719 lines
		
	
	
		
			31 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Plaintext
		
	
	
	
	
	
			
		
		
	
	
			719 lines
		
	
	
		
			31 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Plaintext
		
	
	
	
	
	
include ../_util-fns
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:marked
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  We’ve all used a form to log in, submit a help request, place an order, book a flight,
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  schedule a meeting and perform countless other data entry tasks.
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  Forms are the mainstay of business applications.
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  Any seasoned web developer can slap together an HTML form with all the right tags.
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  It's more challenging to create a cohesive data entry experience that guides the
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  user efficiently and effectively through the workflow behind the form.
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  *That* takes design skills that are, to be frank, well out of scope for this guide.
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  It also takes framework support for
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  **two-way data binding, change tracking, validation, and error handling**
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  ... which we shall cover in this guide on Angular forms.
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  We will build a simple form from scratch, one step at a time. Along the way we'll learn how to
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  - build an Angular form with a component and template
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  - two-way data bind with `[(ngModel)]` syntax for reading and writing values to input controls
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  - track the change state and validity of form controls using `ngModel` in combination with a form
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  - provide strong visual feedback using special CSS classes that track the state of the controls
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  - display validation errors to users and enable/disable form controls
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  - use [template reference variables](./template-syntax.html#ref-vars) for sharing information among HTML elements
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  Run the <live-example></live-example>.
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.l-main-section
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:marked
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  ## Template-Driven Forms
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  Many of us will build forms by writing templates in the Angular [template syntax](./template-syntax.html) with
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  the form-specific directives and techniques described in this guide.
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.l-sub-section
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  :marked
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    That's not the only way to create a form but it's the way we'll cover in this guide.
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:marked
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  We can build almost any form we need with an Angular template — login forms, contact forms ... pretty much any business forms.
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  We can lay out the controls creatively, bind them to data, specify validation rules and display validation errors,
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  conditionally enable or disable specific controls, trigger built-in visual feedback, and much more.
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  It will be pretty easy because Angular handles many of the repetitive, boiler plate tasks we'd
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  otherwise wrestle with ourselves.
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  We'll discuss and learn to build the following template-driven form:
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figure.image-display
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  img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hero-form-1.png" width="400px" alt="Clean Form")
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:marked
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  Here at the *Hero Employment Agency* we use this form to maintain personal information about the
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  heroes in our stable. Every hero needs a job. It's our company mission to match the right hero with the right crisis!
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  Two of the three fields on this form are required. Required fields have a green bar on the left to make them easy to spot.
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  If we delete the hero name, the form displays a validation error in an attention grabbing style:
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figure.image-display
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  img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hero-form-2.png" width="400px" alt="Invalid, Name Required")
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:marked
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  Note that the submit button is disabled and the "required" bar to the left of the input control changed from green to red.
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.l-sub-section
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  p We'll customize the colors and location of the "required" bar with standard CSS.
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:marked
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  We will build this form in the following sequence of small steps
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  1. Create the `Hero` model class
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  1. Create the component that controls the form
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  1. Create a template with the initial form layout
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  1. Bind data properties to each form input control with the `ngModel` two-way data binding syntax
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  1. Add the `name` attribute to each form input control
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  1. Add custom CSS to provide visual feedback
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  1. Show and hide validation error messages
