From f7b2913231ee632d8ab3fbbbfb29f0205fd9ba18 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ward Bell Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:41:09 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] (docs) devguide forms improved by looking at DART version closes #425 --- .../forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html | 2 +- .../forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts | 7 +- public/docs/ts/latest/guide/forms.jade | 268 +++++++++--------- .../forms/control-state-transitions-anim.gif | Bin 0 -> 226076 bytes 4 files changed, 142 insertions(+), 135 deletions(-) create mode 100644 public/resources/images/devguide/forms/control-state-transitions-anim.gif diff --git a/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html b/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html index ed07b487f5..9555882a95 100644 --- a/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html +++ b/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html @@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ - TODO: remove this: {{spy.className}} +
TODO: remove this: {{spy.className}} diff --git a/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts b/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts index 672c9fc0f2..bc82817571 100644 --- a/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts +++ b/public/docs/_examples/forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts @@ -1,16 +1,13 @@ // #docplaster // #docregion // #docregion first, final -import {Component, CORE_DIRECTIVES, FORM_DIRECTIVES} from 'angular2/angular2'; +import {Component} from 'angular2/angular2'; import { Hero } from './hero'; @Component({ selector: 'hero-form', - templateUrl: 'app/hero-form.component.html', - // #docregion directives - directives: [CORE_DIRECTIVES, FORM_DIRECTIVES] - // #enddocregion + templateUrl: 'app/hero-form.component.html' }) export class HeroFormComponent { diff --git a/public/docs/ts/latest/guide/forms.jade b/public/docs/ts/latest/guide/forms.jade index 1e8d70311f..b1bc9d481c 100644 --- a/public/docs/ts/latest/guide/forms.jade +++ b/public/docs/ts/latest/guide/forms.jade @@ -18,29 +18,29 @@ include ../../../../_includes/_util-fns We will build a simple form from scratch, one step at a time. Along the way we'll learn - - how to build an Angular form with a component and template + - How to build an Angular form with a component and template - - the `ng-model` two-way data binding syntax for reading and writing values to input controls + - The `ng-model` two-way data binding syntax for reading and writing values to input controls - - the `ng-control` directive to track the change state and validity of form controls + - The `ng-control` directive to track the change state and validity of form controls - - the special CSS classes that `ng-control` adds to form controls and how we can use them to provide strong visual feedback + - The special CSS classes that `ng-control` adds to form controls and how we can use them to provide strong visual feedback - - how to display validation errors to users and enable/disable form controls + - How to display validation errors to users and enable/disable form controls - - how to share information across controls with template local variables + - How to share information across controls with template local variables .l-main-section :marked ## Template-Driven Forms Many of us will build forms by writing templates in the Angular [template syntax](./template-syntax.html) with - the form-specific Directives and techniques described in this chapter. + the form-specific directives and techniques described in this chapter. .l-sub-section :marked That's not the only way to create a form but it's the way we'll cover in this chapter. :marked - We can build almost any form we need with an Angular template ... login forms, contact forms ... pretty much any business forms. + We can build almost any form we need with an Angular template $mdash; login forms, contact forms ... pretty much any business forms. We can lay out the controls creatively, bind them to data, specify validation rules and display validation errors, conditionally enable or disable specific controls, trigger built-in visual feedback, and much more. @@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ include ../../../../_includes/_util-fns We'll discuss and learn to build the following template-driven form: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-1.png" alt="Clean Form") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-1.png" width="400px" alt="Clean Form") :marked Here at the *Hero Employment Agency* we use this form to maintain personal information about the @@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ figure.image-display If we delete the hero name, the form displays a validation error in an attention grabbing style: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-2.png" alt="Invalid, Name Required") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-2.png" width="400px" alt="Invalid, Name Required") :marked Note that the submit button is disabled and the "required" bar to the left of the input control changed from green to red. @@ -95,20 +95,23 @@ figure.image-display That describes well our `Hero` class with its three required fields (`id`, `name`, `power`) and one optional field (`alterEgo`). - Create a new file called `hero.ts` and give it the following class definition: + Create a new file in the app folder called `hero.ts` and give it the following class definition: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero.ts') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero.ts', null, 'hero.ts') :marked It's an anemic model with few requirements and no behavior. Perfect for our demo. The TypeScript compiler generates a public field for each `public` constructor parameter and - assigns the parameter’s value to that field automatically when we create new heroes like this: + assigns the parameter’s value to that field automatically when we create new heroes. + + The `alterEgo` is optional and the constructor lets us omit it; note the (?) in `alterEgo?`. + + We can create a new hero like this: ``` let myHero = new Hero(42, 'SkyDog', 'Fetch any object at any distance', 'Leslie Rollover'); console.log('My hero is called ' + myHero.name); // "My hero is called SkyDog" ``` - The `alterEgo` is optional and the constructor lets us omit it; note the (?) in `alterEgo?`. .l-main-section :marked @@ -120,17 +123,14 @@ figure.image-display Create a new file called `hero-form.component.ts` and give it the following definition: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts', 'first') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts', 'first', 'app/hero-form.component.ts (v.1)') :marked - There’s nothing special about this component, nothing to distinguish it from any component we've written before, - nothing form-specific about it ... except, perhaps, the tell-tale `FORM_DIRECTIVES` import. + There’s nothing special about this component, nothing form-specific, nothing to distinguish it from any component we've written before. Understanding this component requires only the Angular 2 concepts we’ve learned in previous chapters - 1. We import a standard set of symbols from the Angular library. - We don't have a template yet but we usually import `CORE_DIRECTIVES` and it doesn't surprise us to - import something called `FORM_DIRECTIVES`, given that we'll be writing a form + 1. We import the `Component` decorator from the Angular library as we usually do. 1. The `@Component` selector value of "hero-form" means we can drop this form in a parent template with a `` tag. @@ -144,15 +144,17 @@ figure.image-display 1. We threw in a `diagnostic` property at the end to return a JSON representation of our model. It'll help us see what we're doing during our development; we've left ourselves a cleanup note to discard it later. - We may wonder why we aren't writing the template inline in the component file as we have often done - elsewhere in the Developer Guide. + Why don't we write the template inline in the component file as we often do + elsewhere in the Developer Guide? - There is no “right” answer for all occasions. We kind of like inline templates when they are short. + There is no “right” answer for all occasions. We like inline templates when they are short. Most form templates won't be short. TypeScript and JavaScript files generally aren't the best place to write (or read) large stretches of HTML and few editors are much help with files that have a mix of HTML and code. We also like short files with a clear and obvious purpose like this one. - We made a good choice to put the HTML template elsewhere. Let's write it. + We made a good choice to put the HTML template elsewhere. + We'll write that template in a moment. Before we do, we'll take a step back + and revise the `app.ts` to make use of our new `HeroFormComponent`. .l-main-section :marked @@ -161,7 +163,7 @@ figure.image-display `app.ts` is the application's root component. It will host our new `HeroFormComponent`. Replace the contents of the "QuickStart" version with the following: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/app.ts') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/app.ts', null, 'app.ts') :marked .l-sub-section @@ -181,43 +183,41 @@ figure.image-display Create a new template file called `hero-form.component.html` and give it the following definition: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'start') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'start', 'app/hero-form.component.html (v.1)') :marked That is plain old HTML 5. We're presenting two of the `Hero` fields, `name` and `alterEgo`, and opening them up for user input in input boxes. - The "Name" `` control has the HTML5 `required` attribute; - the "Alter Ego" `` control does not because `alterEgo` is optional. + The *Name* `` control has the HTML5 `required` attribute; + the *Alter Ego* `` control does not because `alterEgo` is optional. - We've got a "Submit" button at the bottom with some classes on it. + We've got a *Submit* button at the bottom with some classes on it. **We are not using Angular yet**. There are no bindings. No extra directives. Just layout. - The `container`,`form-group`, `form-control`, and `btn` classes are CSS Bootstrap. Purely cosmetic. + The `container`,`form-group`, `form-control`, and `btn` classes + come from [Twitter Boostrap](http://getbootstrap.com/css/). Purely cosmetic. We're using Bootstrap to gussy up our form. Hey, what's a form without a little style! -.l-sub-section - :marked - Since we're using [CSS Boostrap](http://getbootstrap.com/css/). - now might be a good time to install it into our project. - We can do that with npm. - - Open a terminal window and enter the command: - code-example(language="html" escape="html"). - npm install bootstrap - :marked -
