Item8671: Develop FlexFormPlugin to retrieve Form field selectable values.

Priority: Enhancement
Current State: Closed
Released In:
Target Release: n/a

Applies To: Extension
Component: FlexFormPlugin
Branches:

Reported By: MartinCleaver
Waiting For:
Last Change By: KennethLavrsen

   * Set PLATFORMOPTIONS = %SEARCH{"\| *Platforms *\|" topic="RequirementsForm" regex="on" nonoise="on" multiple="on" format="$pattern(.*?\| *Platforms *\|[^\|]*\|[^\|]*\| *([^\|]*?) *\|.*)"}%

   * Set FIELDOPTIONS = %SEARCH{ "^\|[^\|]*\| *option *\|" topic="FieldName" type="regex" multiple="on" nonoise="on" separator=", " format="$pattern(^\| *(.*?) *\|.*)" }%

   * Set TYPES = %SEARCH{"\| *Type *\|" topic="MultiTopicSaveTestForm" regex="on" nonoise="on" multiple="on" format="$pattern(.*?\| *Type *\|[^\|]*\|[^\|]*\| *([^\|]*?) *\|.*)"}%

MartinCleaver reads http://foswiki.org/Extensions/FlexFormPlugin
[09:48am] MartinCleaver: oh - you've just released this!
[09:48am] MichaelDaum: grin
[09:50am] foswiki_irc1: I need the signature to be easy to use, the wiki is going to be used for fast information, and I need timestamps on each editing
[09:51am] MTempest: foswiki_irc1: Have you looked at CommentPlugin? It puts in timestamps and signatures automatically
[09:51am] MTempest: With CommentPlugin, you enter your comment in the text box and click the submit button. It is added to the topic with your name and a timestamp.
[09:52am] Babar: it doesn't have to be added to the topic 
[09:52am] • Babar is being pedantic, as usual
[09:52am] MTempest: ... or it can be more complicated if you want it to be more complicated 
[09:52am] • MartinCleaver is trying to figure out MichaelDaum 's plugin
[09:53am] MartinCleaver: MichaelDaum http://foswiki.org/Tasks/Item8671
[09:53am] • Babar did some SSP this morning...
[09:53am] • Babar wonders how he's still sane. Oh, of course, he never was!
[09:54am] • MartinCleaver wants a sync Google spreadsheet to Foswiki forms sync plugin
[09:54am] MichaelDaum: MartinCleaver, I know
[09:54am] MTempest: foswiki_irc1: There is also a way to force a new revision whenever a topic is saved. Depending on what you are trying to do, that might be useful.
[09:54am] MartinCleaver: so, how can I do this search with FlexFormPlugin?
[09:55am] foswiki_irc1: the topic will change with each edit, so it's not really comments I'm after
[09:55am] MartinCleaver: or do I have to adjust how I am using http://foswiki.org/Extensions/MultiTopicSavePlugin ?
[09:57am] MartinCleaver: I can appreciate that you must have iterated the field default values to implement your FlexFormPlugin, but it doesn't seem to expose them
[09:57am] MichaelDaum: MartinCleaver, this search is really no solution. The core already knows how to deal with formfield values. that is read them and generate an interface for it.
[09:57am] EvanghelosPapaio joined the chat room.
[09:57am] MichaelDaum: that's what %RENDERFOREDIT leverages to wiki apps level
[09:57am] MartinCleaver: y, I don't want to SEARCH
[09:58am] MartinCleaver: I want to say "give me the field values"
[09:58am] MartinCleaver: but I don't want the whole form rendered
[09:59am] MichaelDaum: %RENDERFOREDIT will always come via a DataForm definition of some formfield
[09:59am] MartinCleaver: is there a macro way to retrieve those default field values?
[10:00am] MartinCleaver: Have you used MultiTopicSavePlugin?
[10:00am] MichaelDaum: in which context do you need the field values
[10:00am] MichaelDaum: nope
[10:00am] MartinCleaver: ok. one sec.
[10:00am] MartinCleaver: Start at http://foswiki.org/Extensions/MultiTopicSavePlugin
[10:01am] MichaelDaum: y I know, skimmed over it briefly
[10:01am] MartinCleaver: Right, so it can be used to provide a grid mode for editing all records using a given form
[10:01am] MartinCleaver: See the  Type, Animal and Friend column?
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: These are inserted in the grid using: %MULTITOPICSAVEINPUT{"Type" type="radio" size="1" delay="1" web="$web" topic="$topic" value="$value" options="%TYPES%" editmode="%URLPARAM{"multiedit" default="off"}%" lockmode="on"}% | \
[10:02am] MTempest: foswiki_irc1: Since I'm not really sure what you are trying to achieve, I'm afraid I can't make more suggestions. I do hope you find what you are looking for 
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: Now see %TYPPES% is defined
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: %TYPES%, rather