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  1. Handle form submission with **ngSubmit**
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  1. Disable the form’s submit button until the form is valid
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:marked
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  ## Setup
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  Follow the [setup](setup.html) instructions for creating a new project
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  named <span ngio-ex>angular-forms</span>.
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  ## Create the Hero Model Class
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  As users enter form data, we capture their changes and update an instance of a model.
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  We can't layout the form until we know what the model looks like.
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  A model can be as simple as a "property bag" that holds facts about a thing of application importance.
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  That describes well our `Hero` class with its three required fields (`id`, `name`, `power`)
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  and one optional field (`alterEgo`).
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  Create a new file in the app folder called `hero.ts` and give it the following class definition:
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero.ts', null, 'app/hero.ts')
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:marked
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  It's an anemic model with few requirements and no behavior. Perfect for our demo.
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  The TypeScript compiler generates a public field for each `public` constructor parameter and
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  assigns the parameter’s value to that field automatically when we create new heroes.
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  The `alterEgo` is optional and the constructor lets us omit it; note the (?) in `alterEgo?`.
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  We can create a new hero like this:
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code-example(format="").
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  let myHero =  new Hero(42, 'SkyDog',
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                         'Fetch any object at any distance',
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                         'Leslie Rollover');
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  console.log('My hero is called ' + myHero.name); // "My hero is called SkyDog"
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:marked
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.l-main-section
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:marked
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  ## Create a Form component
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  An Angular form has two parts: an HTML-based _template_ and a component _class_ 
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  to handle data and user interactions programmatically.
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  We begin with the class because it states, in brief, what the hero editor can do.
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  Create a new file called `hero-form.component.ts` and give it the following definition:
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.ts', 'first', 'app/hero-form.component.ts')
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:marked
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  There’s nothing special about this component, nothing form-specific, nothing to distinguish it from any component we've written before.
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  Understanding this component requires only the Angular concepts we’ve learned in previous guides
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  1. We import the `Component` decorator from the Angular library as we usually do.
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  1. We import the `Hero` model we just created.
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  1. The `@Component` selector value of "hero-form" means we can drop this form in a parent template with a `<hero-form>` tag.
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  1. The `moduleId: module.id` property sets the base for module-relative loading of the `templateUrl`.
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  1. The `templateUrl` property points to a separate file for the template HTML called `hero-form.component.html`.
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  1. We defined dummy data for `model` and `powers` as befits a demo.
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  Down the road, we can inject a data service to get and save real data
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  or perhaps expose these properties as [inputs and outputs](./template-syntax.html#inputs-outputs) for binding to a
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  parent component. None of this concerns us now and these future changes won't affect our form.
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  1. We threw in a `diagnostic` property at the end to return a JSON representation of our model.
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  It'll help us see what we're doing during our development; we've left ourselves a cleanup note to discard it later.
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  ### Why the separate template file?
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  Why don't we write the template inline in the component file as we often do elsewhere?
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  There is no “right” answer for all occasions. We like inline templates when they are short.
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  Most form templates won't be short. TypeScript and JavaScript files generally aren't the best place to
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  write (or read) large stretches of HTML and few editors are much help with files that have a mix of HTML and code.
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  We also like short files with a clear and obvious purpose like this one.
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  Form templates tend to be quite large even when displaying a small number of fields
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  so it's usually best to put the HTML template in a separate file.
