Dynamic Flex Form Duplication - apache-flex

Question

I'm designing a data entry app that allows multiple entries to its subject. For example, a person might have received education from multiple institutions. Each educational entry is a form and app user can click on a button to add another entry, which is a blank but identical form.
I figure it involves states and custom form components but not sure how everything fits together. Can someone shed some lights on how to accomplish that? Some sample codes would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,

Answer 1

Required flex version if there is a requirement? or just going with the newest available Flex 4 code? Generally speaking this is a very easy task in Flex, you create a class definition in MXML of AnEntry.mxml which is just a TextInput (or a label and TextInput or whatever you need for each entry). In the click handler of the a button you in Flex 3 call this.addChild(new AnEntry()) or in Flex 4 call this.addElement(new AnEntry());. To submit you'd do a loop starting at 0 and going to this.numChildren and for each TextInput pass along as params to an HTTPService.
Two files below compiled against Flex 3.4
[AnEntry.mxml]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Box xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml">
<mx:Label text="Link:"/>
<mx:TextInput id="theTextInput"/>
</mx:Box>
[MainApplication.mxml]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
layout="vertical"
minWidth="955"
minHeight="600">
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.rpc.http.HTTPService;
protected function button1_clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
{
var params:Object = {};
var paramCount:Number=0;
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
for(var i:Number = 0; i<numChildren; i++)
{
var currentChild:DisplayObject = getChildAt(i);
if(currentChild is AnEntry)
{
params[paramCount++] = (currentChild as AnEntry).theTextInput.text;
}
}
var httpService:HTTPService = new HTTPService();
httpService.method = "POST"
httpService.url = "http://www.shaunhusain.com/somewhere.php";
httpService.send(params);
}
]]>
</mx:Script>
<mx:Button label="Add Entry" click="this.addChild(new AnEntry())"/>
<mx:Button label="Submit Info" click="button1_clickHandler(event)"/>
</mx:Application>
Please let me know if this gets you going in the right direction, if you're a beginner at Flex search for the Flex in a week videos, they're a great tutorial to get you started on Flex development.
Amendment for Flex 4:
[MainApplication.mxml]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx" minWidth="955" minHeight="600">
<s:layout>
<s:VerticalLayout/>
</s:layout>
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.rpc.http.HTTPService;
protected function button1_clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
{
var params:Object = {};
var paramCount:Number=0;
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
for(var i:Number = 0; i<numChildren; i++)
{
var currentChild:DisplayObject = getChildAt(i);
if(currentChild is AnEntry)
{
params[paramCount++] = (currentChild as AnEntry).theTextInput.text;
}
}
var httpService:HTTPService = new HTTPService();
httpService.method = "POST"
httpService.url = "http://www.shaunhusain.com/somewhere.php";
httpService.send(params);
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<mx:Button label="Add Entry" click="this.addElement(new AnEntry())"/>
<mx:Button label="Submit Info" click="button1_clickHandler(event)"/>
</s:Application>
[AnEntry.mxml]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Box xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx">
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
<mx:Label text="Link:"/>
<mx:TextInput id="theTextInput"/>
</mx:Box>