Rob, That's the point of ending the 'name' attribute with the empty array brackets '[ ]' as described above.
Granted, this will return your data in an array structure that will require a little re-arrangement as mentioned. Regards Don On May 22, 6:16 pm, Rob <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey, I havent abandoned this issue. > > Armed with what I got from reading the replies here I went on some > google searches and came up with a near-solution that is almost there. > > My first main problem was that this is my first foray into AJAX, so my > lack of understanding was a hurdle there. The other problem was that > I have been away from cakePHP for a while so some obvious things ended > up getting me snagged for a bit. Anyway here are the steps I took, > and my new problem. > > I created the view for the form that, using a Js helper request, gets > appended to the original form when the user clicks a button: > > <fieldset> > <?php > $this->Form->create(); > echo $this->Form->input('Element.1.element_title_id', array('label' => > 'Element Type', 'options' => $element_titles)); > echo $this->Form->input('Element.1.title', array('type' => 'text')); > echo $this->Form->input('Element.1.description', array('type' => > 'textarea', 'label' => 'Description')); > echo $this->Form->input('Element.1.Image.0.path', array('type' => > 'file')); > ?> > </fieldset> > > Ajax calls the add_element action of my projects_controller which just > has a simple $this->render('add_element', 'ajax') statement in it. > > This all works beautifully, and believe it or not took me a while to > figure out (i tried some horrible horrible things before I got to > where I am) > > Now this is what the $data looks like when I submit the form: > > Array > ( > [Project] => Array > ( > [title] => > [description] => > ) > > [Element] => Array > ( > [0] => Array > ( > [element_title_id] => 3 > [title] => > [description] => > [Image] => Array > ( > [0] => Array > ( > [path] => > ) > > ) > > ) > > [1] => Array > ( > [element_title_id] => 3 > [title] => > [description] => > [Image] => Array > ( > [0] => Array > ( > [path] => > ) > > ) > > ) > > ) > > ) > > My problem is that no matter how many times a new element is added via > my add_element action. only 2 elements are sent back to the controller > to be saved. I know why this is happening; Element. > 1.element_title_id. I'm not incrementing the key there, its always > 1. For example the second time the button is clikced, that should be > Element.2.element_title_id, but I have no idea how to do that > > So what it comes down to is that I have no idea how to increment this > key each time the button is clicked on the form. > > Any help is appreciated. > Don't hesitate to ask me to clarify...I tend to get sloppy and > rambling when describing something like this > > On May 16, 11:53 am, dreamingmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Rob, > > > My code diverged from crisuwork's in a couple of areas. One difference > > (which I think you will share); I had to add several fields rather > > than one. This is a small detail but it adds a fair amount of code > > though the general pattern he describes is the same I followed. It > > sums up the process beautifully. > > > Another difference: when I add a group of fields I have to do some db > > checks to see if data exists for the image name I'm bringing in. That > > means I may need to populate some fields with existing data so I don't > > rewrite or over-write things in ignorance. And I have select lists to > > populate, etc. > > > These differences in complexity lead to the other difference: I set > > myself the goal of following web standards and cake conventions as > > closely as possible. This helped manage the complexity. Rather than > > introducing the new form fields with a javascript function, I used an > > Element and had my javascript return that via Ajax. > > > So my basic pattern is: > > User clicks link calling javascript/ajax > > Js finds form content existing? clears it out (this allows me to > > toggle sections open/closed) > > Js finds no content then it uses my Cake action to look up data and > > return an Element containing a populated fieldset > > Sends it all back to the page. > > > One important detail that crisuwork had in his code which you'll need > > to note; the name attribute for his field ends with [ ]. This will let > > your multiple occurrences of the same field return as an array. If the > > fields have the same name attribute and don't end with the array > > brackets, they'll overwrite each other and you'll get back the value > > of the last one. > > > This caused me some problems in the Element because the Form Helper in > > its simplest usage is incompatible with our needs in this case. The > > Cake Development team was farsighted though! > > > Problem: > > echo $this->Form->input('ImageId'); // cake code in the Element > > > Returns: > > <div class="input text"> > > <label for="ImageId">Image Id</label> > > <input > > type="text" > > id="ImageId" > > name="data[ImageId]" > > > > > </div> > > > Both the normally returned 'id' and 'name' attributes will trip you up > > in the kind of ajax function we're discussing (id's need to be unique > > or things can break). > > > Solution, this more detailed cake code in the Element: > > echo $this->Form->input('ImageId', array( > > 'name' => 'data[Image][id][]', > > 'id' => null, > > 'class' => 'imgid', > > 'type' => $type > > )); > > > Returns this simpler html: > > <div class="input text"> > > <label for="ImageId">Image Id</label> > > <input > > type="text" > > class="imgid" > > name="data[Image][id][]" > > > > > </div> > > > As you can see, both our problems are solved! You can add a 'value' > > attribute also if you want to force field content. But, since this is > > standard Form Helper usage, if the standard data array exists (from a > > query in the controller) fields will get their appropriate content. > > > By the way, the 'type' attribute is just a debugging thing so I can > > make certain fields hidden or visible as I work things out. > > > crisuworks describes the process you'll need to follow when processing > > the returned data. > > > Regards, > > Don > > > On May 15, 11:42 pm, crisuwork <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I just made such a feature 2 weeks ago using a simple javascript > > > function to generate more input fields with file as type. I attached > > > that function to a button "Add files" and that is. > > > You need than in controller to write a loop to parse all the array > > > from $_FILES and for each file do call a "save()" function. > > > > Here is an example jQuery function ( this function has to be in your > > > ctp file ): > > > function addmorefiels(){ > > > $('#yourDiv').append('<input type="file" name="myfilesforupload[]" > > > value="">'); > > > > } > > > > The you need in your form .ctp file some div where you push/attach new > > > dynamically input fields: > > > <form....> > > > ... > > > ... > > > <div id="yourDiv"></div> > > > <a href='javascript:void(0)' onclick='addmorefiels()'></a> > > > </form> > > > > Than, in controller in save() function you check the array from > > > "myfilesforupload": > > > > if( is_array($_FILES["myfilesforupload"]) && > > > count($_FILES["myfilesforupload"])>0 ){ > > > foreach($_FILES["myfilesforupload"] as $distinctFile){ > > > ... here you have to call your upload class and to save the > > > files > > > } > > > > } > > > > If you want to do this without page refresh than you have to use $ajax > > > from jQurey :) > > > > On 15 Mai, 22:22, Rob <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Let me start off by explaining what I want to do and where I am right > > > > now. > > > > > I have a CakePHP site where I can submit projects, and each project > > > > has many different elements attached to it. I'm created the add > > > > project form to be able to add elements as well. I have successfully > > > > created a form that will submit both projects and elements. This form > > > > has 2 parts to it the Project form which there is only one and the > > > > Element form which I want there to be many of. So for one project > > > > submission there will be more than one element submission. > > > > > What I want to do is add a button that, when clicked, adds another > > > > Element form to the page until there are enough. My original idea was > > > > to do this with AJAX and jQuery, since the form creation is handled by > > > > cake. Problem is, I don't really know where to get started. > > > > > Any push in the right direction would be helpful > > > > Thanks -- Our newest site for the community: CakePHP Video Tutorials http://tv.cakephp.org Check out the new CakePHP Questions site http://ask.cakephp.org and help others with their CakePHP related questions. 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