Form Engine
Miro Remias
Solution architect
Kentico software
mirekr@kentico.com
Agenda
•
Introduction
•
How does it work?
•
Architecture (API, database)
•
Customization options
•
Code examples
Introduction
• Allows users to create forms and manage data (insert/update)
• Built-in and custom form controls
• Input validation
• Custom form layout (Alternative forms)
Where can you find examples of form engine?
•
•
•
•
•
On-line forms (BizForm)
Forms for documents (CMSForm)
Forms for web-part properties (BasicForm)
Forms for system tables (DataForm)
Forms for custom tables (CustomTableForm)
How does it work?
Field editor
Form
Form definition
Data
Field editor - \CMSModules\AdminControls\Controls\Class\FieldEditor.ascx
Architecture – overview
Database tables:
CMS_Class
ClassFormDefinition – form definition (Example 1)
ClassTableName – table where data is stored
ClassIsCustomTable, ClassShowAsSystemTable – custom table/system table flag
ClassFormLayout – form layout
…
CMS_AlternativeForm
FormDefinition
FormLayout
CMS_Form
CMS_FormUserControl
API support (http://devnet.kentico.com/downloads/kenticocms_api.zip):
CMS.FormControls: BasicForm, BizForm, CMSForm, CustomTableForm, DataForm,
FormEngineUserControl, EditingFormControl …
CMS.FormEngine: FormInfo, FormFieldInfo, AlternativeFormInfo, AlternativeFormInfoProvider,
BizFormInfo, BizFormInfoProvider …
Architecture - BasicForm
• Renders form from it’s definition
• Creates form layout with labels, fields, error labels, categories, …
• Manages field initialization, validation and gathers entered data
Form error label
Field category
Field label
Field error label
Form control
BizForm
CMSForm
DataForm
CustomTableForm
Submit button (image)
BasicForm
Architecture - BasicForm (2)
BasicForm (API) (Example 2)
Properties:
Mode (FormModeEnum - Insert, Update, InsertNewCultureVersion)
FormInformation (FormInfo)
FormLayout (string)
FormXML (string)
DataRow (DataRow)
FieldLabels (Hashtable)
FieldControls (Hashtable)
FieldEditingControls (Hashtable)
FieldErrorLabels (Hashtable)
SiteName (string)
SubmitButton (Button)
SubmitImageButton (ImageButton)
UseColonBehindLabel (bool)
EditedObject (object)
TreeNode (CMSForm)
IDataClass (BizForm and CustomTableForm)
AbstractInfo or DataClassInfo (DataForm)
ParentObject (object) - insert mode, TreeNode
AllowMacroEditing (bool)
DefaultFormLayout (FormLayoutEnum)
RenderCategoryList (bool)
MarkRequiredFields (bool)
Methods:
LoadData(void: DataRow)
LoadFormLayout(void: formLayout, FormInfo)
LoadDefaultLayout(void: FormInfo )
CreateEditingFormControl(Control: FormFieldInfo)
SaveData(void: redirectUrlAfterSave)
ValidateData(bool)
Architecture - Form layout
Supported macro types in form layout:
$$label:<FieldName>$$
$$input:<FieldName>$$
$$validation:<FieldName>$$
$$visibility: <FieldName>$$
$$submitbutton$$
Architecture - Form controls
• Allow you to use custom field types in editing forms
(http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/developing_form_controls.htm)
• Register in Site Manager -> Development -> Form controls
FormFieldInfo (API)
Name (column)
Caption (fieldcaption)
Visible (visible)
Enabled (enabled)
AllowEmpty (allowempty)
PrimaryKey (isPK)
…
DataType (columntype) -FormFieldDataTypeEnum (Text, LongText, Integer, Decimal, DateTime, Boolean, File, GUID ... )
FieldType (fieldtype) - FormFieldControlTypeEnum (LabelControl, TextBoxControl, DropDownListControl,
RadioButtonsControl, MultipleChoiceControl, ...)
ClassFormDefinition (CMS_Class table):
<form>
<field column="ContactUsID" fieldcaption="ContactUsID" visible="false" columntype="integer" fieldtype="label"
allowempty="false" isPK="true" system="true" publicfield="false" spellcheck="true" guid="ba75b40f-edf6-434f-aa1915ea8413e407" visibility="none" ismacro="false" />
...
