[Typo3-dev] Frontend Forms Code Library

[Robert Lemke]

Hi folks,

I just uploaded an experimental version of yet another frontend forms code
library (frontendformslib). But why another one? We already have three?

For my current project (a complete rewrite of the rlmp_eventdb extension) I
needed an easy-to-use but flexible way for rendering forms with multiple
steps. I didn't really need functions which automatically write the data
into different tables, I was just interested in the rendering part and
automatic handling of the session data.

After two days of playing with the different existing extensions I decided
to start from the scratch instead of extending one of the other approaches. 

While I was developing my own library, I realized that without a major
change in TCEforms it is a stony way to create frontend forms with
evaluation and all the features TYPO3 / TCA offers. I didn't implement
these changes into TCEforms so it might be that in the end my code library
will be replaced by a much more general solution - but for now it works
just fine.

I'd like to invite you trying my extension. Just download it and have a look
at the example frontend plugin which demonstrates two basic ways of using
the frontend forms object. What do you think about it? Is it worth to
continue working on it? Who would like to contribute code and
documentation?

At some point we should team up and find a final solution which might have a
structure more or less like this:

   TCEmain 
        contains the data processing, database and PHP evaluation 
        functions.
   TCEforms
        contains common JS evaluation functions and a code base for forms and
        fields
   TCEBEforms
        extends TCEforms by adding backend specific functionality
   TCEFEforms
        extends TCEforms by adding frontend specific functionality

One final note: Although I'd really like to see a solution for all this, I
won't be the person who will take initiative on further development. I have
many other things I'd like to work on and frontend forms is that part I use
very seldomly.

So, who is crazy enough to create the ultimative forms solution for TYPO3?

-- 
robert