DataMapper not called on child FormType with 'inherit_data' => true (Symfony) - symfony-forms

Question

Is this always the case? I've searched the web and read the docs but am none the wiser. I did read that DataTransformers can't be applied when inherit_data is true, which also seems a shame. (What could be the reason?)
I have a FormType 'PermissionType' which maps a 'Permission'. Permission has, as do some other entities, a creation/lastModification DateTime. Having read How to Reduce Code Duplication with "inherit_data" I naturally went on my way to implement the newly found good advice and created a TimeTrackedType.
This child form to PermissionType displays two DateTimeType fields and has inherit_data set to true. They are correctly rendered to the browser but they remain empty however I try to enter data into them. I started off by adding a DataMapper but the one of TimeTrackedType is not getting called. The DataMapper of its parent PermissionType however is, it being a child form itself, and that seems the only place where I can change the value of the DateTimeType fields of TimeTrackedType.
I do hope it's me doing something wrong here because it seems wrong having the inputs created in the child form but having to map to them in the parent class. Can anyone elaborate on this? Any pointers are greatly appreciated.
Here are the entities, first User:
/**
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="AppBundle\Repository\UserRepository")
*/
class User implements AdvancedUserInterface, \Serializable {
use HasSingleId, TimeTrackedEntityTrait, EntityCreatorTrait;
// ^^^ This trait has two DateTime fields and that's it.
// (...)
/**
* #ORM\OneToMany(targetEntity="AppBundle\Entity\Permission", mappedBy="user")
* #Assert\Valid()
*/
private $permissions;
// (...)
}
Then Permission:
/**
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="AppBundle\Repository\PermissionRepository")
*/
class Permission {
use TimeTrackedEntityTrait, EntityCreatorTrait;
/**
* #var User
* #ORM\Id
* #ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="AppBundle\Entity\User", inversedBy="permissions")
*/
private $user;
/**
* #var array
* #ORM\Id
* #ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="AppBundle\Entity\Role", inversedBy="permissions")
*/
private $role;
// (...getters and setters...)
}
Lastly class Role:
/**
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="AppBundle\Repository\RoleRepository")
*/
class Role implements RoleInterface {
use HasSingleId, TimeTrackedEntityTrait, EntityCreatorTrait;
/**
* #var type string
* #ORM\Column(type="string", nullable=false, unique=true);
*/
private $name;
/**
* #var type ArrayCollection
* #ORM\OneToMany(targetEntity="AppBundle\Entity\Permission", mappedBy="role")
* #Assert\Valid()
*/
private $permissions;
}
And now the FormTypes:
class UserType extends AbstractType {
/**
* #param FormBuilderInterface $builder
* #param array $options
*/
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options) {
$builder->add('username', TextType::class, [ 'attr' => [ 'size' => 10 ] ] )
->add('password', RepeatedType::class, [
'type' => PasswordType::class,
'attr' => ['size' => 10 ],
'first_options' => [ 'label' => 'Password' ],
'second_options' => [ 'label' => 'Confirm' ] ]);
$entity = $builder->getData();
$admin = $entity->hasRole('ROLE_ADMIN');
if($admin) {
$builder->add('id', TextType::class, [ 'attr' => [ 'size' => 4 ] ]);
$builder->add('isEnabled', CheckboxType::class, [ 'required' => false ]);
}
$builder->add('permissions', CollectionType::class, [
'data_class' => 'Doctrine\ORM\PersistentCollection',
'mapped'=>true,
'prototype'=>true,
'allow_add'=>true,
'allow_delete'=>true,
'entry_type' => PermissionType::class]);
$builder->add('email', EmailType::class);
}
/**
* #param OptionsResolver $resolver
*/
public function configureOptions(OptionsResolver $resolver) {
$resolver->setDefaults([
'required' => true,
'mapped' => true,
'data_class' => 'AppBundle\Entity\User'
]);
}
}
...and...
class PermissionType extends AbstractType implements DataMapperInterface {
public function mapDataToForms($permission, $forms) {
$forms = iterator_to_array($forms);
if($permission instanceof Permission && $permission) {
$forms['role']->setData($permission->getRole()->getName());
// These two statements get the job done, but not as was intended.
$forms['created']->setData($permission->getCreated());
$forms['lastModified']->setData($permission->getLastModified());
}
}
public function mapFormsToData($forms, &$permission) {
$forms = iterator_to_array($forms);
if($permission instanceof Permission) {
$permission->setCreated($forms['created']->getData());
$permission->setLastModified($forms['lastModified']->getData());
}
}
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options) {
$builder->setDataMapper($this);
$builder->add('role', TextType::class, [ 'mapped' => true ]);
$builder->add('timing', TimeTrackedEntityType::class, [
'data_class' => 'AppBundle\Entity\Permission',
'inherit_data' => true, 'mapped'=>true ]);
}
public function configureOptions(OptionsResolver $resolver) {
$resolver->setDefaults(array(
'data_class' => 'AppBundle\Entity\Permission',
'mapped'=>true,
'compound'=>true,
));
}
public function getParent() {
return FormType::class;
}
public function getName() { return 'PermissionType'; }
}
...and finally:
class TimeTrackedEntityType extends AbstractType implements DataMapperInterface {
// This is the method that doesn't get called
public function mapDataToForms($permission, $forms) {
$forms = iterator_to_array($forms);
$forms['created']->setData($permission->getCreated()->format("d/m/Y H:i:s"));
$forms['lastModified']->setData($permission->getLastModified()->format("d/m/Y H:i:s"));
}
public function mapFormsToData($forms, &$data) {
$forms = iterator_to_array($forms);
$data->setCreated($forms['created']->getData());
$data->setLastModified($forms['lastModified']->getData());
}
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options) {
$builder->setDataMapper($this);
$builder->add('created', DateTimeType::class, [
'format' => 'd/M/Y H:i:s',
'input' => 'datetime',
'widget' => 'single_text',
'attr'=>['size'=>14, 'class'=>'right'],
'mapped' => true ]);
$builder->add('lastModified', DateTimeType::class, [
'format' => 'd/M/Y H:i:s',
'input' => 'datetime',
'widget' => 'single_text',
'attr'=>['size'=>14, 'class'=>'right'],
'mapped' => true ]);
}
public function configureOptions(OptionsResolver $resolver) {
$resolver->setDefaults(array(
'mapped'=>true,
'compound'=>true,
'inherit_data' => true,
));
}
public function getName() { return 'TimeTrackedEntityType'; }
}

Answer 1

The article does not use DataMapper at all.
Using a trait means the properties are part of the PermissionEntity object as normal, so instead of holding these properties like the other fields in the corresponding PermissionType form, they are nested in you sub form type TimeTrackedEntityType.
Then you just need to set inherit_data to true and the right data_class option if you need this sub form else where, and that's what you already do in TimeTrackedEntityType, since the sub form gets its parent form's data, so no need for DataMapper.
If you want to use one, it should only be with the parent form not its child, it is ignored as expected.