Making a Simple Form Module on Drupal 7.8

We have created a simple module before, that is here. But if you build a web site, you'll need to use forms. For that reason, i'll show you about making a simple form module in this article. Let's remember which files we've got when we create module on drupal.

Mymodule (folder)

• mymodule.info
• mymodule.module
• mymodule.inc

"mymodule.info" file is for settings of the module, that's why we don't use it for this article. Other ones also are so important now.

If you check this article out, can remember what the system of drupal's work. When we code, we call the function which will use. Well, then code your mymodule.inc and mymodule.module pages:


mymodule.module page

function honda_menu() {
  $items['honda/hrv'] = array(
    'title' => 'Honda HR-V',
    'page callback' => 'honda_form',
    'access arguments' => array('access content'),
    'file' => 'honda.inc',
  );
  return $items;
}

As you see the bold row's got our function for the module with "page callback". honda_form() function is in;

mymodule.inc page

function honda_form() {
 return drupal_get_form('form_for_honda'); //This is the function that will use
}
function form_for_honda($form_state) {
 $form['text'] = array(
  '#type' => 'textfield', //Input type
  '#title' => t(Write something..'), Input label
 );
 $form['Okey'] = array(
  '#type' => 'submit', //Input type
  '#value' => 'I am Ok!', //Button value
 );
 return $form;
}

When we go to honda/hrv direction, we're going to see it like down here;

Output

Well done! Our form is ready to use. I've just added a textfield and submit button. If you want to add something else, you should add elements for array. For example;

'#type' => 'checkbox',
'#type' => 'fieldset',
'#type' => 'file',
'#type' => 'radios',

If you want to see more information about Drupal forms API, you can visit forms API.

We'll see you next article!

Using Taxonomy to Post Contents on Drupal

Some of us have no idea about taxonomy. Actually i didn't know either what taxonomy was. When i built my drupal project, i recognized that i had to use it. I think, taxonomy is one of the most important features of drupal. Because, all content of your site, can be available with terms, verbs and tags on taxonomy.

So, imagine that you've just added content to your drupal site. If this content is a special of you, you'll want people to find it easly, right? Yes! Well, you need to use taxonomy now!

Step 1 : Select the content type you'll add a new field to.

Step 2 : You go manage fields and add a field on it for taxonomy.

Step 3 : Create a new verbs and add tags on it.

Step 4 : Your vocabulary is ready to use now! Add a new content and select tags from vocabulary!

Step 1

My choice is Basic Page content type. You need to click this path :

http://localhost/admin/structure/types

Click to the manage fields

After clicking; Step 2

As you see it up here, site is waiting for us to add a new field for our taxonomy. Adding is so easy. Just type like;

Label : "tax" //tax is my choice. You can change it
Field name : "field_"tax" //This name is for machine, generally select it like your label name
Type of data to store : "Term reference"
Form element to edit the data : "Autocomplete term widget (tagging)" //If you select it like this, you can add tag multiple, so this would be better?

And click Save button.

Selecting Vocabulary

Step 3

Well done! We create a new field for our tags. But the system asks us to select a vocabulary. Don't do anything on this page and open a new tab on your browser. Because of this, we are going to create a new vocabulary. The direction you'll go to is, "admin/structure/taxonomy/add".

add a new vocabulary for the field

Name : "Testing" //You can change it.
Description : "This is very important!"

And click Save button.

Click the add terms link.

When adding term

Type "php" for "Name" textfield and click the save button. And after that add: "ajax", "sql", "mysql", "dom", "c", "java", etc.
Now, turn back to the page we have to select a vocabulary for new field(tax) and refresh!

Select testing and Click Save Field Setting button.

For testing this vocabulary, add a new content. For that, use this path : "node/add/page".

Like you see, when i type something for tags, ready with Autocomplete term widget.


We'll see you next article!

Form Validation Using AJAX and PHP

In this article, we'll show you something about form validation, namely form control solutions using AJAX and PHP. As you know, we can submit a form without refreshing page with Ajax. So, we should use this tech.

NOTE : Ajax is not one technology, but a group of technologies. Ajax uses HTML, JavaScript, CSS, XML etc.

This example, shows the relationship between getting data of form and checking:

Step 1 is, users type something or not!

Step 2 is, the system checks what the data is or, is there any typed data?

