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Home » Blogs » tao's blog The best way to show results? Submitted by tao on Mon, 2007-04-16 19:39 Drupal This one has me a little confused. The goal is to take in a couple of parameters from a form and then output some results along side the original form. This is a super-basic task that seems surprisingly hard in drupal. Here are some ways to do this that I have come up with (in order of complexity): 1) Simplest way: On submit, stuff the results into the page with a bunch of drupal_set_messages. <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; drupal_set_message ( find_path_results ( $path ) ); return false ; } ?> Disadvantages: Can't control where there results show up. Not really what drupal_set_message is intended for. 2) Look at the $_POST in form builder function (I got this one from Doug Green). <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... $path = $_POST [ 'path' ]; if( isset( $path ) ) { $form [ 'results' ] = array( '#value' => find_path_results ( $path ), ); } return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { return false ; } ?> Disadvantages: The formAPI guys want us to stop looking at $_POST for security reasons. 3) Use $form_values in the _form_submit <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; $form = drupal_retrieve_form ( 'find_path_form' ); drupal_prepare_form ( 'find_path_form' , $form ); $output .= drupal_render_form ( 'find_path_form' , $form ); $output .= find_path_results ( $path ); print theme ( 'page' , $output ); exit; // need to exit to avoid "cannot modify headers" error } ?> Disadvantages: You need to exit out of the _form_submit function to avoid the automatic goto. This seems to work fine, but makes me uncomfortable. 4) Encode the params in a url: this is the technique used by the search module. This is the only one that doesn't feel like a hack. <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; return "find_path/ $path " ; } // mapped to by new menu callback w/arg function find_path_view ( $path ) { $output = drupal_get_form ( 'find_path_form' ); $output .= find_path_results ( $path ); return $output ; } ?> Disadvantages: Can get really complex if you need to pass multiple form parameters. Can't cache menu item. Also tricky to keep tabs in place. 5) Put the parameters into the session in _form_submit, then access them in the form_theme function - this is cute, and it works, but is just overly complicated. That's all I have been able to think off. Personally I lean towards #3 as having the clearest logic to follow. But it really seems like there should be an easier/cleaner way than any of them. So, am I missing something obvious? tao's blog Add new comment #1 Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2007-04-26 14:57. Check out SQL Search module Basically, they build the search submit form in the typical fashion, but include an #after_build directive to call the function that renders the current search results, and an #action directive to keep submits posting to the same path. Functions called by #after_build get passed in $form and $form_values, just like a form submit handler. Brad Banister reply #2 Submitted by vagkavan (not verified) on Mon, 2010-09-20 05:03. $form_state in Drupal 6 In Drupal 6, you can also use $form_state['rebuild'] and $form_state['storage'], to rebuild the form along side with the results. <?php function find_path_form (& $form_state ){ $form = ... build the form array... // show results if exists in $form_state['storage'] if(isset( $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ])) { $form [ 'results' ] = array( '#value' => $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ] ); } return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , & $form_state ){ // get submited parameters $submitedParams = $form_state [ 'values' ]; // custom function to query database ang return results $results = find_path_results ( $submitedParams ); // rebuilds form $form_state [ 'rebuild' ] = TRUE ; // pass results to form $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ] = $results ; } ?> Note that if $form_state['storage'] is populated, $form_state['rebuild'] is automatically set to TRUE. reply Comment viewing options Flat list - collapsed Flat list - expanded Threaded list - collapsed Threaded list - expanded Date - newest first Date - oldest first 10 comments per page 30 comments per page 50 comments per page 70 comments per page 90 comments per page 150 comments per page 200 comments per page 250 comments per page 300 comments per page Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

The best way to show results? Submitted by tao on Mon, 2007-04-16 19:39 Drupal This one has me a little confused. The goal is to take in a couple of parameters from a form and then output some results along side the original form. This is a super-basic task that seems surprisingly hard in drupal. Here are some ways to do this that I have come up with (in order of complexity): 1) Simplest way: On submit, stuff the results into the page with a bunch of drupal_set_messages. <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; drupal_set_message ( find_path_results ( $path ) ); return false ; } ?> Disadvantages: Can't control where there results show up. Not really what drupal_set_message is intended for. 2) Look at the $_POST in form builder function (I got this one from Doug Green). <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... $path = $_POST [ 'path' ]; if( isset( $path ) ) { $form [ 'results' ] = array( '#value' => find_path_results ( $path ), ); } return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { return false ; } ?> Disadvantages: The formAPI guys want us to stop looking at $_POST for security reasons. 3) Use $form_values in the _form_submit <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; $form = drupal_retrieve_form ( 'find_path_form' ); drupal_prepare_form ( 'find_path_form' , $form ); $output .= drupal_render_form ( 'find_path_form' , $form ); $output .= find_path_results ( $path ); print theme ( 'page' , $output ); exit; // need to exit to avoid "cannot modify headers" error } ?> Disadvantages: You need to exit out of the _form_submit function to avoid the automatic goto. This seems to work fine, but makes me uncomfortable. 4) Encode the params in a url: this is the technique used by the search module. This is the only one that doesn't feel like a hack. <?php function find_path_form () { $form = ... build the form array... return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , $form_values ) { $path = $form_values [ 'path' ]; return "find_path/ $path " ; } // mapped to by new menu callback w/arg function find_path_view ( $path ) { $output = drupal_get_form ( 'find_path_form' ); $output .= find_path_results ( $path ); return $output ; } ?> Disadvantages: Can get really complex if you need to pass multiple form parameters. Can't cache menu item. Also tricky to keep tabs in place. 5) Put the parameters into the session in _form_submit, then access them in the form_theme function - this is cute, and it works, but is just overly complicated. That's all I have been able to think off. Personally I lean towards #3 as having the clearest logic to follow. But it really seems like there should be an easier/cleaner way than any of them. So, am I missing something obvious? tao's blog Add new comment

The best way to show results? Submitted by tao on Mon, 2007-04-16 19:39 Drupal

Drupal

This one has me a little confused. The goal is to take in a couple of parameters from a form and then output some results along side the original form. This is a super-basic task that seems surprisingly hard in drupal.

