@@ -7,12 +7,8 @@ DateType Field
77A field that allows the user to modify date information via a variety of
88different HTML elements.
99
10- The underlying data used for this field type can be a ``DateTime `` object,
11- a string, a timestamp or an array. As long as the `input `_ option is set
12- correctly, the field will take care of all of the details.
13-
14- The field can be rendered as a single text box, three text boxes (month,
15- day and year) or three select boxes (see the `widget `_ option).
10+ This field can be rendered in a variety of different ways via the `widget `_ option
11+ and can understand a number of different input formats via the `input `_ option.
1612
1713+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
1814| Underlying Data Type | can be ``DateTime ``, string, timestamp, or array (see the ``input `` option) |
@@ -57,31 +53,78 @@ This field type is highly configurable, but easy to use. The most important
5753options are ``input `` and ``widget ``.
5854
5955Suppose that you have a ``publishedAt `` field whose underlying date is a
60- ``DateTime `` object. The following configures the ``DateType `` type for that
61- field as three different choice fields::
56+ ``DateTime `` object. The following configures the ``date `` type for that
57+ field as ** three different choice fields ** ::
6258
6359 use Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\Type\DateType;
6460 // ...
6561
6662 $builder->add('publishedAt', DateType::class, array(
67- 'input' => 'datetime',
6863 'widget' => 'choice',
6964 ));
7065
71- The ``input `` option *must * be changed to match the type of the underlying
72- date data. For example, if the ``publishedAt `` field's data were a unix
73- timestamp, you'd need to set ``input `` to ``timestamp ``::
66+ If your underlying date is *not * a ``DateTime `` object (e.g. it's a unix timestamp),
67+ configure the `input `_ option.
68+
69+ Rendering a single HTML5 Textbox
70+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
71+
72+ For a better user experience, you may want to render a single text field and use
73+ some kind of "date picker" to help your user fill in the right format. To do that,
74+ use the ``single_text `` widget::
7475
7576 use Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\Type\DateType;
7677 // ...
7778
7879 $builder->add('publishedAt', DateType::class, array(
79- 'input' => 'timestamp',
80- 'widget' => 'choice',
80+ // render as a single text box
81+ 'widget' => 'single_text',
82+ ));
83+
84+ This will render as an ``input type="date" `` HTML5 field, which means that **some -
85+ but not all - browsers will add nice date picker functionality to the field **. If you
86+ want to be absolutely sure that *every * user has a consistent date picker, use an
87+ external JavaScript library.
88+
89+ For example, suppose you want to use the `Bootstrap Datepicker `_ library. First,
90+ make the following changes::
91+
92+ use Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\Type\DateType;
93+ // ...
94+
95+ $builder->add('publishedAt', DateType::class, array(
96+ 'widget' => 'single_text',
97+
98+ // do not render as type="date", to avoid HTML5 date pickers
99+ 'html5' => false,
100+
101+ // add a class that can eb selected in JavaScript
102+ 'attr' => ['class' => 'js-datepicker'],
81103 ));
82104
83- The field also supports an ``array `` and ``string `` as valid ``input `` option
84- values.
105+ Assuming you're using jQuery, you can initialize the date picker via:
106+
107+ .. code-block :: html
108+
109+ <script >
110+ $ (document ).ready (function () {
111+ $ (' .js-datepicker' ).datepicker ({
112+ format: ' yyyy-mm-dd'
113+ });
114+ });
115+ </script >
116+
117+ This ``format `` key tells the date picker to use the date format that Symfony expects.
118+ This can be tricky: if the date picker is misconfigured, Symfony won't understand
119+ the format and will throw a validation error. You can also configure the format
120+ that Symfony should expect via the `format `_ option.
121+
122+ .. caution ::
123+
124+ The string used by a JavaScript date picker to describe its format (e.g. ``yyyy-mm-dd ``)
125+ may not match the string that Symfony uses (e.g. ``yyyy-MM-dd ``). This is because
126+ different libraries use different formatting rules to describe the date format.
127+ Be aware of this - it can be tricky to make the formats truly match!
85128
86129Field Options
87130-------------
@@ -185,3 +228,5 @@ Field Variables
185228+--------------+------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
186229| date_pattern | ``string `` | A string with the date format to use. |
187230+--------------+------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
231+
232+ .. _`Bootstrap Datepicker` : https://github.com/eternicode/bootstrap-datepicker
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