html.md

Forms & HTML

• Opening A Form
• CSRF Protection
• Form Model Binding
• Labels
• Text, Text Area, Password & Hidden Fields
• Checkboxes and Radio Buttons
• File Input
• Drop-Down Lists
• Buttons
• Custom Macros

Opening A Form

Opening A Form

{{ Form::open(array('url' => 'foo/bar')) }}
	//
{{ Form::close() }}

By default, a POST method will be assumed; however, you are free to specify another method:

echo Form::open(array('url' => 'foo/bar', 'method' => 'put'))

Note: Since HTML forms only support POST, PUT and DELETE methods will be spoofed by automatically adding a _method hidden field to your form.

You may also open forms to that point to named routes or controller actions:

echo Form::open(array('route' => 'route.name'))

echo Form::open(array('action' => 'Controller@method'))

If your form is going to accept file uploads, add a files option to your array:

echo Form::open(array('url' => 'foo/bar', 'files' => true))

CSRF Protection

Laravel provides an easy method of protecting your application from cross-site request forgeries. First, a random token is placed in your user's session. Don't sweat it, this is done automatically. Next, use the token method to generate a hidden form input field containing the random token on your form:

Adding The CSRF Token To A Form

echo Form::token();

Attaching The CSRF Filter To A Route

Route::post('profile', array('before' => 'csrf', function()
{
	//
}));

Form Model Binding

Often, you will want to populate a form based on the contents of a model. To do so, use the Form::model method:

Opening A Model Form

echo Form::model($user, array('route' => 'user.update'))

Now, when you generate a form element, like a text input, the model's value matching the field's name will automatically be set as the field value. So, for example, for a text input named email, the user model's email attribute would be set as the value. However, there's more! If there is an item in the Session flash data matching the input name, that will take precedence over the model's value. So, the priority looks like this:

1. Session Flash Data (Old Input)
2. Explicitly Passed Value
3. Model Attribute Data

This allows you to quickly build forms that not only bind to model values, but easily re-populate if there is a validation error on the server!

Note: When using Form::model, be sure to close your form with Form::close!

Labels

Generating A Label Element

echo Form::label('email', 'E-Mail Address');

Specifying Extra HTML Attributes

echo Form::label('email', 'E-Mail Address', array('class' => 'awesome'));

Note: After creating a label, any form element you create with a name matching the label name will automatically receive an ID matching the label name as well.

Text, Text Area, Password & Hidden Fields

Generating A Text Input

echo Form::text('username');

Specifying A Default Value

echo Form::text('email', 'example@gmail.com');

Note: The hidden and textarea methods have the same signature as the text method.

Generating A Password Input

echo Form::password('password');

Checkboxes and Radio Buttons

Generating A Checkbox Or Radio Input

echo Form::checkbox('name', 'value');

echo Form::radio('name', 'value');

Generating A Checkbox Or Radio Input That Is Checked

echo Form::checkbox('name', 'value', true);

echo Form::radio('name', 'value', true);

File Input

Generating A File Input

echo Form::file('image');

Drop-Down Lists

Generating A Drop-Down List

echo Form::select('size', array('L' => 'Large', 'S' => 'Small'));

Generating A Drop-Down List With Selected Default

echo Form::select('size', array('L' => 'Large', 'S' => 'Small'), 'S');

Generating A Grouped List

echo Form::select('animal', array(
	'Cats' => array('leopard' => 'Leopard'),
	'Dogs' => array('spaniel' => 'Spaniel'),
));

Buttons

Generating A Submit Button

echo Form::submit('Click Me!');

Note: Need to create a button element? Try the button method. It has the same signature as submit.

Custom Macros

It's easy to define your own custom Form class helpers called "macros". Here's how it works. First, simply register the macro with a given name and a Closure:

Registering A Form Macro

Form::macro('myField', function()
{
	return '<input type="awesome">';
});

Now you can call your macro using its name:

Calling A Custom Form Macro

echo Form::myField();