8. ObjectWidget caveat¶
ObjectWidget itself seems to be fine, but we discovered a fundamental problem in z3c.form.
The meat is that widget value * validation * extraction * applying values need to be separated and made recursive-aware.
8.1. Currently¶
There is a loop that extracts and validates each widgets value. Then it moves on to the next widget in the same loop.
The problem is that the ObjectWidget MUST keep it’s values in the object itself, not in any dict or helper structure. That means in case of a validation failure later in the loop the ObjectWidget’s values are already applied and cannot be reverted.
Also on a single level of widgets this loop might be OK, because the loop is just flat.
8.2. We need¶
To do a loop to validate ALL widget values.
To do a loop to extract ALL values. (maybe apply too, let’s think about it…)
Then in a different loop apply those extracted (and validated) values.
Problem is that the current API does not support separate methods for that.
One more point is to take into account that with the ObjectWidget forms and widgets can be _recursive_, that means there can be a form-widgets-subform-widgets-subform-widgets level of widgets.
An example:
> The situation is the following: > - schema is like this: > class IMySubObject(zope.interface.Interface): > foofield = zope.schema.Int( > title=u”My foo field”, > default=1111, > max=9999) > barfield = zope.schema.Int( > title=u”My dear bar”, > default=2222, > required=False) > class IMyObject(zope.interface.Interface): > subobject = zope.schema.Object(title=u’my object’, > schema=IMySubObject) > name = zope.schema.TextLine(title=u’name’) > > - on object editing > - we need to keep the (old) (IMySubObject) object in place > – do not create a new one > - value setting is done in the editform handleApply > - extractData, extract needs to extract recursively > - return assignable values > - it has no idea about subobjects > - let’s say the IMySubObject data is validated OK, but there’s an > error in IMyObject (with name) > - now the problem is: > - IMyObject.subobject extract gets called first > it sets the values on the existing object (and fires > ObjectModifiedEvent) > - IMyObject.name detects the error > it does not set the value > BUT IMyObject.subobject sticks to the extracted value that should be > discarded, because the whole form did not validate?!?!?!