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page last edited on 26 July 2016

Editable form model

This article applies to the specific versions of software: X-Cart 5.3.0 and later
Version: 5.4 and early

This article describes new way to create form to edit model entity. Original article with old approach: Model editing page

Implementation

We start with creating a simple module with developer ID XCExample and module ID ModelEditing. Then, we create a page target=example_product_edit in admin area. For that we create:

  • empty controller class \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Controller\Admin\ExampleProductEdit:

    <?php

    namespace XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Controller\Admin;

    /**
    * Product edit controller
    */
    class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\Controller\Admin\AAdmin
    {}
  • page widget class \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\View\Page\Admin\ExampleProductEdit with the following content:

    <?php
    // vim: set ts=4 sw=4 sts=4 et:

    namespace XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\View\Page\Admin;

    /**
    * Product edit page view
    *
    * @ListChild (list="admin.center", zone="admin")
    */
    class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\View\AView
    {
    /**
    * Return list of allowed targets
    *
    * @return array
    */
    public static function getAllowedTargets()
    {
    return array_merge(parent::getAllowedTargets(), array('example_product_edit'));
    }

    /**
    * Return widget default template
    *
    * @return string
    */
    protected function getDefaultTemplate()
    {
    return 'modules/XCExample/ModelEditing/page/product_edit/body.twig';
    }
    }
  • an empty page template skins/admin/modules/XCExample/ModelEditing/page/product_edit/body.twig.

Now we start creating a widget for model editing. For that we create the classes/XLite/Module/XCExample/ModelEditing/View/FormModel/ExampleProductEdit.php file with the following code:

<?php
// vim: set ts=4 sw=4 sts=4 et:

namespace XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\View\FormModel;

class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\View\FormModel\AFormModel
{
/**
+ Do not render form_start and form_end in null returned
*
+ @return string|null
*/
protected function getTarget()
{
return 'example_product_edit';
}

/**
+ @return string
*/
protected function getAction()
{
return 'update';
}

/**
+ @return array
*/
protected function getActionParams()
{
$identity = $this->getDataObject()->default->identity;

return $identity ? ['product_id' => $identity] : [];
}

/**
+ @return array
*/
protected function defineFields()
{
$skuMaxLength = \XLite\Core\Database::getRepo('XLite\Model\Product')->getFieldInfo('sku', 'length');
$nameMaxLength = 255;

$currency = \XLite::getInstance()->getCurrency();
$currencySymbol = $currency->getCurrencySymbol(false);

$schema = [
self::SECTION_DEFAULT => [
'sku' => [
'label' => static::t('SKU'),
'constraints' => [
'XLite\Core\Validator\Constraints\MaxLength' => [
'length' => $skuMaxLength,
'message' =>
static::t('SKU length must be less then {{length}}', ['length' => $skuMaxLength]),
],
],
'position' => 100,
],
'name' => [
'label' => static::t('Product name'),
'required' => true,
'constraints' => [
'Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\NotBlank' => [
'message' => static::t('This field is required'),
],
'XLite\Core\Validator\Constraints\MaxLength' => [
'length' => $nameMaxLength,
'message' =>
static::t('Name length must be less then {{length}}', ['length' => $nameMaxLength]),
],
],
'position' => 200,
],
'price' => [
'label' => static::t('Price'),
'type' => 'XLite\View\FormModel\Type\SymbolType',
'symbol' => $currencySymbol,
'pattern' => [
'alias' => 'currency',
'prefix' => '',
'rightAlign' => false,
'groupSeparator' => $currency->getThousandDelimiter(),
'radixPoint' => $currency->getDecimalDelimiter(),
'digits' => $currency->getE(),
],
'constraints' => [
'Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\GreaterThanOrEqual' => [
'value' => 0,
'message' => static::t('Minimum value is X', ['value' => 0]),
],
],
'position' => 300,
],
'full_description' => [
'label' => static::t('Description'),
'type' => 'XLite\View\FormModel\Type\TextareaAdvancedType',
'position' => 400,
],
],
];

return $schema;
}
}

Let us have a closer look at this implementation:

  1. Our class extends an abstract implementation model editing widget (\XLite\View\FormModel\AFormModel):

    class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\View\FormModel\AFormModel
    {...}
  2. We implement methods to configure form action: (getTarget, getAction, getActionParams). They are needed to submit form to right controller ('example_product_edit') with right action ('update') alongside right parameters (if 'product_id' is provided, then 'product_id' will be in our request);