Open the `index.html` and add the following line wherever we like to put our CSS - +makeExample('forms/ts/src/index.html', 'bootstrap')(format=".") - .callout.is-important - header Angular Forms Does Not Require A Style Library + header Angular Forms Do Not Require A Style Library :marked Angular makes no use of the `container`, `form-group`, `form-control`, and `btn` classes or - the styles of any external library. We are welcome to use the CSS library we choose + the styles of any external library. Angular apps can use any CSS library ... or none at all. +:marked + Let's add the stylesheet. + +ol + li Open a terminal window and enter the command: + code-example(language="html" escape="html"). + npm install bootstrap --save + li Open index.html and add the following link to the <head>. + +makeExample('forms/ts/src/index.html', 'bootstrap')(format=".") +:marked .l-main-section :marked ## Add Powers with ***ng-for** @@ -226,10 +226,10 @@ figure.image-display We'll add a `select` to our form and bind the options to the `powers` list using `NgFor`, - a technique we might have seen before in the ["Displaying Data"](./displaying-data.html) chapter. + a technique we might have seen before in the [Displaying Data](./displaying-data.html) chapter. - Add the following HTML *immediately below* the "Alter Ego" group. -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'powers') + Add the following HTML *immediately below* the *Alter Ego* group. ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'powers', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)') :marked We are repeating the `` tag for each power in the list of Powers. @@ -239,17 +239,16 @@ figure.image-display .l-main-section :marked ## Two-way data binding with ***ng-model** - We might be disappointed if we ran the app right now. + Running the app right now would be disappointing. figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-3.png" alt="Early form with no binding") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hf-3.png" width="400px" alt="Early form with no binding") :marked - We quickly realize that we are not binding to the `Hero` yet. + We don't see hero data because we are not binding to the `Hero` yet. We know how to do that from earlier chapters. - We learned show data on screen with a Property Binding in "[Displaying Data](./displaying-data.html)". - We learned to listen for DOM events with an - Event Binding and how to extract values from the screen - in "[User Input](./user-input.html)". + [Displaying Data](./displaying-data.html) taught us Property Binding. + [User Input](./user-input.html) showed us how to listen for DOM events with an + Event Binding and how to update a component property with the displayed value. Now we need to display, listen, and extract at the same time. @@ -270,54 +269,48 @@ figure.image-display :marked Focus on the binding syntax: `[(ng-model)]="..."`. - If we ran the app right now and started typing in the "Name" input box, + If we ran the app right now and started typing in the *Name* input box, adding and deleting characters, we'd see them appearing and disappearing from the interpolated text. At some point it might look like this. figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-model-in-action.png" alt="ng-model in action") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-model-in-action.png" width="400px" alt="ng-model in action") :marked The diagnostic is evidence that we really are flowing values from the input box to the model and back again. **That's two-way data binding!** - Let's add similar `[(ng-model)]` bindings to "Alter Ego" and "Hero Power". + Let's add similar `[(ng-model)]` bindings to *Alter Ego* and *Hero Power*. We'll ditch the input box binding message and add a new binding at the top to the component's `diagnostic` property. - Then we can confirm that we are in fact two-way data binding *to the entire Hero model*. + Then we can confirm that two-way data binding works *for the entire Hero model*. After revision the core of our form should have three `[(ng-model)]` bindings that look much like this: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ng-model-2') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ng-model-2', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)') :marked - If we ran the app right now and made a bunch of changes at some point it might look like this. + If we ran the app right now and changed every Hero model property, the form might display like this: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-model-in-action-2.png" alt="ng-model in super action") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-model-in-action-2.png" width="400px" alt="ng-model in super action") :marked - We've changed every Hero model property and the diagnostic near the top of the form - confirms that our changes are reflected in the model. + The diagnostic near the top of the form + confirms that all of our changes are reflected in the model. ** We're done with the diagnostic binding. Delete it now.