README

EloquentForms v11.0.x

EloquentForms was created by and is maintained by Nicky West. It was created to minimize the time and effort required to create simple HTML forms generated from Eloquent Models to support CRUD functionality.

EloquentForms includes a trait for Eloquent models that can be used to automatically generate a form view based on the underlying table structure supporting the Eloquent model. Forms created this way can be fully customized. Basic validation is included and can be expanded upon easily.

EloquentForms can be easily themed to support various front-end css/js frameworks and includes the necessary blade templates to support the Bulma framework out of the box.

Installation

EloquentForms requires PHP 8.2^. This particular version supports Laravel 11.x To install on earlier versions of laravel Laravel use the X.Y.z release of EloquentForms where X.Y or X.0 (Laravel's versioning scheme changed) matches the versions of Laravel you're using.

To get the latest version you need only require the package via Composer.

Composer require nickwest/EloquentForms

EloquentForms supports Laravel Auto-Discovery. It shouldn't be necessary with Laravel 5.5^, but to manually add the package the following providers should be added in your config/app.php:

Nickwest\EloquentForms\EloquentFormsServiceProvider::class,
Nickwest\EloquentForms\Themes\bulma\EloquentFormsBulmaThemeServiceProvider::class

Usage

Adding functionality to an Eloquent Model

use Nickwest\EloquentForms\FormTrait;

class Sample extends Model{
    use FormTrait;

    protected $table = 'sample';

    // Options for setting up the form:

    // OPTION 1: Create a method in the model that will be called by the controller

    // The method name doesn't matter, it's up to you.
    public function prepareForm()
    {
        // Set a default Form Field label postfix
        $this->label_suffix = ':';

        // This comes from the FormTrait. It generates form field data by looking at
        // the model's table columns
        $this->generateFormData();

        // Use a custom theme for the generated markup
        $this->Form()->setTheme(new \Nickwest\EloquentForms\Themes\bulma\Theme());

        // By Default all fields will be displayed

        // We can set specific fields to be displayed by the form.
        // The order here dictates the order the fields will show on the form
        // $this->Form()->setDisplayFields( array(
        //     'email',
        //     'attendance_date',
        //     'placard_color',
        //     'photograph',
        //     'phone_number',
        //     'link_to_website',
        //     'meal_choice',
        //     'fruits_they_like',
        //     'plus_one',
        // ));

        // Or we can remove only selected display fields and the rest will
        // display in the same order they appear in the underlying table.
        $this->Form()->removeDisplayFields([
            'id',
            'created_at',
            'updated_at',
        ]);

        // Set field types for fields that aren't just default types
        $this->Form()->setTypes([
            'email' => 'email',
            'attendance_date' => 'date',
            'placard_color' => 'color',
            'photograph' => 'file',
            'phone_number' => 'tel',
            'link_to_website' => 'url',
            'meal_choice' => 'select',
            'fruits_they_like' => 'checkbox',
            'plus_one' => 'radio', // Yes/No enum in database
        ]);

        // Fields set up as Enums in the database will automatically have enum
        // options available, but enums are not requires for multiple choice fields

        $this->Form()->fruits_they_like->options->setOptions([
            'banana' => 'Banana',
            'strawberry' => 'Strawberry',
            'apple' => 'Apple',
            'mango' => 'Mango',
            'passion Fruit' => 'Passion Fruit',
            'orange' => 'Orange',
            'kiwi' => 'Kiwi',
            'pear' => 'Pear',
            'pineapple' => 'Pineapple'
        ]);

        $this->Form()->meal_choice->options->setOptions([
            'cheap_meal' => 'Chicken',
            'average_meal' => 'Beef',
            'expensive_meal' => 'Lobster',
        ]);

        // Make it a multi-select field
        $this->Form()->meal_choice->multiple = true;

        // Set examples to show up below the field
        $this->Form()->setExamples([
            'email' => 'ex: example@example.com',
        ]);

        // Set a pattern (used to add pattern="" attribute to field)
        $this->Form()->phone_number->attributes->pattern = '\\d{3}[\\-]\\d{3}[\\-]\\d{4}';

        // Set a placeholder (similar to example, but uses placeholder attribute)
        $this->Form()->phone_number->attributes->placeholder = '123-456-7890';

