Customizing edit forms for entitiesfor Drupal 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11

In Drupal, customizing edit forms for entities empowers administrators and users by optimizing their interactions with different content types. This lesson will guide you through the process of tailoring the edit forms, focusing on how you can enhance the user experience by adjusting form elements, layouts, and dynamic behaviors.

Why Customize Edit Forms?

Customizing edit forms is about more than just aesthetics. It provides a more focused and efficient workflow for users managing content, especially for entities that require complex interactions. Custom forms can streamline input processes, hide unnecessary fields from users, and improve usability with conditional logic.

Steps to Customize Entity Edit Forms

Let’s continue with our Fruit example from the previous lesson. We will customize the edit form of the Fruit entity to include additional logic and UI enhancements.

Step 1: Extend the Form Class

Start by creating a new form class that extends the existing form management for your entity:

// In src/Form/FruitEditForm.php
namespace Drupal\fruit_module\Form;

use Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface;

/**
 * Form controller for the Fruit entity edit forms.
 */
class FruitEditForm extends FruitForm {

  public function form(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
    $form = parent::form($form, $form_state);

    // Add logic for editing the existing 'Fruit' entity, adjusting fields as needed.
    // Add a description field that appears conditionally.
    $form['description'] = [
      '#type' => 'textarea',
      '#title' => $this->t('Description'),
      '#description' => $this->t('Provide a description if this fruit is rare.'),
      '#states' => [
        'visible' => [
          ':input[name="rare"]' => ['checked' => TRUE],
        ],
      ],
    ];

    // Add a boolean checkbox to trigger conditional logic.
    $form['rare'] = [
      '#type' => 'checkbox',
      '#title' => $this->t('Rare Fruit'),
      '#description' => $this->t('Check if this fruit is rare'),
    ];

    return $form;
  }

  public function save(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
    $entity = $this->entity;
    $status = $entity->save();

    switch ($status) {
      case SAVED_UPDATED:
        drupal_set_message($this->t('The %label Fruit has been updated.', ['%label' => $entity->label()]));
        break;

      default:
        drupal_set_message($this->t('Saved the %label Fruit.', ['%label' => $entity->label()]));
    }

    $form_state->setRedirect('entity.fruit.collection');
  }
}

Step 2: Adjust the Routing to Use the Custom Form

Ensure that the custom edit form is used in the routing file. Update the fruit.routing.yml to point to the new form class:

entity.fruit.edit_form:
  path: '/admin/content/fruit/{fruit}/edit'
  defaults:
    _entity_form: fruit.edit
    _title: 'Edit Fruit'
  requirements:
    _entity_access: fruit.update

The form handler now directs to the FruitEditForm class, where your custom logic resides.

Step 3: Test and Refine the User Experience

After implementing customizations, interact with the edit form in your Drupal site. Pay attention to the conditional logic, ensuring it provides a seamless user experience. Continuously refine the form based on user feedback, aiming to simplify complex tasks and present only relevant information.

Summary

Customizing entity edit forms in Drupal is a powerful way to enhance user interaction and streamline administrative tasks. By adjusting form elements and introducing dynamic behaviors, developers can create a user-friendly experience tailored to the specific needs of their site.

Teaser for the Next Lesson

Our next lesson will delve into adding entity-specific validation logic, ensuring data integrity and consistency when users interact with custom forms. Stay tuned to learn how to keep your data clean and reliable!