** -.alert.is-helpful - :marked - Although `NgModel` is officially a "Forms" directive we can use `[(ng-model)]` and two-way binding outside of forms too. -:marked - ## Inside [(ng-model)] - Do we *really want* to know? If we're just happy that it works, move on to the next topic in this chapter. - - Otherwise, stick around for this note. - .l-sub-section :marked + ### Inside [(ng-model)] + *This section is an optional deep dive into [(ng-model)]. Not interested? Skip ahead!* + The punctuation in the binding syntax, [()], is a good clue to what's going on. - We write a Property Binding to flow data from the model to a target property on screen. + In a Property Binding, a value flows from the model to a target property on screen. We identify that target property by surrounding its name in brackets, []. This is a one-way data binding **from the model to the view**. - We write an Event Binding to flow data from the target property on screen to the model. + In an Event Binding, we flow the value from the target property on screen to the model. We identify that target property by surrounding its name in parentheses, (). This is a one-way data binding in the opposite direction **from the view to the model**. @@ -331,18 +324,18 @@ figure.image-display :marked
The Property Binding should feel familiar. The Event Binding might seem strange. - The name `ng-model-change` is not an event we recognize. - It is a real event property ... of the `NgModel` directive. + The `ng-model-change` is not an `` element event. + It is actually an event property of the `NgModel` directive. When Angular sees a binding target in the form [(abc)], it expects the `abc` directive to have an `abc` input property and an `abc-change` output property. The other oddity is the template expression, `model.name = $event`. We're used to seeing an `$event` object coming from a DOM event. The `ng-model-change` property doesn't produce a DOM event; it's an Angular `EventEmitter` - property that returns the input box value when it fires ... which is precisely what + property that returns the input box value when it fires — which is precisely what we should assign to the model's `name' property. - Nice to know but is it practical? We'd always prefer the `[(ng-model)]`. + Nice to know but is it practical? We almost always prefer `[(ng-model)]`. We might split the binding if we had to do something special in the event handling such as debounce or throttle the key strokes. @@ -362,10 +355,8 @@ figure.image-display The `NgControl` is one of a family of `NgForm` directives that can only be applied to a control within a ` tag. :marked - Our application can ask an `NgControl` instance if - * the user touched the control (`ng-touched` | `ng-untouched`) - * the value changed (`ng-pristine` | `ng-dirty`) - * is the value is valid (`ng-valid` | `ng-invalid`) + Our application can ask an `NgControl` if the user touched the control, + if the value changed, or if the value became invalid. `NgControl` doesn't just track state; it updates the control with special Angular CSS classes from the set we listed above. @@ -373,9 +364,9 @@ figure.image-display control and make messages appear or disappear. We'll explore those effects soon. Right now - we should **add `ng-control`to all three of our form controls**, - starting with the "Name" input box -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ng-control-1') + we should **add `ng-control`to all three form controls**, + starting with the *Name* input box ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ng-control-1', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)') :marked Be sure to assign a unique name to each `ng-control` directive. @@ -384,34 +375,54 @@ figure.image-display Angular registers controls under their `ng-control` names with the `NgForm`. We didn't add the `NgForm` directive explicitly but it's here - and we'll talk it [later in this chapter](#ng-form). + and we'll talk about it [later in this chapter](#ng-form). .l-main-section :marked ## Add Custom CSS for Visual Feedback - `NgControl` doesn't just track state. It updates the control with three classes, one - each from the following pairs of Angular form CSS classes. - * control visited: (`ng-touched` | `ng-untouched`) - * value changed: (`ng-pristine` | `ng-dirty`) - * validity: (`ng-valid` | `ng-invalid`) - + `NgControl` doesn't just track state. + It updates the control with three classes that reflect the state. + +table + tr + th State + th Class if true + th Class if false + tr + td