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: with this:    * Set TYPES = %SEARCH{"\| *Type *\|" topic="MultiTopicSaveTestForm" regex="on" nonoise="on" multiple="on" format="$pattern(.*?\| *Type *\|[^\|]*\|[^\|]*\| *([^\|]*?) *\|.*)"}%
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: bluergh
[10:02am] MichaelDaum: ... which is outch
[10:02am] MartinCleaver: quite
[10:03am] MichaelDaum: Let's assume there's some kind of DataForm definition that specifies a Types formfield
[10:03am] MichaelDaum: as a radio box
[10:03am] MartinCleaver: especially as this SEARCH is dependent on whether the values come from on the form on a topic-for-values linked from the form
[10:03am] MichaelDaum: | Types | radio | 1 | value1, value2, ... | you know that thing
[10:04am] MartinCleaver: I usually use the other way, like:
[10:04am] MartinCleaver: | TypeUsed | radio |
[10:04am] MartinCleaver: and define that topic
[10:04am] MichaelDaum: ok
[10:04am] MartinCleaver: TypeUsed as a SEARCH
[10:04am] MartinCleaver: that pulls from a further set
[10:05am] MichaelDaum: now %RENDERFOREDIT{field="TypeUsed" form="FormDefinition" }% will render the radio box interface
[10:05am] MichaelDaum: with all values in it
[10:05am] MartinCleaver: ah
[10:05am] MartinCleaver: So, just the field, not the entire form
[10:05am] MichaelDaum: or %RENDERFOREDIT{"topic" ....}% to get the current values from that topic
[10:06am] MichaelDaum: it renders as those fields that you like to
[10:06am] MichaelDaum: for instance
[10:06am] MartinCleaver: So I could embed the RENDERFOREDIT inside the Form used instead of a line %MULTITOPICSAVEINPUT{"Type" type="radio" ...}%
[10:06am] MichaelDaum: %RENDERFOREDIT{"DataTopic"}% will render an interface for all of the form
[10:06am] MichaelDaum: correct
[10:06am] MartinCleaver: ok, that I missed
[10:07am] MartinCleaver: I wonder how nicely the two mechanisms will blend
[10:07am] MartinCleaver: I'll try it
[10:07am] MichaelDaum: there have been other extensions in that area which try to ease rendering edit interfaces for DataForms
[10:07am] MichaelDaum: but they seem to ... reinvent the wheel already there in the core
[10:08am] MartinCleaver: still, the core still needs a way to say give me the values. There isn't a way in the core to get those values is there?
[10:08am] MichaelDaum: in the core? no.
[10:09am] MartinCleaver: So the data-retrieval method you've built into your new plugin could be located into the core
[10:09am] MichaelDaum: the core does deal with formfield values as part of the From class
[10:09am] MichaelDaum: ... which is quite pluggable
[10:09am] MichaelDaum: in itself
[10:10am] MartinCleaver: the core  needs to expose them - I can imagine that you might have had make assumptions about implementation in order for your new plugin to get those data elements
[10:10am] MartinCleaver: ?
[10:11am] MichaelDaum: not really. It fetches the Form definition - the class - and uses its renderForEdit() api
[10:11am] MartinCleaver: is Form part of the Func:: interface?
[10:12am] • MartinCleaver tries Padre
[10:12am] MichaelDaum: no. this is called more OO-like: my $formDef = new Foswiki::Form($session, $web, $topic);
[10:14am] MartinCleaver: are plugins "allowed" to use foswiki internal classes?
[10:14am] MartinCleaver: I agree its the right way, btw
[10:14am] Babar: allowed, yes, but it might break without warning 
[10:14am] MichaelDaum: can't say. I use what I get and stretch it til it breaks 
[10:15am] MartinCleaver:
[10:15am] MartinCleaver: better that than duplicate code
[10:16am] • MartinCleaver is reading FlexPlugin code
[10:17am] MartinCleaver: ok - I will have to continue this later
[10:17am] MartinCleaver: thanks MichaelDaum
[10:17am] MichaelDaum: yw, hope it helps solve your prob
[10:19am] MartinCleaver: Looks like    my $fieldAllowedValues = $field->{value}; (L279) ?
[10:20am] MartinCleaver: looks like Foswiki has already built an internal model (rather than check the two places manually as per Lavr 's SEARCH)
[10:22am] MartinCleaver: I'm somewhat concerned about mixing RENDERFOREDIT and MULTISAVEINPUT
[10:22am] MartinCleaver: actually - they do practically the same thing, these two
[10:24am] • MartinCleaver wanders off

%RENDERFORDISPLAY{
  form="NameOfForm" 
  fields="Field1, Field2, Field3"
  Field1_default="foo" 
  format="   * allowed values for $title are $values, default is $default$n"
}%