Can't use node_page_edit in ajax callback function

Question

I have an ajax callback function:

function mymodule_callback($form, &$form_state) {   
    $nid = $form_state['build_info']['args'][0]->nid;
    $node = node_load($nid);

    module_load_include('inc', 'node', 'node.pages');
    $form = node_page_edit($node);
    return print_r($form, true);       
}

(Please note that I'm returning from print_r as I'm trying to debug the problem).

This callback is being run from a form submit:

function mymodule_form_{my_form_id}_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id) {
    $form['actions']['submit'] = array(
        '#type' => 'submit',
        '#value' => 'save',
        '#ajax' => array(
            'wrapper' => 'my-form-id',
            'method' => 'replace',
            'callback' => 'mymodule_callback',
            'effect' => 'fade'
        ),
        '#submit' => array('node_form_submit'),
    );       
}

When I submit the form I get an AJAX error which says 'cannot unset string offsets' in field.default.inc. I know that the node_page_edit function is causing it because when I remove it the error doesn't happen.

Interestingly, if I press the submit button again straight after getting this error, it works - and the full structure of the form is loaded in to my div.

Why doesn't it work the first time and how do I fix it?

Answer 1

My solution:

/* Drupal caches all ids of form elements and when ajax request happen, this
 * results in the new form have id's appended with --2 --3 etc, so css breaks.
 * Unsetting this makes the ids always the same. Maybe hook_init is not the best
 * place for this, but for now it works.
 */
function mymodule_init() {
    if(isset($_POST['ajax_html_ids'])) {
        unset($_POST['ajax_html_ids']);
    }
}

function mymodule_form_{my_form_id}_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id) {    
    //only do the do if this is and ajax request   
    if (!empty($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) == 'xmlhttprequest') {
        $form['actions']['submit'] = array(
            '#type' => 'submit',
            '#value' => 'Save',
            '#ajax' => array(
                'wrapper' => 'my_form_id',
                'method' => 'replace',
                'callback' => 'mymodule_callback',
                'effect' => 'fade'
            ),
            '#submit' => array('node_form_submit'),
        );

        /* For some reason this _has_ to be in form_alter. Putting it in a submit
         * callback doesn't work. What this is doing is setting the changed time
         * of the form to be in the future, if we don't do this, when the form is
         * reloaded after a submit, it's not possible to submit the reloaded form
         * because Drupal thinks someone else has edited it (I think it checks
         * the last update time of the node VS this value). This adds a 5min window
         * where changes can still happen. It's not the best solution but I think
         * it will work.
         */        
        $form['changed']['#default_value'] = time() + 300;
    }
}

function mymodule_callback(&$form, &$form_state) {      
    $new_form = drupal_rebuild_form('my_form_id', $form_state, $form);
    $form_html = drupal_render($new_form);

    return $form_html;
}