Well, let's do our pages. For that we create three files,

1. example.html
2. kitchen.php
3. lib.ajax.js

lib.ajax.js

// JavaScript Document
	//What does JaX stand for? is the function we use for ajax object
function JaX() {
	var httpObject = null;
	var httpBrowser = navigator.appName;
	
	if(httpBrowser == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
		httpObject = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");	
	} else {
		httpObject = new XMLHttpRequest();	
	}
	return httpObject;
}

function UJaX(subject, method, path, more, func, statu) {
	//subject is object of ajax
	//method is the method of getting variables
	//path is the path of file
	//func is the function you use on it
	//statu can be true or false
	ajaxObject = JaX();
	
	if(method == 'POST') {
		if(ajaxObject != null) {
			ajaxObject.onreadystatechange = func;
			ajaxObject.open('POST', path, statu);
			header = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
			ajaxObject.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", header);
			ajaxObject.send(more);
		} else {
			alert("Error(1)->The System Cannot Be Opened!");	
		}
	} else {
		if(ajaxObject != null) {
			ajaxObject.onreadystatechange = func;
			ajaxObject.open('GET', path+'?'+more, statu);
			ajaxObject.send(null);
		} else {
			alert("Error(2)->The System Cannot Be Opened!");	
		}
	}
}

example.html

var ajaxObject;

function CheckItOut() {
	subject = ajaxObject;
	method = 'GET';
	path = 'kitchen.php';
	func = sonuc;
	dataMore = document.getElementById("data").value;
	more = 'data=' + dataMore;
	statu = "true";
	
	UJaX(subject, method, path, more, func, statu);
}

function sonuc() {
	if(ajaxObject.readyState == 4) {
		if(ajaxObject.status == 200) {
			DM = ajaxObject.responseText;
			//DM = document.form1.data.value;
			if(DM == "You must write something!")
				document.getElementById("MyButton").disabled = true;	
			else
				document.getElementById("MyButton").disabled = false;	
		} else
			DM = "Error = Nu/1";	
	} else
		DM = "Loading...";	
		document.getElementById("MyLabel").innerHTML = DM;
}

< form name="form1" method="GET">
< input name="data" type="text" id="data" onChange="CheckItOut();">
< input name="MyButton" type="button" id="MyButton" value="I'm Ok!">
< /form>

Preview example.html page

And php page, kitchen.php

$DataOfForm = $_REQUEST["data"];
if(!$DataOfForm == 1) {
	print "You must write something!";
} else {
	print "You said:".$DataOfForm."";	
}

And yes! We just finished our script! go to example.html page and write something;

When you typing

If we don't type anything on this, we'll see like down here:


When you type none.


Like you see, "Button" is disabled when you type none. Because of it is DM variable of javascript.

If you want to see this project, you can click Demo!

We'll see you next article!

hook_help() function on Drupal: 'helping menu' for Our Module

We've learnt how to create a new module on Drupal before, here is How to create a new module! We'll been added new features on it after this article.

As first, we should explain what our module is. For that reason, can put a helping menu. We'd said there were so much functions on Drupal library, hook_help() is just one of'em. If we want to realize what this article says, must implements hook_help() function.

mymodule.module

* Implements hook_help().

*/

function honda_help($path, $arg) {

 if($path == 'admin/help#honda') { //The direction

  return t('<a href=honda/hrv>CLICK FAQ</a> for HONDA HR-V.'); //We help here! 

 }

}

When checked t() function out, can see that able to use HTML tags, here is <a href=honda/hrv>CLICK FAQ</a>.

Click the "help?"!

We'll see you next article!

Creating a Basic Drupal Module!

It is quite easy creating a drupal module. The rule what you have to know is just selecting the function you need to use. Because, Drupal has got so many functions that you can use. But before coding, we must create a folder for our module. This folder has two important files:

1. Mymodule (folder)
• mymodule.info (must)
• mymodule.module (must)
• mymodule.inc

Let's view!

For step 1;

mymodule.info includes;

name = Honda HR-V //this is the name of the module
description = HONDA HR-V car is the best i have ever seen in this world! //the description
package = packageName //which package the module is in
core = 7.x //the core number
version = 7.8 //the version
files[] = honda.module //files that'll include to
dependencies[] = views //the modules which we must include

 

For step 2;

mymodule.module details are;

When we code a module of Drupal, we should know how to use the PHP tags. After the end of our code, we don't put the "<?>" tag on it.

function honda_menu() {
  $items['honda/hrv'] = array(
    'title' => 'Honda HR-V',
    'page callback' => 'honda_page',
    'access arguments' => array('access content'),
    'file' => 'honda.inc',
  );
  return $items;
}

 Please check "honda/hrv" out. This is the direction we go on the browser. If we click this, it's going to start on "honda.inc" page. Here is one of the most important things we have to know on drupal, is the way of how Drupal's work. "honda_page" is a function actually. When the module opened, this function'll be started.

For step 3;

Then let me show you the page which's name is honda.inc:

function honda_page() {
  return t('This is the first module i created!');
}

As you see here, we've never used the ending tag ,"? >".

This honda_page function's been used before When we coding mymodule.module page, page callback.

By the way, you may ask me what the "t" is. t() is a function that used on drupal. This method handles the outputting works including the multilingual operations.

If you want to see more information about t() function, you can visit official web site, here is api.drupal.org/t .

We'll see you next article!