Change form list default value

Question

I want to change the default -select a value- from a text list to a something like -please select a choice-

This is what I have:

  function project_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id){
    if($form['#id'] == 'edit-field-gen-list'){
    $form['field_gen_list']['#default_value'] = 'all';
    }
}

It's not picking up the value.

This is the HTML.

Answer 1

• In Drupal 8 type-hint $form_state with the FormStateInterface & do not pass it by reference:

  hook_form_alter(&$form, \Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface $form_state, $form_id)
  

  See hook_form_alter() for further reference.

• I see some confusion on your usage of the $form_id / $form['#id']. Dump your $form_id in the hook & see which is the correct form you want to alter. Because as others have mentioned already: edit-field-gen-list is not your form id but your field_gen_list field id. For example: the form id of the contact Website feedback is contact_message_feedback_form.

• Given the HTML in your question, your $form['field_gen_list']['widget']['#options'] will not have a key for 'all'. So adding that as default value will not work unless you add such a key value to the options array

  So instead try this:

  function project_form_alter(&$form, \Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface $form_state, $form_id)
  {
      kint($form_id, 'Find correct form id');
  
      if ($form_id == 'contact_message_feedback_form') { // Change this
  
          // Add an 'all' key value option
          $form['field_gen_list']['widget']['#options']['all'] = '- All -';
  
          // Set newly added key 'all' as default value
          $form['field_gen_list']['widget']['#default_value'] = 'all';
      }
  
  }
  

Answer 2

Try this:

function project_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id) {
  if ($form_id == 'edit-field-gen-list') {
    $form['field_gen_list']['#default_value'] = 'all';
  }
}

I'm not quite sure if the form element is in $form['field_gen_list'] though.

Answer 3

Can you try this:

$form['field_gen_list']['und']['#default_value'] = 'all';

Note: All is your key value on select list.

Hope this helps you.

Answer 4

In your code, replace the line $form['field_gen_list']['#default_value'] = 'all'; by:

// save the array of field options in a var.
$field_options = $form['field_gen_list']['und']['#options'];
// change the value of the '_none' key to the one you need.
$field_options['_none'] = '- please select a choice -';
// set the modified array of options as the options for this field
$form['field_gen_list']['und']['#options'] = $field_options;

That's it!!