        // Set some validation (This uses Laravel's Validator facade:
        // https://laravel.com/docs/5.5/validation
        $this->validation_rules = [
            'email' => 'email|max:256',
            'fruits_they_like' => 'in:'.implode(',', array_keys($this->Form()->fruits_they_like->options->getOptions()),
            'meal_choice' => 'in:'.implode(',', array_keys($this->Form()->meal_choice->options->getOptions())),
            // you can add an validation rules you want here.
        ];

        // Include a delete button?
        $this->Form()->allow_delete = false;

        // Set an arbitrary attribute on the field (This example adds a Vue.js attribute)
        $this->Form()->first_name->attributes->{'v-if'} = 'seen';

    }

    // OPTION 2: Do all of this in the controller. You would choose this
    // method if your form is likely to look different at different routes.
    // If it will always be the same having a method to call is less repetition.
    // You can also modify the form after calling the method above, so a mix of
    // the two works as well.

    // NON-OPTION 3: Do this in the constructor. I would advise against doing this
    // in the constructor since generateFormData() runs a query to the get the
    // table structure. As such doing this in the construstor will result in a
    // query being executed every time the model is instatiated (really bad)

}

The Controller

use Excel;

use Nickwest\EloquentForms\TableTrait;

class myController extends Controller
{
    use TableTrait;

    // Make a form, and display it extending another blade template
    public function myGetFormMethod(Request $request, int $id=0)
    {
        $blade_data = [
            'page_title' => 'Sample Form',
            'whatever_else' => 'Any data your base view need can be passed through',
        ];

        // Find the Model if an ID is passed in, otherwise start a new one.
        $Sample = Sample::findOrNew($id);

        // prepare the form as described in the Model method above
        $Sample->prepareForm();

        // This is a FormMaker trait method. It populates form values based on
        // data in the current Model and by defaults and other settings
        // configured in the step before.
        $Sample->setAllFormValues();

        // If there's old request data, set it.
        if($request->old())
        {
            $Sample->setPostValues($request->old());
        }

        // Make a view that extends 'base_layout'
        return $Sample->getFormView($blade_data, 'base_layout', 'content');
    }

    // Make a listing view (table output)
    public function myGetListingMethod()
    {
        // Use the bulma theme
        $this->Table()->setTheme(new \Nickwest\EloquentForms\Themes\bulma\Theme());

        // Set some extra bulma classes onto the table
        $this->Table()->attributes->addClasses(['is-bordered', 'is-striped', 'is-narrow', 'is-fullwidth']);

        // Column headings
        $this->Table()->setLabels([
            'phone_number' => 'Calling digits',
        ]);

        // Make it so this field links to somewhere
        $this->Table()->addLinkingPattern('last_name', '/sample/form/{id}');
        $this->Table()->addLinkingPattern('email', 'mailto:{email}');

        // Get the collection
        $Samples = Sample::all();

        // Return just the table, but this can also extend another view just like Forms (see TableTrait::getTableView() for details)
        return $this->getTableView($Samples);
    }

    public functionn myExportMethod()
    {
        // Get some data
        $Samples = Sample::all();

        // Set the data (It'll take any collection)
        $this->Table()->setData($Samples);

        // Export to excel
        return Excel::download($this->Table()->Exporter, 'filename.xlsx');
    }
}

Submit buttons

Submit buttons can have duplicate names and the array of submit buttons is keyed by $name.$value. By default 1 submit button will be added to the Form. It's name is submit_button, with a value of Submit. It can be accessed as seen below. Forms added with these methods will be displayed at the end of the form. Button type fields can be added anywhere inside the form as a normal field as well.

    // Remove a submit button
    $Form->removeSubmitButton('submit_button', 'Submit);

    // Add a submit button
    $Form->addSubmitButton('submit_button', 'Submit');

    // Get a submit button
    $Form->getSubmitButton('submit_button', 'Submit);

    // Edit a submit button
    $Form->getSubmitButton('submit_button', 'Submit')->attributes->addClass = 'is-success';

    // Rename a submit button (you can do this through attributes, but this will re-key it in the Form and let you access it with the new name)
    $Form->renameSubmitButton('submit_button', 'Submit', 'save_button', 'Save');

Misc

EloquentForms doesn't need to be used by the trait. The Form and Field classes can be used standalone as well. Instead of automatically generating form fields, they will need to be manually declared.

nickwest / eloquent-forms

Maintainers

Details