CGI::FormBuilder::Multi - Create multi-page FormBuilder forms
use CGI::FormBuilder::Multi;
use CGI::Session; # or something similar
# Top-level "meta-form"
my $multi = CGI::FormBuilder::Multi->new(
# form 1 options
{ fields => [qw(name email daytime_phone evening_phone)],
title => 'Basic Info',
template => 'page1.tmpl',
validate => { name => 'NAME', email => 'EMAIL' },
required => [qw(name email daytime_phone)],
},
# form 2 options
{ fields => [qw(billing_name billing_card billing_exp
billing_address billing_city billing_state
billing_zip billing_phone)],
title => 'Billing',
template => 'page2.tmpl',
required => 'ALL',
},
# form 3 options
{ fields => [qw(same_as_billing shipping_address
shipping_city shipping_state shipping_zip)],
title => 'Shipping',
template => 'page3.tmpl',
required => 'ALL',
},
# a couple options specific to this module
navbar => 1,
# remaining options (not in hashrefs) apply to all forms
header => 1,
method => 'POST',
submit => 'Continue',
values => $dbi_hashref_query,
);
# Get current page's form
my $form = $multi->form;
if ($form->submitted && $form->validate) {
# Retrieve session id
my $sid = $form->sessionid;
# Initialize session
my $session = CGI::Session->new("driver:File", $sid, {Directory=>'/tmp'});
# Automatically store updated data in session
$session->save_param($form);
# last page?
if ($multi->page == $multi->pages) {
print $form->confirm;
exit;
}
# Still here, goto next page
$multi->page++;
# And re-get form (no "my" on $form!)
$form = $multi->form;
# Make sure it has the right sessionid
$form->sessionid($session->id);
# on page 3 we have special field handling
if ($multi->page == 3) {
$form->field(name => 'same_as_billing',
type => 'checkbox',
options => 'Yes',
jsclick => 'this.form.submit()');
}
}
# Fall through and print next page's form
print $form->render;
This module works with CGI::FormBuilder to create multi-page forms.
Each form is specified using the same options you would pass directly
into FormBuilder. See the CGI::FormBuilder manpage for a list of these options.
The multi-page ``meta-form'' is a composite of the individual forms you
specify, tied together via the special _page CGI param. The current
form is available via the form() method, and the current page is
available via page(). It's up to you to navigate appropriately:
my $multi = CGI::FormBuilder::Multi->new(...);
# current form
my $form = $multi->form;
$multi->page++; # page forward
$multi->page--; # and back
$multi->page = $multi->pages; # goto last page
# current form
$form = $multi->form;
To make things are fluid as possible, you should title each of your
forms, even if you're using a template. This will allow ::Multi
to create cross-links by-name instead of just ``Page 2''.
The following methods are provided:
This creates a new CGI::FormBuilder::Multi object. Forms are
specified as hashrefs of options, in sequential order, similar to
how fields are specified. The order the forms are in is the order
that the pages will cycle through.
In addition to a hashref, forms can be directly specified as a
$form object that has already been created. For existing objects,
the below does not apply.
When the first non-ref argument is seen, then all remaining args
are taken as common options that apply to all forms. In this way,
you can specify global settings for things like method or
header (which will likely be the same), and then override
individual settings like fields and validate on a per-form
basis.
If you do not wish to specify any options for your forms, you
can instead just specify the pages option, for example:
my $multi = CGI::FormBuilder::Multi->new(pages => 3);
With this approach, you will have to dynamically assemble each
page as you come to them. The mailing list can help.
The SYNOPSIS above is very representative of typical usage.
This returns the current page's form, as an object created
directly by CGI::FormBuilder->new. All valid FormBuilder
methods and options work on the form. To change which form is
returned, us page().
This sets and returns the current page. It can accept a page number
either as an argument, or directly as an assignment:
$multi->page(1); # page 1
$multi->page = 1; # same thing
$multi->page++; # next page
$multi->page--; # back one
if ($multi->page == $multi->pages) {
# last page
}
Hint: Usually, you should only change pages once you have validated
the current page's form appropriately.
This returns the total number of pages. Actually, what it returns
is an array of all forms (and hence it has the alias forms()),
which just so happens to become the length in a scalar context,
just like anywhere else in Perl.
This returns a navigation bar that allows the user to jump between
pages of the form. This is useful if you want to let a person fill
out different pages out of order. In most cases, you do not
want this, so it's off by default.
To use it, the best way is setting navbar => 1 in new().
However, you can also get it yourself to render your own HTML:
my $html = $multi->navbar; # scalar HTML
my @link = $multi->navbar; # array of links
This is useful in something like this:
my $nav = $multi->navbar;
$form = $multi->form;
$form->tmpl_param(navbar => $navbar);
The navbar will have two style classes: fb_multi_page for the
current page's link, and fb_multi_link for the others.
the CGI::FormBuilder manpage
$Id: Multi.pm 100 2007-03-02 18:13:13Z nwiger $
Copyright (c) Nate Wiger. All Rights Reserved.
This module is free software; you may copy this under the terms of
the GNU General Public License, or the Artistic License, copies of
which should have accompanied your Perl kit.
|