How to use FormHelper::postLink() inside of a form? - php

Question

I want to create a Cakephp delete post link within form like the following. But the very first delete post button doesn't include delete Form when I inspect in browser and can't delete but the others include as I want and can delete.
Is it cakephp bug or something I need to change my source code?
<?php
echo $this->Form->create('Attendance', array('required' => false, 'novalidate' => true));
foreach($i = 0; $i < 10; i++):
echo $this->Form->input('someinput1', value => 'fromdb');
echo $this->Form->input('someinput2', value => 'fromdb');
echo $this->Form->postLink('Delete',array('action'=>'delete',$attendanceid),array('class' => 'btn btn-dark btn-sm col-md-4','confirm' => __('Are you sure you want to delete')));
endforeach;
echo $this->Form->button('Submit', array('class' => 'btn btn-success pull-right'));
echo $this->Form->end();
?>

Answer 1

Forms cannot be nested, the HTML standard forbids that by definition. If you try to, most browsers will drop the nested form and render its contents outside of the parent form.
If you need post links inside of existing forms, then you must use the inline or block options (available as of CakePHP 2.5, inline has been removed in CakePHP 3.x), so that the new form is being set to a view block that can be rendered outside of the main form.
CakePHP 2.x
echo $this->Form->postLink(
'Delete',
array(
'action' => 'delete',
$attendanceid
),
array(
'inline' => false, // there you go, disable inline rendering
'class' => 'btn btn-dark btn-sm col-md-4',
'confirm' => __('Are you sure you want to delete')
)
);
CakePHP 3.x
echo $this->Form->postLink(
'Delete',
[
'action' => 'delete',
$attendanceid
],
[
'block' => true, // disable inline form creation
'class' => 'btn btn-dark btn-sm col-md-4',
'confirm' => __('Are you sure you want to delete')
]
);
Close the main form and output post link forms
// ...
echo $this->Form->end();
// ...
echo $this->fetch('postLink'); // output the post link form(s) outside of the main form
See also
CakePHP 2.x
API > FormHelper::postLink()
Cookbook > Views > Using view blocks
CakePHP 3.x
API > \Cake\View\Helper\FormHelper::postLink()
Cookbook > Views > Helpers > Form > Creating Standalone Buttons and POST links
Cookbook > Views > Using View Blocks