Control has been visited + td ng-touched + td ng-untouched + tr + td Control's value has changed + td ng-dirty + td ng-pristine + tr + td Control's value is valid + td ng-valid + td ng-invalid +:marked Let's add a temporary [local template variable](./template-syntax.html#local-vars) named **spy** - to the "Name" `` tag and use the spy to display those classes with an interpolation binding. + to the "Name" `` tag and use the spy to display those classes. +makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ng-control-2') :marked - If we ran the app, focused our attention on the "Name" input box, and followed the next four steps *precisely* + Now run the app and focus on the *Name* input box. + Follow the next four steps *precisely* 1. Look but don't touched 1. Click in the input box, then click outside the text input box 1. Add slashes to the end of the name 1. Erase the name - ... we would see the following four sets of class names and their transitions: + The actions and effects are as follows: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-control-class-changes.png" alt="Invalid Form") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/control-state-transitions-anim.gif" alt="Control State Transition") +:marked + We should be able to see the following four sets of class names and their transitions: +figure.image-display + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-control-class-changes.png" width="400px" alt="Control State Transitions") :marked The (`ng-valid` | `ng-invalid`) pair are most interesting to us. We want to send a @@ -420,18 +431,18 @@ figure.image-display We realize we can do both at the same time with a colored bar on the left of the input box: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/validity-required-indicator.png" alt="Invalid Form") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/validity-required-indicator.png" width="400px" alt="Invalid Form") :marked We achieve this effect by adding two styles to a new `styles.css` file that we add to our project as a sibling to `index.html`. -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/styles.css') ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/styles.css',null,'styles.css') :marked These styles select for the two Angular validity classes and the HTML 5 "required" attribute. We update the `` of the `index.html` to include this style sheet. -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/index.html', 'styles')(format=".") ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/index.html', 'styles', 'index.html (excerpt)')(format=".") :marked ## Show and Hide Validation Error messages @@ -443,15 +454,19 @@ figure.image-display Here's the way it should look when the user deletes the name: figure.image-display - img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/name-required-error.png" alt="Name required") + img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/name-required-error.png" width="400px" alt="Name required") :marked To achieve this effect we extend the `` tag with 1. a [local template variable](./template-syntax.html#local-vars) 1. the "*is required*" message in a nearby `
` which we'll display only if the control is invalid. - Here's how we do it for the "name" input box: -+makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', 'name-with-error-msg') + Here's how we do it for the *name* input box: +-var stylePattern = { otl: /(#name="form")|(.*div.*$)|(Name is required)/gm }; ++makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.html', + 'name-with-error-msg', + 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)', + stylePattern) :marked We initialized the template local variable with the word "form" (`#name="form"`) @@ -465,16 +480,13 @@ figure.image-display .l-sub-section :marked + ### The NgForm directive Recall from the previous section that `ng-control` registered this input box with the `NgForm` directive as "name". We didn't add the **[`NgForm`](../api/core/NgForm-class.html) directive** explicitly. - Angular added it surreptiously, wrapping it around the `
` element when we - told the `HeroFormComponent` to use the `FORM_DIRECTIVES` like this + Angular added it surreptiously, wrapping it around the `` element - +makeExample('forms/ts/src/app/hero-form.component.ts', 'directives') -
- :marked The `NgForm` directive supplements the `form` element with additional features. It collects `Controls` (elements identified by an `ng-control` directive) and monitors their properties including their validity. @@ -483,11 +495,11 @@ figure.image-display In this example, we are pulling the "name" control out of its `controls` collection and assigning it to the template local variable so that we can - access the control's properties ... such as the control's own `valid` property. + access the control's properties — such as the control's own `valid` property. :marked - The "AlterEgo" is optional so we can leave that be. + The Hero *Alter Ego* is optional so we can leave that be. - "Power" selection is required. + Hero *Power* selection is required. We can add the same kind of error handling to the `