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  We'll write that template file in a moment. Before we do, we'll take a step back
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  and revise the `app.module.ts` and `app.component.ts` to make use of the new `HeroFormComponent`.
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.l-main-section
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						||
:marked
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						||
  ## Revise the *app.module.ts*
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						||
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  `app.module.ts` defines the application's root module. In it we identify the external modules we'll use in our application
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  and declare the components that belong to this module, such as our `HeroFormComponent`.
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  Because template-driven forms are in their own module, we need to add the `FormsModule` to the array of
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  `imports` for our application module before we can use forms.
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  Replace the contents of the "QuickStart" version with the following:
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/app.module.ts', null, 'app/app.module.ts')
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:marked
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.l-sub-section
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  :marked
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    There are three changes:
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    1. We import `FormsModule` and our new `HeroFormComponent`.
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    1. We add the `FormsModule` to the list of `imports` defined in the `ngModule` decorator. This gives our application
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    access to all of the template-driven forms features, including `ngModel`.
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    1. We add the `HeroFormComponent` to the list of `declarations` defined in the `ngModule` decorator. This makes
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    the `HeroFormComponent` component visible throughout this module.
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.alert.is-important
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  :marked
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    If a component, directive, or pipe belongs to a module in the `imports` array, _DON'T_ re-declare it in the `declarations` array.
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    If you wrote it and it should belong to this module, _DO_ declare it in the `declarations` array.
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.l-main-section
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:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Revise the *app.component.ts*
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  `app.component.ts` is the application's root component. It will host our new `HeroFormComponent`.
 | 
						||
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  Replace the contents of the "QuickStart" version with the following:
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/app.component.ts', null, 'app/app.component.ts')
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:marked
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.l-sub-section
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  :marked
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    There is only one change. 
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    The `template` is simply the new element tag identified by the component's `selector` property.
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    This will display the hero form when the application component is loaded.
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.l-main-section
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:marked
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						||
  ## Create an initial HTML Form Template
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  Create a new template file called `hero-form.component.html` and give it the following definition:
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'start', 'app/hero-form.component.html')
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:marked
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						||
  That is plain old HTML 5. We're presenting two of the `Hero` fields, `name` and `alterEgo`, and
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  opening them up for user input in input boxes.
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  The *Name* `<input>` control has the HTML5 `required` attribute;
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  the *Alter Ego* `<input>` control does not because `alterEgo` is optional.
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  We've got a *Submit* button at the bottom with some classes on it for styling.
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  **We are not using Angular yet**. There are no bindings. No extra directives. Just layout.
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  The `container`, `form-group`, `form-control`, and `btn` classes
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  come from [Twitter Bootstrap](http://getbootstrap.com/css/). Purely cosmetic.
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  We're using Bootstrap to give the form a little style!
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.callout.is-important
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						||
  header Angular Forms Do Not Require A Style Library
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  :marked
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    Angular makes no use of the `container`, `form-group`, `form-control`, and `btn` classes or
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    the styles of any external library. Angular apps can use any CSS library
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    ... or none at all.
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:marked
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  Let's add the stylesheet.
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ol
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  li Open a terminal window in the application root folder and enter the command:
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    code-example(language="html" escape="html").
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      npm install bootstrap --save
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  li Open <code>index.html</code> and add the following link to the <code><head></code>.
