documentation/manual/en/tutorials/form-decorators-intro.xml

   1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   2 <!-- Reviewed: no -->
   3 <sect1 id="learning.form.decorators.intro">
   4     <title>Introduction</title>
   5
   6     <para>
   7         <link linkend="zend.form">Zend_Form</link> utilizes the <emphasis>decorator</emphasis>
   8         pattern in order to render elements and forms. Unlike the classic <ulink
   9             url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorator_pattern">decorator pattern</ulink>, in
  10         which you pass an object to a wrapping class, decorators in <classname>Zend_Form</classname>
  11         implement a <ulink url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_pattern">strategy
  12             pattern</ulink>, and utilize the metadata contained in an element or form in order to
  13         create a representation of it
  14     </para>
  15
  16     <para>
  17         Don't let the terminology scare you away, however; at heart, decorators in
  18         <classname>Zend_Form</classname> are not terribly difficult, and the mini-tutorials that
  19         follow should help you along the way. They will guide you through the basics of decoration,
  20         all the way to creating decorators for composite elements.
  21     </para>
  22 </sect1>