Submit form after custom submit handler

Question

I'm trying to create my first module which essentially is a visitor sign-in system where each visitor is stored as a custom content type.

The user will be a visitor to our building who's able to input their name and who they are here to see (autocomplete field based on taxonomy terms). My custom module will then add a timestamp to the node, as well as email the person they are here to see.

Code is below:

function visitor_email_staff_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id){
    if ($form_id == 'visitor_sign_in_node_form'){
        $form['actions']['submit']['#submit'][0] = 'visitor_email_staff_my_custom_submit_handler';
    }
}

function visitor_email_staff_my_custom_submit_handler($form, &$form_state){

    $guestName = $form['field_visitors_name']['und'][0]['value']['#value'];
    $staffName = $form['field_tags']['und']['#value'];
    $visitorTitle = $guestName.' - '.time();

    $staffTaxonomy = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($staffName);

    foreach ($staffTaxonomy as $email) {
        $staffEmail =  $email->description; // email address
    }

    $form_state = array();
    $form_state['values']['title'] = $visitorTitle;
    $form_state['values']['field_visitors_name'] = $guestName;
    $form_state['values']['field_tags'] = $staffName;
    $form_state['values']['field_timestamp_in'] = time(); // timestamp
    $form_state['values']['field_timestamp_out'] = '';
    $form_state['values']['op'] = t('Save');

    drupal_form_submit('visitor_sign_in_node_form',$form_state);

}

The major issue I'm having at the moment is getting the data to save and submit... I keep getting the below errors:

Warning: Missing argument 3 for node_form() in node_form() (line 107 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.pages.inc).
Warning: Creating default object from empty value in node_form() (line 115 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.pages.inc).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in node_object_prepare() (line 981 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.module).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in _node_extract_type() (line 379 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.module).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in comment_node_prepare() (line 1298 of C:\www\xxx\modules\comment\comment.module).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in menu_node_prepare() (line 568 of C:\www\xxx\modules\menu\menu.module).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in _node_extract_type() (line 379 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.module).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in node_form() (line 294 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.pages.inc).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in node_form() (line 300 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.pages.inc).
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$type in node_form() (line 321 of C:\www\xxx\modules\node\node.pages.inc).
EntityMalformedException: Missing bundle property on entity of type node. in entity_extract_ids() (line 7922 of C:\www\xxx\includes\common.inc).

Am I going about this the wrong way? Should I be using something else instead of drupal_form_submit()?

Answer 1

Your close, however, I think there are two changes you'll need to make.

1. You'll need to add $form_state['bundle'] = "visitor_sign_in" to your $form_state array()
2. You'll need to pass an (object) $node as the third parameter to drupal_form_submit.

The changes might look something like this:

function visitor_email_staff_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id){
  if ($form_id == 'visitor_sign_in_node_form'){
    $form['actions']['submit']['#submit'][0] = 'visitor_email_staff_my_custom_submit_handler';
  }
}

function visitor_email_staff_my_custom_submit_handler($form, &$form_state){

  $guestName = $form['field_visitors_name']['und'][0]['value']['#value'];
  $staffName = $form['field_tags']['und']['#value'];
  $visitorTitle = $guestName.' - '.time();

  $staffTaxonomy = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($staffName);

  foreach ($staffTaxonomy as $email) {
    $staffEmail =  $email->description; // email address
  }

  $form_state = array();
  $form_state['values']['bundle'] = "visitor_sign_in";
  $form_state['values']['title'] = $visitorTitle;
  $form_state['values']['field_visitors_name'] = $guestName;
  $form_state['values']['field_tags'] = $staffName;
  $form_state['values']['field_timestamp_in'] = time(); // timestamp
  $form_state['values']['field_timestamp_out'] = '';
  $form_state['values']['op'] = t('Save');

  drupal_form_submit('visitor_sign_in_node_form', $form_state, (object)$node);

}