request.vars[key] is always a string or a list of string (for multiple and checkboxes). form.vars[key] is the the output of form validators on request.vars[key]. Validators are filters. Some of them like IS_INT_IN_RANGE do some parsing. IS_LIST_OF(...) for example always transforms the input into a list, which is what you suggested.
On Friday, 28 September 2012 21:39:40 UTC-5, MichaelF wrote: > > Makes sense; thanks. Posting a list on multi-selects would be a help, but > there's still the other problem you mentioned (other input types). I've > written code to try to take this into account by always converting the > value. > > Any thoughts on why sometimes the value comes across as an int, other > times as a string? > > Michael > > On Friday, September 28, 2012 7:01:44 PM UTC-6, Massimo Di Pierro wrote: >> >> Good question. >> >> The issues is the following. When an HTML form is submitted with one >> variable (a) the query_string contains ?a=value. If it is submitted with >> two values, the query string contains ?a=value&a=other. >> >> When web2py (or any other framework) parses the query_string it may >> find ?a=value or ?a=value&a=other but it does not know if the variable >> comes from a normal input, a select, a multiple select, or checkboxes. >> >> Different frameworks take the same approach. Web2py parses ?a=value into >> request.vars.a='value' and ?a=value&a=other into >> request.vars.a=['value','other']. >> >> Other frameworks do what you suggest and always use a list: ?a=value into >> request.vars.a=['value'] but the drawback is that they always do it even >> for regular input fields (<input name="a"/>). If we were to do it we would >> have lots more request.vars.a[0] everywhere. >> >> The web2py solution is a compromise, as many other design decisions are. >> >> Massimo >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Friday, 28 September 2012 17:33:18 UTC-5, MichaelF wrote: >>> >>> I have a form with a multi-select. If I choose one value and submit, the >>> value is set in request.vars.xxx as a single integer (e.g., 2). If I choose >>> more than one value and submit I get a list of string values (e.g., ['1', >>> '5']). If I select no values I get None. >>> >>> Expected? Why the inconsistency? Or am I doing something wrong? Why not >>> ['2'], ['1', '5'], and []? That's consistent, orthogonal, etc. >>> >>> Thanks. >>> >> --
