to the layout place holder
        //substitute $this->view->form = $form; for a normal action/view
        $this->_helper->layout()->search = $searchForm;
    }

display this form in your view script with the normal <?php $this->form ?>.

You can use this method for any form you want to build with Zend_Form. So adding any element to your own fieldset would be simple.