django/docs/newforms.txt

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====================
The newforms library
====================
``django.newforms`` is a new replacement for ``django.forms``, the old Django
form/manipulator/validation framework. This document explains how to use this
new form library.
Migration plan
==============
``django.newforms`` currently is only available in the Django development version
-- i.e., it's not available in the Django 0.95 release. For the next Django
release, our plan is to do the following:
* Move the current ``django.forms`` to ``django.oldforms``. This will allow
for an eased migration of form code. You'll just have to change your
import statements::
from django import forms # old
from django import oldforms as forms # new
* Move the current ``django.newforms`` to ``django.forms``.
* We will remove ``django.oldforms`` in the release *after* the next Django
release -- the release that comes after the release in which we're
creating ``django.oldforms``.
With this in mind, we recommend you use the following import statement when
using ``django.newforms``::
from django import newforms as forms
This way, your code can refer to the ``forms`` module, and when
``django.newforms`` is renamed to ``django.forms``, you'll only have to change
your ``import`` statements.
If you prefer "``import *``" syntax, you can do the following::
from django.newforms import *
This will import all fields, widgets, form classes and other various utilities
into your local namespace. Some people find this convenient; others find it
too messy. The choice is yours.
Overview
========
As the ``django.forms`` system before it, ``django.newforms`` is intended to
handle HTML form display, validation and redisplay. It's what you use if you
want to perform server-side validation for an HTML form.
The library deals with these concepts:
* **Widget** -- A class that corresponds to an HTML form widget, e.g.
``<input type="text">`` or ``<textarea>``. This handles rendering of the
widget as HTML.
* **Field** -- A class that is responsible for doing validation, e.g.
an ``EmailField`` that makes sure its data is a valid e-mail address.
* **Form** -- A collection of fields that knows how to validate itself and
display itself as HTML.
More coming soon
================
That's all the documentation for now. For more, see the file
http://code.djangoproject.com/browser/django/trunk/tests/regressiontests/forms/tests.py
-- the unit tests for ``django.newforms``. This can give you a good idea of
what's possible.