The problem here is really important, regardless of the documentation. In Drupal 7, the problem has been resolved (and the doc may well be wrong). In D7, hook_form_alter() and hook_form_FORMID_alter() no longer compete in the inappropriate way they did in D6 - they fire in order by weight. So a given module weight will execute the form_alter and the formid_alter at about the same time.
In Drupal 6, you *very* often can't achieve what you want to with hook_form_FORMID_alter() because *all* of the hook_form_alters run after all of the hook_form_FORMID_alters. That means that you *can't* alter a prepared node form successfully with hook_form_FORMID_alter() because all of the things that have built up the form (using hook_form_alter()) haven't run yet. So the form doesn't even look right yet. hook_form_alter() is often the only way around this. As a general statement, hook_form_FORM_ID_alter() in Drupal 6 is often not useful because of this and you *always* have to be aware of this problem. And in general, this problem is fixed very nicely in Drupal 7. Thanks effulgentsia and sun! -Randy On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 5:37 PM, Jennifer Hodgdon <yah...@poplarware.com>wrote: > I just filed an issue: > http://drupal.org/node/1031458 > > The doc is only incorrect in D6. In D7 the order has changed. > > --Jennifer > > > > On 1/18/2011 7:37 AM, Justin Ellison wrote: > >> Code speaks truth, you're correct. However, there's some >> contradicting documentation. >> >> From >>> http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/modules--system--system.api.php/function/hook_form_alter/7 >>> : >>> >> "For each module (in system weight order) the general form alter hook >> implementation is invoked first, then the form ID specific alter >> implementation is called." >> >> From >>> http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/developer--hooks--core.php/function/hook_form_FORM_ID_alter/6 >>> : >>> >> "Note that this hook fires before hook_form_alter(). Therefore all >> implementations of hook_form_FORM_ID_alter() will run before all >> implementations of hook_form_alter(), regardless of the module order." >> >> Unfortunately, Google returns the former link first, which must've >> been what I learned from. >> >> Sorry for any confusion, >> >> Justin >> >> On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 9:26 AM, Steve Ringwood<nev...@tds.net> wrote: >> >>> Justin >>> >>> Not sure what you are referring to in the docs for hook_form_alter but >>> here is the relavent code >>> from form.inc, function drupal_prepare_form(). >>> >>> $data =&$form; >>> $data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'] = array(&$form_state); >>> drupal_alter('form_'. $form_id, $data);<< Form ID specific call >>> >>> // __drupal_alter_by_ref is unset in the drupal_alter() function, we >>> need >>> // to repopulate it to ensure both calls get the data. >>> $data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'] = array(&$form_state); >>> drupal_alter('form', $data, $form_id);<< General call (hook_form_alter) >>> >>> Nevets >>> >>> >>> >> > > -- > Jennifer Hodgdon * Poplar ProductivityWare > www.poplarware.com > Drupal web sites and custom Drupal modules > > -- Randy Fay Drupal Module and Site Development ra...@randyfay.com +1 970.462.7450