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      +makeExample('forms/ts/index.html', 'bootstrap')(format=".")
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:marked
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.l-main-section
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:marked
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  ## Add Powers with ***ngFor**
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  Our hero may choose one super power from a fixed list of Agency-approved powers.
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  We maintain that list internally (in `HeroFormComponent`).
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  We'll add a `select` to our
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  form and bind the options to the `powers` list using `ngFor`,
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  a technique seen previously in the [Displaying Data](./displaying-data.html) guide.
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  Add the following HTML *immediately below* the *Alter Ego* group.
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'powers', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
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:marked
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  We are repeating the `<options>` tag for each power in the list of Powers.
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  The `pow` template input variable is a different power in each iteration;
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  we display its name using the interpolation syntax with the double-curly-braces.
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.l-main-section#ngModel
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:marked
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  ## Two-way data binding with **_ngModel_**
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						||
  Running the app right now would be disappointing.
 | 
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figure.image-display
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						||
  img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/hero-form-3.png" width="400px" alt="Early form with no binding")
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:marked
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  We don't see hero data because we are not binding to the `Hero` yet.
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  We know how to do that from earlier guides.
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  [Displaying Data](./displaying-data.html) taught us Property Binding.
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  [User Input](./user-input.html) showed us how to listen for DOM events with an
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  Event Binding and how to update a component property with the displayed value.
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  Now we need to display, listen, and extract at the same time.
 | 
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 | 
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  We could use those techniques again in our form.
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  Instead we'll introduce something new, the `[(ngModel)]` syntax, that
 | 
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  makes binding our form to the model super-easy.
 | 
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 | 
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  Find the `<input>` tag for the "Name" and update it like this
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+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ngModelName-1','app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
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.l-sub-section
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  :marked
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    We appended a diagnostic interpolation after the input tag
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    so we can see what we're doing.
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						||
    We left ourselves a note to throw it away when we're done.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
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						||
  Focus on the binding syntax: `[(ngModel)]="..."`.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  If we run the app right now and started typing in the *Name* input box,
 | 
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  adding and deleting characters, we'd see them appearing and disappearing
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  from the interpolated text.
 | 
						||
  At some point it might look like this.
 | 
						||
figure.image-display
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						||
  img(src="/resources/images/devguide/forms/ng-model-in-action.png" width="400px" alt="ngModel 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!**
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Notice that we also added a `name` attribute to our `<input>` tag and set it to "name"
 | 
						||
  which makes sense for the hero's name. Any unique value will do, but using a descriptive name is helpful.
 | 
						||
  Defining a `name` attribute is a requirement when using `[(ngModel)]` in combination with a form.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    Internally Angular creates `FormControls` and registers them with an `NgForm` directive that Angular
 | 
						||
    attached to the `<form>` tag. Each `FormControl` is registered under the name we assigned to the `name` attribute.
 | 
						||
    We'll talk about `NgForm` [later in this guide](#ngForm).
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Let's add similar `[(ngModel)]` bindings and `name` attributes 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 two-way data binding works *for the entire hero model*.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  After revision the core of our form should have three `[(ngModel)]` bindings and `name` attributes that
 | 
						||
  look much like this:
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ngModel-2', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    - Each input element has an `id` property that is used by the `label` element's `for` attribute
 | 
						||
    to match the label to its input control.
 | 
						||
    - Each input element has a `name` property that is required by Angular Forms to register the control with the form.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  If we run 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" width="400px" alt="ngModel in super action")
