6. Form types and data transformers

The AdminBundle is shipped with custom form types and data transformers in order to handle the different model’s workflows and lifecycle.

6.1. Form types

• Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\Type\AdminType: this type is linked to an Admin class and the field construction is delegated to an Admin class,

• Sonata\Form\Type\CollectionType: this type works like the native CollectionType but contains two extra features:

  • the data layer is abstracted to work with any implemented layer,

  • a delete option is added so a collection entry can be deleted.

• Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\Type\ModelType: this type works like the native EntityType but this internal is abstracted to work with any implemented layer.

• Sonata\Form\Type\ImmutableArrayType: this type allows to edit a fixed array, like a settings array.

Let’s say, the object has settings properties:

class Page
{
    public $settings = [
        'content' => 'default content',
        'public' => true,
        'type' => 1
    ];
}

Now you can edit the settings array with:

namespace Sonata\PageBundle\Admin;

use Sonata\AdminBundle\Admin\AbstractAdmin;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\FormMapper;
use Sonata\Form\Type\ImmutableArrayType;

final class PageAdmin extends AbstractAdmin
{
    protected function configureFormFields(FormMapper $form): void
    {
        $form
            ->add('enabled')
            ->add('settings', ImmutableArrayType::class, [
                'keys' => [
                    ['content', 'textarea', []],
                    ['public', 'checkbox', []],
                    ['type', 'choice', ['choices' => [1 => 'type 1', 2 => 'type 2']]]
            ]);
    }
));

Then, the output will be:

Other options:

namespace Sonata\NewsBundle\Admin;

use Sonata\AdminBundle\Admin\AbstractAdmin;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\FormMapper;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\Type\ModelType;

use Application\Sonata\NewsBundle\Entity\Comment;

final class PostAdmin extends AbstractAdmin
{
    protected function configureFormFields(FormMapper $form): void
    {
        $form
            ->with('General')
                ->add('enabled', null, ['required' => false])
                ->add('author', ModelType::class, [], ['edit' => 'list'])
                ->add('title')
                ->add('abstract')
                ->add('content')
            ->end()
            ->with('Tags')
                ->add('tags', ModelType::class, ['expanded' => true])
            ->end()
            ->with('Options', ['collapsed' => true])
                ->add('commentsCloseAt')
                ->add('commentsEnabled', null, ['required' => false])
                ->add('commentsDefaultStatus', ChoiceType::class, [
                    'choices' => Comment::getStatusList()
                ])
            ->end()
        ;
    }
}

6.2. DataTransformer

• ArrayToModelTransformer: transform an array to an object,

• ModelsToArrayTransformer: transform a collection of array into a collection of object,

• ModelToIdTransformer: transform an id into an object.