drupal_render($form) not rendering a form

Question

I wonder if anyone has found a solution to the problem I'm seeing. I've built a very simple "beginner's form" in drupal.

function simple_nameform() {
    $form = array(
        '#method'           => 'post',
        '#prefix'           => '<div class="staf">',
        '#suffix'           => '</div>',
        'your_name'         => array(
            '#title'        => t('Your Name'),
            '#type'         => 'textfield',
            '#description'  => t('Please enter your name')
        ),
        'submit'            => array(
            '#type'         => 'submit',
            '#value'        => t('submit')
        )
    );
    return $form;
}

I've put this form in a module, with info, I've enabled the block in admin. When I'm on the main page render I run the commands

<div class="simple_overlay" id="simple">
    <h1>Send to a Friend</h1>
    <?php
        $output = drupal_get_form('simple_nameform');
        drupal_render($output);
    ?>
</div>
<pre> 
<?php // debug purposes only
          print_r($output); 
    ?>
</pre>

The form does not appear to render from the "drupal_render" line, however, the $output variable is most definitely full of something that looks very much like it might be a drupal form.

(it's a huge array filled with my form elements. at parts it even manages to render some of the elements to page correctly).

Anyone with an idea of what I've missed?

Answer 1

Try:

<?php print render(drupal_get_form('simple_nameform')); ?>

Answer 2

EDIT -- My original answer was incorrect in that it applies to Drupal 6.

it seems that the form builder function in D7 needs 2 arguments, $form and $form_state

<?php
function simple_nameform($form, &$form_state) {
/...
?>

I wonder if the _valdiate and _submit function aren't also required, as they are present in the D7 example here: http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--form.inc/group/form_api/7

if that doesn't work, try using hook_forms() to register your form with a module

---

original solution for D6

<?php 
$output = drupal_get_form('simple_nameform');
print $output;
?>

drupal_get_form returns a rendered form. notice the last line here: drupal_get_form()

also, unrelated, you probably need to add a line to your submit button:

<?php

        'submit'            => array(
            '#type'         => 'submit',
            '#value'        => t('submit'),
            '#executes_submit_callback' => true
        )
?>

and to make debugging easier, try this:

<?php // debug purposes only
          drupal_set_message("<pre>".print_r($output,true)."</pre>"); 
?>

(the 2nd arg of print_r makes it return inline instead of pooping at the top of your document.)