Alter a select form using preprocess function

Question

For some reason I want to alter the value of a select list in an exposed form of views .

I've added this code to the template.php and also Clear the cache :

function mytheme_preprocess_views_exposed_form(&$vars) {
  $myviewID = 'views-exposed-form-ouvrage-page';
    if ($vars['form']['#id'] == $myviewID){
      foreach($vars['form']['field_categorie_tid']["#options"] as $option_term){
        $optionterm = $optionterm."test";
       }
     }
}

After this with devel themer I can see the changes that I've mad but when I clear the cache the changes dosen't take in the select list

am I missing something ? I'm new with preprocess function

Answer 1

In your foreach loop, $option_term is a copy of the current variable returned from the iteration. If you want to change the original variable (i.e. what's in $vars['form']['field_categorie_tid']['#options'][index]) then you need to pass it by reference:

foreach($vars['form']['field_categorie_tid']["#options"] as &$option_term){
    $option_term .= 'test';
}

Or refer to the array member explicitly like so:

foreach($vars['form']['field_categorie_tid']["#options"] as $key => $option_term){
    $vars['form']['field_categorie_tid']["#options"][$key] .= 'test';
}

I generally prefer the second method as passing variables by reference in this way can sometimes cause some strange behaviour.

You also had a slight code error, the variable is called $option_term in your loop declaration but $optionterm in the loop body.

Just FYI, template preprocess functions are really not the best place for this sort of code. You would be far better off using hook_form_alter().