[forms] Symfony2 Setting a default choice field selection

I am creating a form in the following manner:

$form = $this->createFormBuilder($breed)
             ->add('species', 'entity', array(
                  'class' => 'BFPEduBundle:Item',
                  'property' => 'name',
                  'query_builder' => function(ItemRepository $er){
                      return $er->createQueryBuilder('i')
                                ->where("i.type = 'species'")
                                ->orderBy('i.name', 'ASC');
                  }))
             ->add('breed', 'text', array('required'=>true))
             ->add('size', 'textarea', array('required' => false))
             ->getForm()

How can I set a default value for the species listbox?

Thank you for your response, I apologise, I think I should rephrase my question. Once I have a value that I retrieve from the model, how do I set that value as SELECTED="yes" for the corresponding value in the species choice list?

So, that select option output from the TWIG view would appear like so:

<option value="174" selected="yes">Dog</option>

Setting default choice for symfony2 radio button

            $builder->add('range_options', 'choice', array(
                'choices' => array('day'=>'Day', 'week'=>'Week', 'month'=>'Month'),
                'data'=>'day', //set default value 
                'required'=>true,
                'empty_data'=>null,
                'multiple'=>false,
                'expanded'=> true                   
        ))

From the docs:

public Form createNamed(string|FormTypeInterface $type, string $name, mixed $data = null, array $options = array())

mixed $data = null is the default options. So for example I have a field called status and I implemented it as so:

$default = array('Status' => 'pending');

$filter_form = $this->get('form.factory')->createNamedBuilder('filter', 'form', $default)
        ->add('Status', 'choice', array(
            'choices' => array(
                '' => 'Please Select...',
                'rejected' => 'Rejected',
                'incomplete' => 'Incomplete',
                'pending' => 'Pending',
                'approved' => 'Approved',
                'validated' => 'Validated',
                'processed' => 'Processed'
            )
        ))->getForm();

I don't think you should use the data option, because this does more than just setting a default value. You're also overriding any data that's being passed to the form during creation. So basically, you're breaking support for that feature. - Which might not matter when you're letting the user create data, but does matter when you want to (someday) use the form for updating data.

See http://symfony.com/doc/current/reference/forms/types/choice.html#data

I believe it would be better to pass any default data during form creation. In the controller.

For example, you can pass in a class and define the default value in your class itself. (when using the default Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Controller\Controller)

$form = $this->createForm(AnimalType::class, [
    'species' => 174 // this id might be substituted by an entity
]);

Or when using objects:

$dog = new Dog();
$dog->setSpecies(174); // this id might be substituted by an entity

$form = $this->createForm(AnimalType::class, $dog);

Even better when using a factory: (where dog probably extends from animal)

$form = $this->createForm(AnimalType::class, DogFactory::create());

This will enable you to separate form structure and content from each other and make your form reusable in more situations.

Or, use the preferred_choices option, but this has the side effect of moving the default option to the top of your form.

See: http://symfony.com/doc/current/reference/forms/types/choice.html#preferred-choices

$builder->add(
    'species', 
    'entity', 
    [
        'class' => 'BFPEduBundle:Item',
        'property' => 'name',
        'query_builder' => ...,
        'preferred_choices' => [174] // this id might be substituted by an entity
     ]
 );

the solution: for type entity use option "data" but value is a object. ie:

$em = $this->getDoctrine()->getEntityManager();

->add('sucursal', 'entity', array
(

    'class' => 'TestGeneralBundle:Sucursal',
    'property'=>'descripcion',
    'label' => 'Sucursal',
    'required' => false,
    'data'=>$em->getReference("TestGeneralBundle:Sucursal",3)           

))

You can either define the right default value into the model you want to edit with this form or you can specify an empty_data option so your code become:

$form = $this
    ->createFormBuilder($breed)
    ->add(
        'species',
        'entity',
        array(
            'class'         => 'BFPEduBundle:Item',
            'property'      => 'name',
            'empty_data'    => 123,
            'query_builder' => function(ItemRepository $er) {
                return $er
                    ->createQueryBuilder('i')
                    ->where("i.type = 'species'")
                    ->orderBy('i.name', 'ASC')
                ;
            }
        )
    )
    ->add('breed', 'text', array('required'=>true))
    ->add('size', 'textarea', array('required' => false))
    ->getForm()
;

You can use "preferred_choices" and "push" the name you want to select to the top of the list. Then it will be selected by default.