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  The diagnostic near the top of the form
 | 
						||
  confirms that all of our changes are reflected in the model.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  **Delete** the `{{diagnostic}}` binding at the top as it has served its purpose.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    ### Inside _[(ngModel)]_
 | 
						||
    *This section is an optional deep dive into [(ngModel)]. Not interested? Skip ahead!*
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    The punctuation in the binding syntax, <span style="font-family:courier"><b>[()]</b></span>, is a good clue to what's going on.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    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, <span style="font-family:courier"><b>[]</b></span>.
 | 
						||
    This is a one-way data binding **from the model to the view**.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    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, <span style="font-family:courier"><b>()</b></span>.
 | 
						||
    This is a one-way data binding in the opposite direction **from the view to the model**.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    No wonder Angular chose to combine the punctuation as <span style="font-family:courier"><b>[()]</b></span>
 | 
						||
    to signify a two-way data binding and a **flow of data in both directions**.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    In fact, we can break the `NgModel` binding into its two separate modes
 | 
						||
    as we do in this re-write of the "Name" `<input>` binding:
 | 
						||
  +makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ngModel-3','app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    <br>The Property Binding should feel familiar. The Event Binding might seem strange.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    The `ngModelChange` is not an `<input>` element event.
 | 
						||
    It is actually an event property of the `NgModel` directive.
 | 
						||
    When Angular sees a binding target in the form <span style="font-family:courier">[(x)]</span>,
 | 
						||
    it expects the `x` directive to have an `x` input property and an `xChange` 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 `ngModelChange` 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
 | 
						||
    we should assign to the model's `name` property.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    Nice to know but is it practical? We almost always prefer `[(ngModel)]`.
 | 
						||
    We might split the binding if we had to do something special in
 | 
						||
    the event handling such as debounce or throttle the key strokes.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    Learn more about `NgModel` and other template syntax in the
 | 
						||
    [Template Syntax](./template-syntax.html) guide.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Track change-state and validity with **_ngModel_**
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  A form isn't just about data binding. We'd also like to know the state of the controls on our form.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Using `ngModel` in a form gives us more than just two way data binding. It also tells us if the user touched the control, if the value changed, or if the value became invalid.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The *NgModel* directive doesn't just track state; it updates the control with special Angular CSS classes that reflect the state.
 | 
						||
  We can leverage those class names to change the appearance of the
 | 
						||
  control and make messages appear or disappear.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
table
 | 
						||
  tr
 | 
						||
    th State
 | 
						||
    th Class if true
 | 
						||
    th Class if false
 | 
						||
  tr
 | 
						||
    td Control has been visited
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-touched</code>
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-untouched</code>
 | 
						||
  tr
 | 
						||
    td Control's value has changed
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-dirty</code>
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-pristine</code>
 | 
						||
  tr
 | 
						||
    td Control's value is valid
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-valid</code>
 | 
						||
    td <code>ng-invalid</code>
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Let's add a temporary [template reference variable](./template-syntax.html#ref-vars) named **spy**
 | 
						||
  to the "Name" `<input>` tag and use the spy to display those classes.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ngModelName-2','app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Now run the app and focus on the *Name* input box.
 | 
						||
  Follow the next four steps *precisely*
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  1. Look but don't touch
 | 
						||
  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
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The actions and effects are as follows:
 | 
						||
figure.image-display
 | 
						||
  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
 | 
						||
  strong visual signal when the data are invalid and we want to mark required fields.
 | 
						||
  So we add custom CSS for visual feedback.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  **Delete** the `#spy` template reference variable and `TODO` as they have served their purpose.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Add Custom CSS for Visual Feedback
 | 
						||
  We realize we can mark required fields and invalid data 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" width="400px" alt="Invalid Form")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  We achieve this effect by adding two styles to a new `forms.css` file
 | 
						||
  that we add to our project as a sibling to `index.html`.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/forms.css',null,'forms.css')(format=".")
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  These styles select for the two Angular validity classes and the HTML 5 "required" attribute.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  We update the `<head>` of the `index.html` to include this style sheet.
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/index.html', 'styles', 'index.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Show and Hide Validation Error messages
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  We can do better.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The "Name" input box is required. Clearing it turns the bar red. That says *something* is wrong but we
 | 
						||
  don't know *what* is wrong or what to do about it.
