How can I create a customised add/node form in D7?

Question

How can I create a customised add/node form in D7?

I am not talking about a form for gathering information that is not content for the site, like an event registration form. I'm talking about the node/add form where you create content for your site.

What I want to replicate is just some simple html tables, arranged together, and some css to make it look good. Lots of boxes in which to insert numbers, mainly, a few drop-downs and text fields too. Imagine you navigate to node/add/scorecard and something like this appears:

Thanks.

SOLUTION

This is the solution I have arrived at:

(1) Create a module (.INFO and .MODULE files).

(2) Implement hook_menu (in your new module) to create a url and page where the form is to reside.

(3) Add a function to render the HTML of the form using drupal_get_form.

(4) Add a form builder function and construct your form using an array called $form (see form API for details).

(5) Add a submit button at the end of your form.

(6) To make the form look the way you want it to there are several methods: (i) create a theme function to add to the elements of $form; (ii) use #prefix and #suffix properties to add additional HTML and CSS ids/classes to the rendered form; (iii) manipulate the many ids/classes, rendered by drupal_get_form, with CSS; (iv) use the #markup properties to add additional HTML and CSS ids/classes to the rendered form (not recommended). I used a combination of (ii) and (iii). I could not work out how to do (i) but it is probably the 'most correct' method.

(7) Add a validation function.

(8) Add a submit function using node_save (for nodes) and drupal_write_record (for fields) to insert your form values into the relevant database tables: node, field_data_field_my_field etc.

Answer 1

you may try using Webform module.

Webform is a module that aids in making various one-off forms such as contact forms, surveys, order forms, reservations, CRM requests, and more.

To install the module, download the module and add it to your sites/all/modules directory. Enable it under /admin/build/modules.

You will now have a new node type called "Webform". From there you simply give the webform a title, description, confirmation message, set up email settings and the like.

Finally, you can add several components (think fields). There are several component types available: fieldset, pagebreaks, grid, textarea, textfield, select (checkboxes, pulldown lists), email addresses and more.

Here's the documentation. Let me know if you need more information.

-------------------- UPDATE ----------------------

To customize the HTML of the form you can copy the file webform-form.tpl.php and copy it into you template. Inside there is the array $form['submit'] that contains the compontents of the form. write dsm($form['submit']) and it will print the compontents. Then you may do something like

<div class="my_class" id="my_id">
<?php print render($form['submit']['YOUR_FIELD']); ?>
</div>

Then you may want to assign this template to that node, so it will be webform-form-NID.tpl.php

Answer 2

You can certainly use modules like Webform, but if you are truly looking for a customized form - two options based on what you are trying to do.

1. If this is customizing an existing form (like node add form?) - use hook_form_alter().
2. If this is a brand new form, use hook_menu()

Answer 3

Use Entityform Types. That way, you will have more control. It has custom fields, and it integrates with the Views module.