'preferred_choices' => array(1), //1 is item number

entity Field Type

I'm not sure what you are doing wrong here, when I build a form using form classes Symfony takes care of selecting the correct option in the list. Here's an example of one of my forms that works.

In the controller for the edit action:

$entity = $em->getRepository('FooBarBundle:CampaignEntity')->find($id);

if (!$entity) {
throw $this->createNotFoundException('Unable to find CampaignEntity entity.');
}


$editForm = $this->createForm(new CampaignEntityType(), $entity);
$deleteForm = $this->createDeleteForm($id);

return $this->render('FooBarBundle:CampaignEntity:edit.html.twig', array(
        'entity'      => $entity,
        'edit_form'   => $editForm->createView(),
        'delete_form' => $deleteForm->createView(),
    ));

The campaign entity type class (src: Foo\BarBundle\Form\CampaignEntityType.php):

namespace Foo\BarBundle\Form;

use Symfony\Component\Form\AbstractType;
use Symfony\Component\Form\FormBuilder;
use Doctrine\ORM\EntityRepository;

class CampaignEntityType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilder $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
        ->add('store', 'entity', array('class'=>'FooBarBundle:Store', 'property'=>'name', 'em'=>'my_non_default_em','required'  => true, 'query_builder' => function(EntityRepository $er) {return $er->createQueryBuilder('s')->orderBy('s.name', 'ASC');}))
        ->add('reward');
    }
    public function getName()
    {
        return 'foo_barbundle_campaignentitytype';
    }
}

I think you should simply use $breed->setSpecies($species), for instance in my form I have:

$m = new Member();
$m->setBirthDate(new \DateTime);
$form = $this->createForm(new MemberType, $m);

and that sets my default selection to the current date. Should work the same way for external entities...

The form should map the species->id value automatically to the selected entity select field. For example if your have a Breed entity that has a OnetoOne relationship with a Species entity in a join table called 'breed_species':

class Breed{

    private $species;

    /**
    * @ORM\OneToOne(targetEntity="BreedSpecies", mappedBy="breed")
    */
    private $breedSpecies;

    public function getSpecies(){
       return $breedSpecies->getSpecies();
    }

    private function getBreedSpecies(){
       return $this->$breedSpecies;
    }
}

The field 'species' in the form class should pick up the species->id value from the 'species' attribute object in the Breed class passed to the form.

Alternatively, you can explicitly set the value by explicitly passing the species entity into the form using SetData():

    $breedForm = $this->createForm( new BreedForm(), $breed );
    $species   = $breed->getBreedSpecies()->getSpecies();

    $breedForm->get('species')->setData( $species );

    return $this->render( 'AcmeBundle:Computer:edit.html.twig'
                        , array( 'breed'     => $breed
                               , 'breedForm' => $breedForm->createView()
            )
    );

You can define the default value from the 'data' attribute. This is part of the Abstract "field" type (http://symfony.com/doc/2.0/reference/forms/types/field.html)

$form = $this->createFormBuilder()
            ->add('status', 'choice', array(
                'choices' => array(
                    0 => 'Published',
                    1 => 'Draft'
                ),
                'data' => 1
            ))
            ->getForm();

In this example, 'Draft' would be set as the default selected value.

If you want to pass in an array of Doctrine entities, try something like this (Symfony 3.0+):

protected $entities;
protected $selectedEntities;

public function __construct($entities = null, $selectedEntities = null)
{
    $this->entities = $entities;
    $this->selectedEntities = $selectedEntities;
}

public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
    $builder->add('entities', 'entity', [
        'class' => 'MyBundle:MyEntity',
        'choices' => $this->entities,
        'property' => 'id',
        'multiple' => true,
        'expanded' => true,
        'data' => $this->selectedEntities,
    ]);
}