 | 
						||
  We can leverage the `ng-invalid` class to reveal a helpful message.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  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" width="400px" alt="Name required")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  To achieve this effect we extend the `<input>` tag with
 | 
						||
  1. a [template reference variable](./template-syntax.html#ref-vars)
 | 
						||
  1. the "*is required*" message in a nearby `<div>` which we'll display only if the control is invalid.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Here's how we do it for the *name* input box:
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html',
 | 
						||
  'name-with-error-msg',
 | 
						||
  'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  We need a template reference variable to access the input box's Angular control from within the template.
 | 
						||
  Here we created a variable called `name` and gave it the value "ngModel".
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    Why "ngModel"?
 | 
						||
    A directive's [exportAs](../api/core/index/Directive-decorator.html) property
 | 
						||
    tells Angular how to link the reference variable to the directive.
 | 
						||
    We set `name` to `ngModel` because the `ngModel` directive's `exportAs` property happens to be "ngModel".
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    Now we can control visibility of the "name" error message by binding properties of the `name` control to the message `<div>` element's `hidden` property.
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html',
 | 
						||
  'hidden-error-msg',
 | 
						||
  'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format='.')
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  In this example, we hide the message when the control is valid or pristine;
 | 
						||
  pristine means the user hasn't changed the value since it was displayed in this form.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  This user experience is the developer's choice. Some folks want to see the message at all times.
 | 
						||
  If we ignore the `pristine` state, we would hide the message only when the value is valid.
 | 
						||
  If we arrive in this component with a new (blank) hero or an invalid hero,
 | 
						||
  we'll see the error message immediately, before we've done anything.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Some folks find that behavior disconcerting. They only want to see the message when the user makes an invalid change.
 | 
						||
  Hiding the message while the control is "pristine" achieves that goal.
 | 
						||
  We'll see the significance of this choice when we [add a new hero](#new-hero) to the form.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The hero *Alter Ego* is optional so we can leave that be.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Hero *Power* selection is required.
 | 
						||
  We can add the same kind of error handling to the `<select>` if we  want
 | 
						||
  but it's not imperative because the selection box already constrains the
 | 
						||
  power to valid value.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
<a id="new-hero"></a>
 | 
						||
<a id="reset"></a>
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Add a hero and reset the form
 | 
						||
  We'd like to add a new hero in this form.
 | 
						||
  We place a "New Hero" button at the bottom of the form and bind its click event to a `newHero` component method.
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html',
 | 
						||
  'new-hero-button-no-reset',
 | 
						||
  'app/hero-form.component.html (New Hero button)')
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.ts',
 | 
						||
  'new-hero',
 | 
						||
  'app/hero-form.component.ts (New Hero method)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Run the application again, click the *New Hero* button, and the form clears.
 | 
						||
  The *required* bars to the left of the input box are red, indicating invalid `name` and `power` properties.
 | 
						||
  That's understandable as these are required fields.
 | 
						||
  The error messages are hidden because the form is pristine; we haven't changed anything yet.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Enter a name and click *New Hero* again.
 | 
						||
  The app displays a **_Name is required_** error message! 
 | 
						||
  We don't want error messages when we create a new (empty) hero.
 | 
						||
  Why are we getting one now?
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Inspecting the element in the browser tools reveals that the *name* input box is _no longer pristine_.
 | 
						||
  The form remembers that we entered a name before clicking *New Hero*.
 | 
						||
  Replacing the hero object *did not restore the pristine state* of the form controls.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  We have to clear all of the flags imperatively which we can do
 | 
						||
  by calling the form's `reset()` method after calling the `newHero()` method.
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html',
 | 
						||
  'new-hero-button-form-reset',
 | 
						||
  'app/hero-form.component.html (Reset the form)')
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Now clicking "New Hero" both resets the form and its control flags.
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Submit the form with **_ngSubmit_**
 | 
						||
  The user should be able to submit this form after filling it in.
 | 
						||
  The Submit button at the bottom of the form
 | 
						||
  does nothing on its own but it will
 | 
						||
  trigger a form submit because of its type (`type="submit"`).
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  A "form submit" is useless at the moment.
 | 
						||
  To make it useful, bind the `NgForm` directive's `ngSubmit` event property (in the `<form>` tag) 
 | 
						||
  to the `HeroFormComponent.submit()` method:
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'ngSubmit')(format=".")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  We slipped in something extra there at the end!  We defined a
 | 
						||
  template reference variable, **`#heroForm`**, and initialized it with the value, "ngForm".
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The variable `heroForm` is now a reference to the `NgForm` directive that governs the form as a whole.
 | 
						||
<a id="ngForm"></a>
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    ### The _NgForm_ directive
 | 
						||
    What `NgForm` directive? We didn't add an [NgForm](../api/forms/index/NgForm-directive.html) directive!
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    Angular did. Angular creates and attaches an `NgForm` directive to the `<form>` tag automatically.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
