[pmwiki-devel] adding features to input tags: best practice?

[Ben Stallings]

Hello again!  One of the things I need to do in DataQuery is add some 
features to the (:input:) tags... notably, the mask=####-##-## parameter 
so that a JavaScript will help people type dates in the right format, 
because people can be really quirky about how they type dates otherwise, 
and SQL is not at all forgiving.

When I was writing UpdateForm, I got this functionality by creating a 
whole other set of markup: (:update:) instead of (:input:).  To some 
extent I still feel like this was a good decision, since an update field 
is substantively different from an input field, in that it pulls 
information from a database record.

But ZAPdata uses standard input fields, and this time around I'm trying 
to avoid custom markup if I can.  So the question becomes, how do I add 
features to the (:input:) tag without requiring the user to replace the 
forms.php script?

(JM has already produced a form validation recipe at 
http://www.johnmichael.de/index.php/Wiki/Forms that does require 
replacing the forms.php script.  Is this the best approach?)

If InputMarkup() were an object method, I could just extend the object. 
  But it's a global function, so that's not an option.  Should I 
redefine the input markup to call a different function?  Or is there a 
better way that would be more compatible with other form recipes?

Thanks in advance for the feedback!!  --Ben S.