Symfony2 custom handle of fields - php

Question

I am developing my first complex form with Symfony 2 and I have gotten stuck.
This image represents my situation
So, I have a very simple entity called TShirt with the following attributes:
name -> mapped as a string column in the database
tags_data -> mapped as a string column in the database (that will contain a JSON object)
Then I have a form with more fields than the entity has:
class TShirtType extends AbstractType {
public function buildForm( FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options ) {
$builder
->add('name', 'text', array(
'required' => true,
))
->add( 'colours', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $availableColours,
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false,
))
->add( 'sizes', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $availableSizes,
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false,
))
->add( 'materials', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $availableMaterials,
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false,
));
}
/**
* {#inheritdoc}
*/
public function setDefaultOptions( OptionsResolverInterface $resolver ) {
$resolver->setDefaults(array(
'data_class' => 'AppBundle\Entity\TShirt',
));
}
public function getName() {
return 'app_bundle_tshirt_form';
}
}
I have read about Data Transformers but as far as I know they cannot help me in this issue because they work with mapped fields.
Giving this scenario, I want to add something like the Data Transformers that takes the colours, sizes and materials form fields and builds the JSON object to store it in the Entity.
So my question is: Is there a way for custom handling the non-mapped fields in the form class?
Any help would be very appreciated! Thanks!!

Answer 1

Maybe you could use an EventListener in your FormType like below :
/**
* #param FormBuilderInterface $builder
* #param array $options
*/
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
$formFactory = $builder->getFormFactory();
$builder->addEventListener(
FormEvents::PRE_SET_DATA,
function (\Symfony\Component\Form\FormEvent $event) use ($formFactory, $builder) {
$data = $event->getData();
$form->add(
'customFieldName',
'text',
array('some_options' => 'someOptionValue')
);
}
Be careful about FormEvents (here : PRE_SET_DATA).
Also, $data = $event->getData(); allows you to get the related object. You could loop on it and parse JSON (or create as much method as your JSON array contains and call them over and over) in order to display as much $form->add(.. as you have properties ion you JSON array.

Answer 2

it's not good solution to store it in tagsData !
solution for SYMFONY 2.7
Controller.php:
$colors = [
'white' => 'white',
'black' => 'black',
'green' => 'green'
];
$sizes = [
'M' => 'M',
'L' => 'L',
'XL' => 'XL'
];
$materials = [
'Cotton' => 'Cotton',
'Wool' => 'Wool',
'Silk' => 'Silk'
];
$object = new TShirt();
$form = $this->createForm(new TShirtType(), $object, ['colours' => $colors, 'sizes' => $sizes, 'materials' => $materials]);
$form->handleRequest($request);
TShirtType.php
class TShirtType extends AbstractResourceType
{
public function buildForm( FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options ) {
$builder
->add('name', 'text', array(
'required' => true,
))
->add( 'colours', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $options['colours'],
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false
))
->add( 'sizes', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $options['sizes'],
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false
))
->add( 'materials', 'choice', array(
'choices' => $options['materials'],
'multiple' => true,
'expanded' => true,
'mapped' => false
));
$builder->addEventListener(FormEvents::POST_SUBMIT, function (FormEvent $event)
{
$object = $event->getData();
$form = $event->getForm();
$tagsData = [
'colours' => $form->get('colours')->getData(),
'sizes' => $form->get('sizes')->getData(),
'materials' => $form->get('materials')->getData(),
];
$object->setTagsData($tagsData);
$event->setData($object);
});
}
public function finishView(FormView $view, FormInterface $form, array $options)
{
$tagsData = $view->vars['data']->getTagsData();
if($tagsData) {
$types = ['colours', 'sizes', 'materials'];
foreach($types as $type) {
foreach($view->offsetGet($type) as $checkbox) {
$checkbox->vars['checked'] = isset($tagsData[$type]) && in_array($checkbox->vars['value'], $tagsData[$type]);
}
}
}
}
/**
* {#inheritdoc}
*/
public function configureOptions(OptionsResolver $resolver ) {
$resolver->setDefaults(array(
'data_class' => 'AppBundle\Entity\TShirShirt',
));
$resolver->setRequired(['colours', 'sizes', 'materials']);
}
public function getName() {
return 'app_bundle_tshirt_form';
}
}

Answer 3

I finally solved the problem by creating a custom DataMapper as this tutorial explains
https://webmozart.io/blog/2015/09/09/value-objects-in-symfony-forms/