    The `NgForm` directive supplements the `form` element with additional features.
 | 
						||
    It holds the controls we created for the elements with `ngModel` directive and `name` attribute
 | 
						||
    and monitors their properties including their validity.
 | 
						||
    It also has its own `valid` property which is true only *if every contained
 | 
						||
    control* is valid.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Later in the template we bind the button's `disabled` property to the form's over-all validity via
 | 
						||
  the `heroForm` variable. Here's that bit of markup:
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'submit-button')
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Re-run the application. The form opens in a valid state and the button is enabled.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Now delete the *Name*. We violate the "name required" rule which
 | 
						||
  is duly noted in our error message as before. And now the Submit button is also disabled.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Not impressed?  Think about it for a moment. What would we have to do to
 | 
						||
  wire the button's enable/disabled state to the form's validity without Angular's help?
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  For us, it was as simple as
 | 
						||
  1. Define a template reference variable on the (enhanced) form element
 | 
						||
  2. Reference that variable in a button some 50 lines away.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Toggle two form regions (extra credit)
 | 
						||
  Submitting the form isn't terribly dramatic at the moment.
 | 
						||
.l-sub-section
 | 
						||
  :marked
 | 
						||
    An unsurprising observation for a demo. To be honest,
 | 
						||
    jazzing it up won't teach us anything new about forms.
 | 
						||
    But this is an opportunity to exercise some of our newly won
 | 
						||
    binding skills.
 | 
						||
    If you're not interested, you can skip to the guide's conclusion
 | 
						||
    and not miss a thing.
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Let's do something more strikingly visual.
 | 
						||
  Let's hide the data entry area and display something else.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Start by wrapping the form in a `<div>` and bind
 | 
						||
  its `hidden` property to the `HeroFormComponent.submitted` property.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'edit-div', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  The main form is visible from the start because the
 | 
						||
  the `submitted` property is false until we submit the form,
 | 
						||
  as this fragment from the `HeroFormComponent` reminds us:
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.ts', 'submitted')(format=".")
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  When we click the Submit button, the `submitted` flag becomes true and the form disappears
 | 
						||
  as planned.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Now we need to show something else while the form is in the submitted state.
 | 
						||
  Add the following block of HTML below the `<div>` wrapper we just wrote:
 | 
						||
+makeExample('forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html', 'submitted', 'app/hero-form.component.html (excerpt)')
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  There's our hero again, displayed read-only with interpolation bindings.
 | 
						||
  This slug of HTML only appears while the component is in the submitted state.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  We added an Edit button whose click event is bound to an expression
 | 
						||
  that clears the `submitted` flag.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  When we click it, this block disappears and the editable form reappears.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  That's as much drama as we can muster for now.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
.l-main-section
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  ## Conclusion
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  The Angular form techniques discussed in this guide take
 | 
						||
  advantage of the following framework features to provide support for data modification, validation and more:
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  - An Angular HTML form template.
 | 
						||
  - A form component class with a `Component` decorator.
 | 
						||
  - Handling form submission by binding to the `NgForm.ngSubmit` event property.
 | 
						||
  - Template reference variables such as `#heroForm`, `#name` and `#power`.
 | 
						||
  - The `[(ngModel)]` syntax and a `name` attribute for two-way data binding, validation and change tracking.
 | 
						||
  - The reference variable’s `valid` property on input controls to check if a control is valid and show/hide error messages.
 | 
						||
  - Controlling the submit button's enabled state by binding to `NgForm` validity.
 | 
						||
  - Custom CSS classes that provide visual feedback to users about invalid controls.
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
  Our final project folder structure should look like this:
 | 
						||
.filetree
 | 
						||
  .file angular-forms
 | 
						||
  .children
 | 
						||
    .file app
 | 
						||
    .children
 | 
						||
      .file app.component.ts
 | 
						||
      .file app.module.ts
 | 
						||
      .file hero.ts
 | 
						||
      .file hero-form.component.html
 | 
						||
      .file hero-form.component.ts
 | 
						||
      .file main.ts
 | 
						||
    .file node_modules ...  
 | 
						||
    .file index.html
 | 
						||
    .file package.json
 | 
						||
    .file tsconfig.json
 | 
						||
:marked
 | 
						||
  Here’s the final version of the source:
 | 
						||
 | 
						||
+makeTabs(
 | 
						||
  `forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.ts,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/app/hero-form.component.html,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/app/hero.ts,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/app/app.module.ts,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/app/app.component.ts,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/app/main.ts,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/index.html,
 | 
						||
   forms/ts/forms.css`,
 | 
						||
  'final, final,,,,,',
 | 
						||
  `hero-form.component.ts,
 | 
						||
   hero-form.component.html,
 | 
						||
   hero.ts,
 | 
						||
   app.module.ts,
 | 
						||
   app.component.ts,
 | 
						||
   main.ts,
 | 
						||
   index.html,
 | 
						||
   forms.css`)
 | 
						||
:marked
 |