CodeIgniter Form Builder

CodeIgniter library to build uniform form elements with bootstrap styling. It makes building form elements faster and easier. It's structured in 4 sections:

• Initialization
• Elements
• Utility
• Multi Elements

Initialization

put form_builder.php into your application/library directory and you're ready to go. calling functions will output the html right away. best to be used inside templates.

load inside controller:

$this->load->library('form_builder');

use inside template:

$this->form_builder->text('id_something', 'ID');

the functions hold default parameters that repeat themselves. they are the following:

• default: the default value
• class: additional css class(es)
• placeholder: the html5 placeholder tag

Elements

Text

text($id, $name, $default = '', $class = 'input-large', $placeholder = '', $prepend = '', $append = '')

additional parameters:

• prepend: prepended input (before text)
• append: appended input (after text)

$this->form_builder->text('per_month', 'per Monat', '1350', 'input-large', 'Betrag', '', 'CHF');
$this->form_builder->text('per_month', 'per Woche', '', 'input-large', 'Betrag', '', 'CHF');

Password

password($id, $name, $default = '', $class = 'input-large', $placeholder = '', $prepend = '', $append = '') 

additional parameters:

• prepend: prepended input (before text)
• append: appended input (after text)

$this->form_builder->password('password', 'Passwort', '12345');

Radio

radio($id, $name, $values, $default = '')

The passed object with the multiple properties for the radio elements must contain id and name. The passed default value will be selected according to the id value.

$genders = array(
  (object) array('id' => 1, 'name' => 'Männlich'),
  (object) array('id' => 2, 'name' => 'Weiblich'),
);
$this->form_builder->radio('gender', 'Geschlecht', $genders, 2);

Option

option($id, $name, $values, $default = '', $class = 'input-large')

$countries = array(
  (object) array('id' => 1, 'name' => 'Schweiz'),
  (object) array('id' => 2, 'name' => 'Deutschland'),
  (object) array('id' => 3, 'name' => 'Österreich'),
);
$this->form_builder->option('country', 'Land', $countries, 1);

Date

date($id, $name, $default = '', $class = 'input-large', $placeholder = 'TT.MM.JJJJ')

This element requires the javascript library of bootstrap.

• jQuery implementation: https://github.com/eternicode/bootstrap-datepicker

$this->form_builder->date('birthdate', 'Geburtstag');

Textarea

textarea($id, $name, $default = '', $class = 'input-xlarge', $rows = 5)

additional parameters:

• rows: amount of rows

$this->form_builder->textarea('payment_remark', 'Bemerkung', 'default');

Checkbox

checkbox($name, $id, $value = '', $default = '', $class = '')

checkbox('Inaktiv', 'inactive', '', 1);
checkbox('Eigenschaft', 'settings', 'Inaktiv', 0);

Checkboxes

checkboxes($name, $id, $boxes, $default = '', $class = '')

The passed object with the multiple properties for the radio elements must contain id and name. The passed default value will be selected according to the id value. The checked entries are determined by a string separated by a ,.

$equipments = array(
  (object) array('id' => 1, 'name' => 'TV'),
  (object) array('id' => 2, 'name' => 'Mikrowelle'),
  (object) array('id' => 3, 'name' => 'Kühlschrank'),
);
$this->form_builder->checkboxes('Ausstattung', 'equipment', $equipments, '1,3');

Single Button (submit)

single_button($name, $id = '', $class = '', $icon = '')

additional parameters:

• icon: the bootstrap icon class (http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/base-css.html#icons)

$this->form_builder->single_button('speichern', 'submit_id', 'btn-primary');

Button

button($id, $name, $class = '')

$this->form_builder->button('apply', 'übernehmen', 'disabled');

Hidden

hidden($id, $default = '')

$this->form_builder->button('contact_id', '55');

translates into:

<input type="hidden" id="contact_id" value="55" />

Utility

Separation

add_separation();

This will add a little gap between two following elements. As seen in the example code, the add_separation must be called one element before the actual break happens.

$this->form_builder->text('monthly', 'per Monat', 0, 'span6', '', '', 'CHF');
$this->form_builder->text('weekly', 'per Woche', 0, 'span6', '', '', 'CHF');
$this->form_builder->add_separation();
$this->form_builder->text('daily', 'per Tag', 0, 'span6', '', '', 'CHF');
$this->form_builder->text('additional_cost', 'Sonstiges', 0, 'span6', '', '', 'CHF');

Editable

set_editable($value);

additional parameters:

• value: boolean

This makes the following form elements editable or non-editable.

Multi Form Elements

This is rather powerful, that's why it has its own section. Basically it combines all the before listed parameters and put them together. You can have as many form elements in a row as you like, you just have to keep the array parameters appropriately.

multi($ids, $name, $types, $default = array(), $class = array(), $param = array(), $prepend = array(), $append = array())

$this->form_builder->multi(
  array('phone_area', 'phone'), 
  'Vorwahl / Telefon', 
  array(Form_builder::$TYPES->TEXT, Form_builder::$TYPES->TEXT), 
  array('555', '123456'), 
  array('span3', 'span7')
);

Types

Form_builder::$TYPES = (object) array(
  'TEXT' => 1,
  'OPTION' => 2,
  'CHECKBOX' => 3,
  'DATE' => 4,
  'RADIO' => 5,
  'BUTTON' => 6,
  'PASSSWORD' => 7,
);