[Typo3-dev] Rapid methods for creating forms in the frontend

[Saurabh Nanda]

Hi,

### BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM ###
I'm new to Typo3 and have gone through quite a number of tutorials and
documentation now.

I had recently written an extension (frontend plugin) for someone
which basically required extending the fe_users table; presenting an
FE user with a form; performing certain form validation after he/she
submits the form; and then inserting a row into fe_users.

My solution comprised the following steps:

1. Writing an HTML template file with proper markers
2. Substitute the markers while generating the form in the frontend
3. Writing PHP code to perform form validation when the user submits the form
4. Displaying the form to the user again (with the erroneous fields
marked) if the form had some errors.
5. Finally inserting a row into fe_users using exec_INSERTquery.

Now, I need to build a number of such forms, where the basic forms
fields are mapping (almost) exactly to columns in database tables.

### EXACT PROBLEM ###
I wanted to know, whether there is a method/extension in Typo3 which
allows me to perform these steps in a "rapid" (or faster) way.

Something which would allow me:
1. To skip writing the tedious HTML template files
2. Avoid writing code for performing 'regular' form validation 
3. Giving me enough flexibility to perform certain 'special'
validation functions (something more exotic/complex than specifying
permissible data types of form fields, etc.)
4. Allows the rendered form to be customizable (aka specifying
templates, though in a simpler way)

### SOLUTIONS I KNOW ####
1. I could use TS to make a FORM element using the simple syntax that
has been provided, and then use cObj->FORM to render it.
2. There are a number of extensions out there like CWT Frontend Edit
(cwt_feedit), Front End Table Entry Editing Library (sr_feedit), and
Frontend forms code library (frontendformslib) which I have found, but
they are either in a beta state or experimental.

Could anyne please give me a quick answer to my question? I will keep
looking for a solution in the meantime (probably will take a closer
look at all the plugins). If I find something I'll probably write a
nice tutorial for it (if it does not already exists - have I missed
it?)

Thanks for reading this through.
Nandz.
-- 
http://nandz.blogspot.com