[TYPO3-dev] Revamped FORM cObj, take 2

[Francois Suter]

Hi all,

I know the revamping of the FORM cObj has been pushed back to 4.3 and 
that we should be concentrating on 4.2, but client projects schedules 
sometime push items to the top of the personal agenda :-)

I have started developing a tool to handle online processes of pretty 
varied format (one or more steps, forms to fill out, online payment, 
downloads, etc.), so I went for a flexible structure akin to "cal" 
(central controller, models and views as services).

Whatever the details, my main concern here is about forms. Basically 
what I am trying to achieve is to use the standard FORM cObj from inside 
my extensions and simplify configuration work by just referencing 
tt_content.mailform.20.

This also implies things like a helper class to create FORM 
configurations or to translation TCA information to FORM syntax.

Now this comes up against a few limitations (I may be forgetting some):

1) the FORM cObj has only few validation rules
2) the rendering of the FORM cObj is not totally coherent, especially 
when it comes to radio buttons and checkboxes
3) the FORM configuration syntax should be extended to be able to 
defined rows, groups, sections (more maybe?) structural elements to 
group fields (in rows, fieldsets, div's of alternating color, whatever).

For the time being I'm putting stuff into an extension, but I think such 
work should not go wasted and should help towards the goal of a revamped 
FORM cObj. Which is why I am writing here at a very early stage to 
inform you of what I am doing and - ideally - get feedback, ideas or 
directions.

Should I start by putting some of my ideas into the wiki? I'm just not 
sure where...

Cheers

-- 

Francois Suter
Cobweb Development Sarl - http://www.cobweb.ch