  3. After that, we define what fields will be displayed in this widget by implementing defineFields() method:

    /**
    * @return array
    */
    protected function defineFields()
    {
    $skuMaxLength = \XLite\Core\Database::getRepo('XLite\Model\Product')->getFieldInfo('sku', 'length');
    $nameMaxLength = 255;

    $currency = \XLite::getInstance()->getCurrency();
    $currencySymbol = $currency->getCurrencySymbol(false);

    $schema = [
    self::SECTION_DEFAULT => [
    'sku' => [
    'label' => static::t('SKU'),
    'constraints' => [
    'XLite\Core\Validator\Constraints\MaxLength' => [
    'length' => $skuMaxLength,
    'message' =>
    static::t('SKU length must be less then {{length}}', ['length' => $skuMaxLength]),
    ],
    ],
    'position' => 100,
    ],
    'name' => [
    'label' => static::t('Product name'),
    'required' => true,
    'constraints' => [
    'Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\NotBlank' => [
    'message' => static::t('This field is required'),
    ],
    'XLite\Core\Validator\Constraints\MaxLength' => [
    'length' => $nameMaxLength,
    'message' =>
    static::t('Name length must be less then {{length}}', ['length' => $nameMaxLength]),
    ],
    ],
    'position' => 200,
    ],
    'price' => [
    'label' => static::t('Price'),
    'type' => 'XLite\View\FormModel\Type\SymbolType',
    'symbol' => $currencySymbol,
    'pattern' => [
    'alias' => 'currency',
    'prefix' => '',
    'rightAlign' => false,
    'groupSeparator' => $currency->getThousandDelimiter(),
    'radixPoint' => $currency->getDecimalDelimiter(),
    'digits' => $currency->getE(),
    ],
    'constraints' => [
    'Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\GreaterThanOrEqual' => [
    'value' => 0,
    'message' => static::t('Minimum value is X', ['value' => 0]),
    ],
    ],
    'position' => 300,
    ],
    'full_description' => [
    'label' => static::t('Description'),
    'type' => 'XLite\View\FormModel\Type\TextareaAdvancedType',
    'position' => 400,
    ],
    ],
    ];

    return $schema;
    }

The form must contain at least one section (self::SECTION_DEFAULT section is defined by default). defineFields() method returns an array, where key is a name of the section and value is the array of section fields. If you want to have several sections in your form, refer to Form sections article to achieve that.

Each key of section fields is the name of the field. In our case, they are sku, name, price and full_description. The value of array's elements is an array of parameters that define each field.

Field's parameters must match parameters of the field's type. For example, if you have sku field in example above, you cannot define a parameter pattern for it as we did for price one, because sku's type will not know what to do with it and it will result in error. Exception are type и position parameters, which applicable to all fields.

More about form's fields in the Form fields article.

Now we need to create the \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Model\DTO\ExampleProductEdit it need to validate data and trasfer data to and from form. For that, we create the <X-Cart>/classes/XLite/Module/XCExample/ModelEditing/Model/DTO/ExampleProductEdit.php file with the following content:

<?php
// vim: set ts=4 sw=4 sts=4 et:

/**
* Copyright (c) 2011-present Qualiteam software Ltd. All rights reserved.
* See https://www.x-cart.com/license-agreement.html for license details.
*/

namespace XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Model\DTO;

use Symfony\Component\Validator\Context\ExecutionContextInterface;
use XLite\Core\Translation;
use XLite\Model\DTO\Base\CommonCell;

class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\Model\DTO\Base\ADTO
{
/**
* @param ExampleProductEdit $dto
* @param ExecutionContextInterface $context
*/
public static function validate($dto, ExecutionContextInterface $context)
{
if ($dto->default->sku && !static::isSKUValid($dto)) {
static::addViolation($context, 'default.sku', Translation::lbl('SKU must be unique'));
}
}

/**
* @param ExampleProductEdit $dto
*
* @return boolean
*/
protected static function isSKUValid($dto)
{
$sku = $dto->default->sku;
$identity = $dto->default->identity;

/** @var \XLite\Model\Product $entity */
$entity = \XLite\Core\Database::getRepo('XLite\Model\Product')->findOneBySku($sku);

return !$entity || (int) $entity->getProductId() === (int) $identity;
}

/**
* @param mixed|\XLite\Model\Product $object
*/
protected function init($object)
{
$default = [
'identity' => $object->getProductId(),

'sku' => $object->getSku(),
'name' => $object->getName(),
'price' => $object->getPrice(),
'full_description' => $object->getDescription(),
];

