how to render create page form & list of contents in page.tpl.php

Question

I am theming an admin page & I require to load/render admin forms in page.tpl.php file.
The final output should be somehow like the attached screenshot. Scroll below to see screenshot & code written in page.tpl.php.

<h1 class="page-title">Admin Page</h1>
<div class="content-left">
  <!--load list of all contents("/admin/content") -->
  <?php print drupal_render(drupal_get_form('node_admin_content')); ?>
</div>
<div class="content-right">
  <!-- add new content form here "/node/add/page") -->
  <?php print drupal_render(drupal_get_form('page_node_form')); ?>
</div>

I was searching for this solution & I came across this "print drupal_render()". Please suggest best solution for this. I have render same kind of pages in other tpl.php files.

Answer 1

It is recommended to render the forms either in preprocess function or in the custom module. Example of rendering the form in preprocess function:

function MYTHEME_preprocess_page(&$variables) {
  // Assigning node_admin_content form to the variable.
  $node_admin_content = drupal_render(drupal_get_form('node_admin_content'));
  $variables['node_admin_content'] = $node_admin_content;

  // Assigning page_node_form form to the variable.
  $page_node_form = drupal_render(drupal_get_form('page_node_form'));
  $variables['page_node_form'] = $page_node_form;
}

Now to render this form in page.tpl.php:

<h1 class="page-title">Admin Page</h1>
<div class="content-left">
  <!--load list of all contents("/admin/content") -->
  <?php print $node_admin_content; ?>
</div>
<div class="content-right">
  <!-- add new content form here "/node/add/page") -->
  <?php print $page_node_form; ?>
</div>