Default for text element in zf2 forms - zend-framework2

Question

How can I setup default for Text element in ZF2 Forms?
I tried the following:
In the view file. This does not get to data, and is not saved:
if($form->get('agencyName')->getValue() === '')
$form->get('agencyName')->setValue('Virtual Field Practicum');
This affects neither view, nor DB:
$this->add(array(
'name' => 'agencyName',
'options' => array(
'label' => 'Agency Name',
),
'attributes' => array(
'disabled' => 'disabled',
'value' => 'Virtual Field Practicum',
)
));
I also tried to modify entity in two ways, but it did not affect anything:
public function __construct()
{
//set default agency name
$this->agencyName = 'Virtual Field Practicum';
}
OR:
public function setAgencyName($agencyName)
{
if ($agencyName === '')
$this->agencyName = 'Virtual Field Practicum';
else
$this->agencyName = $agencyName;
return $this;
}
Edit 1
Adding my generic actions to the post:
1) This one is responsible to load the forms, and process non-ajax calls:
public function editTabAction()
{
$buildName = $this->params()->fromRoute('buildName', 'unknown');
if ($buildName == 'unknown') {
$buildName = $this->params()->fromPost('buildName', 'unknown');
if ($buildName == 'unknown') {
trigger_error('Could not retrieve build name for ' . $buildName . ' entity for this form!');
}
}
//extract parameter from dispatch command
$studEvalId = (int)$this->params()->fromRoute('studEvalId', 0);
if ($studEvalId == 0) {
//extract parameter from the form submission
$studEvalId = (int)$this->params()->fromPost('studEvalId', 0);
if ($studEvalId == 0) {
return $this->notFoundAction();
}
}
$data = $this->getEntity($buildName, $studEvalId);
// Get your ObjectManager from the ServiceManager
$objectManager = $this->getEntityManager();
// get from from FormElementManager plugin
//forms are defined in Module.php
$formName = $buildName . "Form";
$sl = $this->getServiceLocator();
$form = $sl->get('FormElementManager')->get($formName);
$form->setHydrator(new DoctrineHydrator($objectManager ));
$form->setObject($this->getEntityInstanceFromBuildName($buildName));
$form->bind($data);
//set class and Id for buttons like SaveChanges to reference it
$form->setAttribute('class', "studentFormsClass_$studEvalId");
$form->setAttribute('id', "studentFormsId_$studEvalId" . "_$buildName");
//set buildName to the form
$form->get('buildName')->setAttribute('value', $buildName);
$request = $this->getRequest();
if ($request->isPost()) {
$formValidatorName = "OnlineFieldEvaluation\Form\\" . $buildName . "FormValidator";
$formValidator = new $formValidatorName();
$form->setInputFilter($formValidator->getInputFilter());
$form->setData($request->getPost());
if ($form->isValid()) {
$this->savetodb($form->getData(), $buildName);
// Redirect to list of forms
return false;
} else {
foreach ($form->getMessages() as $messageId => $message) {
echo '<pre>';
echo "Validation failure '$messageId':";
print_r($message);
echo '</pre>';
}
}
}
$view = new ViewModel(array(
'studEvalId' => $studEvalId,
'buildName' => $buildName,
'form' => $form,
));
$view->setTemplate('online-field-evaluation/tabs/edit' . $buildName . '.phtml');
return $view;
}
2) This one is responsible for ajax calls:
public function validatepostajaxAction()
{
$request = $this->getRequest();
$response = $this->getResponse();
$buildName = $this->params()->fromRoute('buildName', 'unknown');
if ($buildName == 'unknown') {
$buildName = $this->params()->fromPost('buildName', 'unknown');
if ($buildName == 'unknown') {
trigger_error('Could not retrieve build name for ' . $buildName . ' entity for this form!');
}
}
//extract parameter from dispatch command
$studEvalId = (int)$this->params()->fromRoute('studEvalId', 0);
if ($studEvalId == 0) {
//extract parameter from the form submission
$studEvalId = (int)$this->params()->fromPost('studEvalId', 0);
if ($studEvalId == 0) {
return $this->notFoundAction();
}
}
$data = $this->getEntity($buildName, $studEvalId);
$objectManager = $this->getEntityManager();
$formName = $buildName . "Form";
$sl = $this->getServiceLocator();
$form = $sl->get('FormElementManager')->get($formName);
$form->setHydrator(new DoctrineHydrator($objectManager ));
$entityName = 'OnlineFieldEvaluation\Entity\\' . $buildName;
$form->setObject(new $entityName());
$form->bind($data);
//set class and Id for buttons like SaveChanges to reference it
$form->setAttribute('class', "studentFormsClass_$studEvalId");
$form->setAttribute('id', "studentFormsId_$studEvalId" . "_$buildName");
//set buildName to the form
$form->get('buildName')->setAttribute('value', $buildName);
$messages = array();
if ($request->isPost()) {
$formValidatorName = "OnlineFieldEvaluation\Form\\" . $buildName . "FormValidator";
$formValidator = new $formValidatorName();
$form->setInputFilter($formValidator->getInputFilter());
$form->setData($request->getPost());
if (!$form->isValid()) {
$errors = $form->getMessages();
foreach ($errors as $key => $row) {
if (!empty($row) && $key != 'submit') {
foreach ($row as $keyer => $rower) {
//save error(s) per-element that
//needed by Javascript
$messages[$key][] = $rower;
}
}
}
}
if (!empty($messages)) {
$response->setContent(
\Zend\Json\Json::encode(
array('status' => 'error',
'messages' => (array) $messages,
'buildName' => $buildName,
'studEvalId' => $studEvalId
)));
} else {
//save to db <span class="wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-wink" title=";)">;)</span>
$this->savetodb($form->getData(), $buildName);
$response->setContent(
\Zend\Json\Json::encode(
array(
'status' => 'success',
'messages' => 'Successfuly saved.',
'buildName' => $buildName,
'studEvalId' => $studEvalId
)
));
}
}
return $response;
}

Answer 1

To setup a default value for an element, simply do the following:
Open controller's action, that renders desired view
Instantiate a form, get the element by its name and do call setValue() on that
That looks like as following:
public function addAction()
{
$form = new YourAgencyForm();
$form->get('agencyName')->setValue('Virtual Field Practicum');
....
It's really that simple