$this->default = new CommonCell($default);
}

/**
* @param \XLite\Model\Product $object
* @param array|null $rawData
*
* @return mixed
*/
public function populateTo($object, $rawData = null)
{
$default = $this->default;

$object->setSku(trim($default->sku));
$object->setName((string) $default->name);
$object->setPrice($default->price);
$object->setDescription((string) $default->full_description);
}
}
  • static::validate() method is needed to implement DTO level validation (for field level validation constraint field param used)
  • init() method is used to transfer data to DTO
  • populateTo method is used to transfer data from DTO

Now we are good with the model editing widget and we need to add it to the page template. We go to the <X-Cart>/skins/admin/modules/XCExample/ModelEditing/page/product_edit/body.twig template and define its content as follows:

{{ widget('\\XLite\\Module\\XCExample\\ModelEditing\\View\\FormModel\\ExampleProductEdit') }}

Finally, we have to adjust our \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Controller\Admin\ExampleProductEdit controller class in order to process requests about saving product model – implement aforementioned doActionUpdate() method. We go to the <X-Cart>/classes/XLite/Module/XCExample/ModelEditing/Controller/Admin/ExampleProductEdit.php file and define its content as follows:

<?php
// vim: set ts=4 sw=4 sts=4 et:

/**
* Copyright (c) 2011-present Qualiteam software Ltd. All rights reserved.
* See https://www.x-cart.com/license-agreement.html for license details.
*/

namespace XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Controller\Admin;

/**
* Product edit controller
*/
class ExampleProductEdit extends \XLite\Controller\Admin\AAdmin
{
use \XLite\Controller\Features\FormModelControllerTrait;

/**
* @var array
*/
protected $params = array('target', 'product_id');

/**
* @var \XLite\Model\Product
*/
protected $product;

/**
* @return integer
*/
public function getProductId()
{
return (int) \XLite\Core\Request::getInstance()->product_id ?: 0;
}

/**
* @return \XLite\Model\Product
*/
public function getProduct()
{
if (null === $this->product) {
$product = \XLite\Core\Database::getRepo('\XLite\Model\Product')->find($this->getProductId());
$this->product = $product ?: new \XLite\Model\Product();
}

return $this->product;
}

/**
* @return \XLite\Model\DTO\Base\ADTO
*/
public function getFormModelObject()
{
return new \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\Model\DTO\ExampleProductEdit($this->getProduct());
}

protected function doActionUpdate()
{
$dto = $this->getFormModelObject();
$product = $this->getProduct();

$formModel = new \XLite\Module\XCExample\ModelEditing\View\FormModel\ExampleProductEdit(['object' => $dto]);
$form = $formModel->getForm();

$data = \XLite\Core\Request::getInstance()->getData();
$rawData = \XLite\Core\Request::getInstance()->getNonFilteredData();

$form->submit($data[$this->formName]);

if ($form->isValid()) {
$dto->populateTo($product, $rawData[$this->formName]);
\XLite\Core\Database::getEM()->persist($product);
\XLite\Core\Database::getEM()->flush();

} else {
$this->saveFormModelTmpData($rawData[$this->formName]);
}

$productId = $product->getProductId() ?: $this->getProductId();

$params = $productId ? ['product_id' => $productId] : [];

$this->setReturnURL($this->buildURL('example_product_edit', '', $params));
}
}

We define $params property as:

protected $params = array('target', 'product_id');

and it will tell controller class that only target and product_id parameters can be accepted.

  • getFormModelObject() method should return the DTO.

  • doActionUpdate() method defines a routine that will be run after we submit a form with the model editing widget values. The main processing happens in this lines:

    $form->submit($data[$this->formName]);

    if ($form->isValid()) {
    $dto->populateTo($product, $rawData[$this->formName]);
    \XLite\Core\Database::getEM()->persist($product);
    \XLite\Core\Database::getEM()->flush();

    } else {
    $this->saveFormModelTmpData($rawData[$this->formName]);
    }

$form->submit(...) - move data from request to DTO and validate it $dto->populateTo(...) - move data from DTO to Entity $this->saveFormModelTmpData(...) - saves data to session if error occured. It will be used when form with unsewed data and error will be shown.

Also, if we create a new product, we need to properly redirect merchant to this newly created product page, that is why we pull new product id – $productId = $product->getProductId() ?: $this->getProductId(); – and redirect customer as follows:

$params = $productId ? ['product_id' => $productId] : [];
$this->setReturnURL($this->buildURL('example_product_edit', '', $params));

We are done with this mod and now we have to re-deploy the store. After that try to open the admin.php?target=example_product_edit page.

Module pack