<field column="Email" fieldcaption="E-mail" visible="true" columntype="text" fieldtype="usercontrol"
allowempty="false" isPK="false" system="false" columnsize="100" publicfield="true" spellcheck="true" guid="877dc000111b-4379-938c-6386557719aa">
<settings>
<controlname>emailinput</controlname>
</settings>
</field>
</form>
Architecture - Form controls (2)
FormEngineUserControl (API) (Example 3)
Properties:
Form (BasicForm)
FieldInfo (FormFieldInfo)
FormControlParameter (object)
Value (object)
Enabled (bool)
DataDR (DataRow)
Methods:
IsValid (bool)
GetOtherValues (object[,] AttributeName/Value)
Working with other fields from form control:
TextBox txtBox = (TextBox) Form.FieldControls["productprice"];
EditingFormControl (API)
Properties:
Enabled (bool)
Value (object)
DataRow (DataRow)
IsMacro (bool)
DataRowValue (object)
Methods:
IsValid (bool)
GetOtherValues (object[,] AttributeName/Value)
CreateControl(Control : FormFieldInfo)
EditingFormControl txtBox = (EditingFormControl) Form.FieldEditingControls["productprice"];
Architecture – CMSForm
•
•
•
•
Creation and editing of documents
Adds ‘Publish from/to’ and ‘Document name’ fields (optional)
Handles content tree hierarchy for blogs (insert mode)
Uploaded files stored in DB and/or file system as an attachments
CMSForm (API) (Example 4)
Properties:
BasicForm (BasicForm)
NodeId (int)
FormName (string) - cms.news.default
AlternativeFormFullName (string) – cms.user.editform
FormMode (FormModeEnum - Insert, Update, InsertNewCultureVersion)
SiteName (string)
CultureCode (string)
Methods:
LoadForm(void)
Save (TreeNode)
SaveDataToDB(void)
Architecture – CMSForm (2)
CMSForm life cycle - first load:
Page
OnInit
OnLoad
OnPreRender
CMSForm
BasicForm
EditingFormControl
TextBoxControl
CreateChildControls
LoadForm
[Controls.Add(BasicForm)]
OnLoad (EnsureChildControls)
CreateChildControls
LoadData
[Controls.Add(EFC)]
Addition of one EFC
EnsureControls (EnsureChildControls)
CreateChildControls
{SetValue}
[Controls.Add(FC)]
OnInit
OnLoad
Page_Load
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
Architecture – CMSForm (3)
CMSForm life cycle - postback:
Page
OnInit
CMSForm
BasicForm
EditingFormControl
TextBoxControl
CreateChildControls
LoadForm
[Controls.Add(BasicForm)]
CreateChildControls
LoadData
[Controls.Add(EFC)]
Addition of one EFC
EnsureControls (EnsureChildControls)
CreateChildControls
{SetValue}
[Controls.Add(FC)]
OnInit
OnLoad
OnLoad
OnLoad
Page_Load
btnSave_Click
ValidateData
{GetValue}
IsValid
Save
SaveData
{GetValue}
SaveDataToDB
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
OnPreRender
Architecture – BizForm
• Used for online form creation (most frequently used module)
• Data stored in separate DB table (also CMS_Form)
• Uploaded files stored in file system (exclusively)
• Data managed through the UI, could be sent via e-mail (notification and autoresponder) or exported to MS Excel file
(http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/bizforms_module_overview.htm)
BizForm(API) (example)
Properties:
BasicForm (BasicForm)
FormMode (FormModeEnum - Insert, Update)
FormName (string) - bizfrom.contactus.default
ItemID (int)
AlternativeFormFullName (string) – bizfrom.contactus.layout1
SiteName (string)
UseColonBehindLabel (bool)
EnableNotificationEmail (bool)
EnableAutoresponder (bool)
Methods:
LoadForm(void)
SaveDataToDB(void)
SendNotificationEmail (void)
SendConfirmationEmail (void)
Architecture – DataForm and CustomTableForm
• common form controls to edit data from system/custom tables
(http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/custom_tables_module_overview.htm)
• uploaded files stored in file system
DataForm / CustomTableForm (API) (Example 5)
Properties:
BasicForm (BasicForm)
ClassName (string)
ItemID (int)
CustomTableId (int)
Info (AbstractInfo) - usable instead of ClassName and ItemID
AlternativeFormFullName (string) – cms.user.editform
FormMode (FormModeEnum - Insert, Update)
SiteName (string)
Methods:
ReloadData (void)
LoadForm(void)
Save (bool) + OnAferSave handler
SaveDataToDB(void)
Customization options
• Control event handlers ():
OnBefore(After)DataLoad, OnBefore(After)Validate, OnBefore(After)Save,
OnValidationFailed, OnItemValidation, OnUploadFile, OnDeleteFile, …
• Global data handlers (http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/data_handler.htm):
OnBefore(After)Update, OnBefore(After)Insert, OnBefore(After)Delete,
OnGetContent
• Custom Field (Form) controls
Questions
FAQ – http://devnet.kentico.com/FAQs.aspx
KB - http://devnet.kentico.com/Knowledge-Base.aspx
Documentation - http://devnet.kentico.com/Documentation.aspx
Technical support - http://www.kentico.com/Support.aspx (support@kentico.com)
Thank you!
Miro Remias
mirekr@kentico.com
Solution architect
Kentico software