Adding array to hidden form data

hgtonight

I am having trouble passing data through to another form.

I have an array of UserIDs that I want to pass from one form into a different form. I had the bright idea of using Form->AddHidden() on the controller side, but I can't figure out how to pass it an array of data.

Current workflow:

1. Inject form fields through a plugin hook Check
2. Post form upon control change to a different controller via JS Check
3. Process received data and add new array to form data ???
4. Show form via standard Vanilla syntax Check
5. Process data as usual Check but I can't access the array
6. Profit!

Thoughts?

x00

sorry can you explain better what it is you are trying to do?

Why are you passing a bunch of ids via form fields?

peregrine

Did you initialize the array first? or is the data there, but you just don't know how to get to it?

x00

You can use the form name="FormPrefix/FieldName[]"

Try this

$this->Form->AddHidden('FieldName', array(1,2,3),TRUE);

Or

$this->Form->AddHidden('FieldName', array(1,2,3));
echo $this->Form->Hidden('FieldName[]',array('value'=>'1'));
echo $this->Form->Hidden('FieldName[]',array('value'=>'2'));
echo $this->Form->Hidden('FieldName[]',array('value'=>'3'));

x00

On second thoughts you may have to do it like this

$this->Form->AddHidden('FieldName[0]', 1,TRUE);
$this->Form->AddHidden('FieldName[1]', 2,TRUE);
$this->Form->AddHidden('FieldName[2]', 3,TRUE);

You could of course serialise.

hgtonight

Thanks for the replies

So far, none of this has worked.

I am writing a plugin that injects some checkboxes into existing dashboard fields. I am then submitting that form via JS so I can post the form data to a different controller. I have the controller set up and am able to recieve/process the data just fine.

If I just do the actions I want to, everything is hunky dory. I really need a confirm button before releasing this as a plugin. So I need to figure out how to pass the array of userids back into the different form.

peregrine

if you want to pm where to see code, I'd be glad to check it out later today.

x00

why don't you just serialise the array?

x00

What are you doing with these ids?

hgtonight

@x00 said:
why don't you just serialise the array?

I should have thought of this. I seem to be having some issues thinking outside the box.

@x00 said:
What are you doing with these ids?

Different things. Always editing some aspect of the list of users.

businessdad

@hgtonight said:
I should have thought of this. I seem to be having some issues thinking outside the box.

Well, serialisation is quite thinking "inside" the box.
Personally, in this cases, I serialise using either serialize() or, better, json_encode(). I tend to prefer the latter because I can use field content in JavaScript as well. Besides, it's more readable and easier to debug, in my opinion.

businessdad

@x00 said:
You can use the form name="FormPrefix/FieldName[]"

I'm afraid that it won't work. Vanilla "sanitises" field names, and it escapes square brackets. When I developed my Badges plugin, I wanted to group fields in a hierarchical way and I had to develop an override mechanism to ensure that the square brackets were preserved.

hgtonight

Serializing worked, @x00. Thanks!

@businessdad Thinking inside the box might be the wrong term. More like "I have a hammer and dammit if this screw won't work as a nail!" I really like the idea of json_encoded data, since I will be expanding this in the future.

x00

@businessdad said:
I'm afraid that it won't work. Vanilla "sanitises" field names, and it escapes square brackets. When I developed my Badges plugin, I wanted to group fields in a hierarchical way and I had to develop an override mechanism to ensure that the square brackets were preserved.

I use

    echo $this->Form->TextBox('MetaName[]',array('class'=>'InputBox MetaName'));
    echo $this->Form->TextBox('MetaValue[]',array('class'=>'InputBox MetaValue'));
    echo $this->Form->Dropdown('MetaAny[]',array(T('Off'),T('On')),  array('class'=>'MetaAny','readonly'=>'readonly','style'=>'visibility:hidden'));

In one of my plugins then I use javascript to extend.

It does escape when you place some value in the brackets, I experimented a bit.

x00

library/core/class.form.php

   public function EscapeString($String) {
      $Array = FALSE;
      if (substr($String, -2) == '[]') {
         $String = substr($String, 0, -2);
         $Array = TRUE;
      }
      $Return = urlencode(str_replace(' ', '_', $String));
      if ($Array === TRUE) $Return .= '[]';

      return str_replace('.', '-dot-', $Return);
   }