Here are some ways to do this that I have come up with (in order of complexity):

1) Simplest way: On submit, stuff the results into the page with a bunch of drupal_set_messages.

Disadvantages: Can't control where there results show up. Not really what drupal_set_message is intended for.

2) Look at the $_POST in form builder function (I got this one from Doug Green).

Disadvantages: The formAPI guys want us to stop looking at $_POST for security reasons.

3) Use $form_values in the _form_submit

Disadvantages: You need to exit out of the _form_submit function to avoid the automatic goto. This seems to work fine, but makes me uncomfortable.

4) Encode the params in a url: this is the technique used by the search module. This is the only one that doesn't feel like a hack.

Disadvantages: Can get really complex if you need to pass multiple form parameters. Can't cache menu item. Also tricky to keep tabs in place.

5) Put the parameters into the session in _form_submit, then access them in the form_theme function - this is cute, and it works, but is just overly complicated.

That's all I have been able to think off. Personally I lean towards #3 as having the clearest logic to follow. But it really seems like there should be an easier/cleaner way than any of them. So, am I missing something obvious?

Add new comment

#1 Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2007-04-26 14:57. Check out SQL Search module Basically, they build the search submit form in the typical fashion, but include an #after_build directive to call the function that renders the current search results, and an #action directive to keep submits posting to the same path. Functions called by #after_build get passed in $form and $form_values, just like a form submit handler. Brad Banister reply

Basically, they build the search submit form in the typical fashion, but include an #after_build directive to call the function that renders the current search results, and an #action directive to keep submits posting to the same path. Functions called by #after_build get passed in $form and $form_values, just like a form submit handler.

Brad Banister

#2 Submitted by vagkavan (not verified) on Mon, 2010-09-20 05:03. $form_state in Drupal 6 In Drupal 6, you can also use $form_state['rebuild'] and $form_state['storage'], to rebuild the form along side with the results. <?php function find_path_form (& $form_state ){ $form = ... build the form array... // show results if exists in $form_state['storage'] if(isset( $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ])) { $form [ 'results' ] = array( '#value' => $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ] ); } return $form ; } function find_path_form_submit ( $form_id , & $form_state ){ // get submited parameters $submitedParams = $form_state [ 'values' ]; // custom function to query database ang return results $results = find_path_results ( $submitedParams ); // rebuilds form $form_state [ 'rebuild' ] = TRUE ; // pass results to form $form_state [ 'storage' ][ 'results' ] = $results ; } ?> Note that if $form_state['storage'] is populated, $form_state['rebuild'] is automatically set to TRUE. reply

In Drupal 6, you can also use $form_state['rebuild'] and $form_state['storage'], to rebuild the form along side with the results.

function

Note that if $form_state['storage'] is populated, $form_state['rebuild'] is automatically set to TRUE.

Recent Drupal Posts Gboxapp | http://essayobsession.com Writing Service Best Quality Working at GoingOn Networks BADCamp 2010 Notes from BADCamp Eclipse Installfest Welcome to BADCamp 2009 Example from Intro to Module Development Presentation Quick WYSIWYG with Image uploading recipe more Recent comments Hi Tao! Can you post 3 years 4 weeks ago Mayk Brito on: Working at GoingOn Networks No way 3 years 4 weeks ago tao on: Mysqldump and Unicode This only works for the first item in a node reference results.. 3 years 7 weeks ago Anonymous on: Reverse Node References On drupal.org? 3 years 8 weeks ago Simon on: Wikis in Drupal 6 - Module R... $form_state in Drupal 6 3 years 11 weeks ago vagkavan on: The best way to show results... more Tweets by @tstarbow Sad that the @typesafe repo is down. 1 year 13 weeks ago Feeling very at home with the Dead Can Dance crowd. 1 year 16 weeks ago @netsolcares Can you confirm/deny DDOS attack? 1 year 17 weeks ago @boss99er Geez, that is not good. 1 year 17 weeks ago 1 of 60 ›› Follow me on Twitter Today's popular content Wikis in Drupal 6 - Module Review (50) BADCamp 2010 (34) Twittered Notes from Voices That Matter Web Developement Conference (28) Bay Area Drupal Camp 2009 - October 17th and 18th (25) Killing my very own critical bug in Drupal 6 (20) more User login Username: * Password: * Request new password

Gboxapp | http://essayobsession.com Writing Service Best Quality Working at GoingOn Networks

BADCamp 2010

Notes from BADCamp Eclipse Installfest

Welcome to BADCamp 2009

Example from Intro to Module Development Presentation

Quick WYSIWYG with Image uploading recipe

Hi Tao! Can you post 3 years 4 weeks ago Mayk Brito on: Working at GoingOn Networks

No way 3 years 4 weeks ago tao on: Mysqldump and Unicode

This only works for the first item in a node reference results.. 3 years 7 weeks ago Anonymous on: Reverse Node References

On drupal.org? 3 years 8 weeks ago Simon on: Wikis in Drupal 6 - Module R...

$form_state in Drupal 6 3 years 11 weeks ago vagkavan on: The best way to show results...

Sad that the @typesafe repo is down. 1 year 13 weeks ago

Feeling very at home with the Dead Can Dance crowd. 1 year 16 weeks ago

@netsolcares Can you confirm/deny DDOS attack? 1 year 17 weeks ago

@boss99er Geez, that is not good. 1 year 17 weeks ago

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