How to create form inputs/elements in ZF2

Question

EDIT : My main question has now become \'How do I get the ServiceManager with the doctrine entity manager into the hands of my form, element, and input classes in some clean way

Answer 1

this is my validator, using a static method to inject the entityManager and working with any doctine entity.

 "A %entity% record already exists with %attribute% %value%",
    );

    protected $messageVariables = array(
        'entity' => '_entity',
        'attribute' => '_attribute',
    );


    protected $_entity;
    protected $_attribute;
    protected $_exclude;

    protected static $_entityManager;

    public static function setEntityManager(EntityManager $em) {

        self::$_entityManager = $em;
    }

    public function getEntityManager() {

        if (!self::$_entityManager) {

            throw new \Exception('No entitymanager present');
        }

        return self::$_entityManager;
    }

    public function __construct($options = null)
    {
        if ($options instanceof Traversable) {
            $options = ArrayUtils::iteratorToArray($token);
        }

        if (is_array($options)) {

            if (array_key_exists('entity', $options)) {

                $this->_entity = $options['entity'];
            }

            if (array_key_exists('attribute', $options)) {

                $this->_attribute = $options['attribute'];
            }

            if (array_key_exists('exclude', $options)) {

                if (!is_array($options['exclude']) ||
                    !array_key_exists('attribute', $options['exclude']) ||
                    !array_key_exists('value', $options['exclude'])) {

                    throw new \Exception('exclude option must contain attribute and value keys');
                }

                $this->_exclude = $options['exclude'];
            }
        }

        parent::__construct(is_array($options) ? $options : null);
    }

    public function isValid($value, $context = null)
    {
        $this->setValue($value);

        $queryBuilder = $this->getEntityManager()
            ->createQueryBuilder()
            ->from($this->_entity, 'e')
            ->select('COUNT(e)')
            ->where('e.'. $this->_attribute . ' = :value')
            ->setParameter('value', $this->getValue());

        if ($this->_exclude) {

            $queryBuilder = $queryBuilder->andWhere('e.'. $this->_exclude['attribute'] . ' != :exclude')
                ->setParameter('exclude', $this->_exclude['value']);
        }

        $query = $queryBuilder->getQuery();        
        if ((integer)$query->getSingleScalarResult() !== 0) {

            $this->error(self::EXISTS);
            return false;
        }

        return true;
    }
}

ie. i'm using it for theese form elements which are also tested and working fine:

setLabel('Benutzername');
        $this->setAttribute('id', 'username');
    }

    public function getInputSpecification() {

        return array(
            'name' => $this->getName(),
            'required' => true,
            'filters'  => array(
                array(
                    'name' => 'StringTrim'
                ),
            ),
            'validators' => array(
                array(
                    'name' => 'NotEmpty',
                    'break_chain_on_failure' => true,
                    'options' => array(
                        'messages' => array(
                            'isEmpty' => 'Bitte geben Sie einen Benutzernamen ein.',
                        ),
                    ),
                ),
            ),
        );
    }
}

When creating a new user

 'Base\Validator\EntityUnique',
            'options' => array(
                'message' => 'Der name %value% ist bereits vergeben.',
                'entity' => 'User\Entity\User',
                'attribute' => 'username',  
            ),    
        );

        return $spec;
    }
}

when editin an existing user

_userId = (integer)$userId;
    }

    public function getInputSpecification() {

        $spec = parent::getInputSpecification();
        $spec['validators'][] = array(
            'name' => 'Base\Validator\EntityUnique',
            'options' => array(
                'message' => 'Der name %value% ist bereits vergeben.',
                'entity' => 'User\Entity\User',
                'attribute' => 'username',
                'exclude' => array(
                    'attribute' => 'id',
                    'value' => $this->_userId,  
                ),
            ),    
        );

        return $spec;
    }
}