saving data from joomla frontend

Question

I was looking for a solution as to how to save data from joomla frontend. I came across the following code for controller and model which works perfectly. But I was looking for a standard practice like its done in the back end using jform, jtable etc ... In the following code (inside model), the saving technique do not look so appealing. And I am totally without any idea how the server side validations is implemented.

It might be confusing, so i would like to reiterate that in the backend we don't even have to write the add or save or update function, it is automatically handled by the core classes with both client and server side validation. So i was looking for something like that.

Controller

<?php

// No direct access.
defined('_JEXEC') or die;

// Include dependancy of the main controllerform class
jimport('joomla.application.component.controllerform');

class JobsControllerRegistration extends JControllerForm
{
    public function getModel($name = 'Registration', $prefix = 'JobsModel', $config = array('ignore_request' => true))
    {
        return parent::getModel($name, $prefix, array('ignore_request' => false));
    }

    public function submit()
    {
       // Check for request forgeries.
       JRequest::checkToken() or jexit(JText::_('JINVALID_TOKEN'));

        // Initialise variables.
        $app    = JFactory::getApplication();
        $model  = $this->getModel('Registration');

        // Get the data from the form POST
        $data = JRequest::getVar('jform', array(), 'post', 'array');

        $form   = $model->getForm();
        if (!$form) {
            JError::raiseError(500, $model->getError());
            return false;
        }

        // Now update the loaded data to the database via a function in the model
        $upditem    = $model->updItem($data);

        // check if ok and display appropriate message. This can also have a redirect if desired.
        if ($upditem) {
            echo "<h2>Joining with us is successfully saved.</h2>";
        } else {
            echo "<h2>Joining with us faild.</h2>";
        }

    return true;
    }
}

Model

<?php

// No direct access to this file
defined('_JEXEC') or die('Restricted access');

// Include dependancy of the main model form
jimport('joomla.application.component.modelform');
// import Joomla modelitem library
jimport('joomla.application.component.modelitem');
// Include dependancy of the dispatcher
jimport('joomla.event.dispatcher');
/**
* HelloWorld Model
*/
class JobsModelRegistration extends JModelForm
{
    /**
     * @var object item
     */
    protected $item;

    /**
     * Get the data for a new qualification
     */
    public function getForm($data = array(), $loadData = true)
    {

        $app = JFactory::getApplication('site');

        // Get the form.
        $form = $this->loadForm('com_jobs.registration', 'registration', array('control' => 'jform', 'load_data' => true),true);

        if (empty($form)) {
            return false;
        }
        return $form;
    }

    //Nwely added method for saving data
    public function updItem($data)
    {
        // set the variables from the passed data
        $fname = $data['fname'];
        $lname = $data['lname'];
        $age = $data['age'];
        $city = $data['city'];
        $telephone = $data['telephone'];
        $email = $data['email'];
        $comments = $data['comments'];

        // set the data into a query to update the record
        $db = $this->getDbo();
        $query  = $db->getQuery(true);
        $query->clear();

        $db =& JFactory::getDBO();
        $query = "INSERT INTO #__joinwithus ( `id`, `firstname`, `lastname`, `age`, `city`, `telephone`, `email`, `comment`)
    VALUES (NULL,'" . $fname . "','" . $lname . "','" . $age . "','" . $city . "','" . $email . "','" . $telephone . "','" . $comments . "')";

        $db->setQuery((string)$query);

        if (!$db->query()) {
            JError::raiseError(500, $db->getErrorMsg());
            return false;
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
}

Can somebody kindly point me to a good tutorial or share me a component which deals with form in the frontend with joomla 2.5.

Answer 1

use the following code in your model

$data = $app->input->getArray($_POST);
$query  = $db->getQuery(true);

Answer 2

You should be able to use jcontrollerform's methods directly, instead of writing your own submit()-method (and updItem()) like you do. I describe something similar here . This means you display your form the usual way using jform, and use action="index.php?option=com_jobs&task=save&view=registration&id=whateverid"

This way jcontrollerform->save() is used, which in turn calls your model's save(). (Hmmm, this probably means your model should extend JModelAdmin instead of JModelForm, to include the relevant methods. ) This will run all the necessary validation checks etc.

You might need to register paths for the model, table and form that you want to be using, like I do in the link.

You need to include the id in the url parameters if you edit existing data, because the jform[id] - parameter will be ignored.

Sorry I dont have any good tutorial or whatever for you, hope this helps.