Getting Started

Minimal Setup

Installation:
```
composer require christhompsontldr/collective-input
```
Ensure laravelcollective/html (v6.x) is installed as a dependency.
Publish Config (Optional):
```
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Collective\Html\HtmlServiceProvider" --tag=config
```
Modify config/html.php if needed (e.g., default attributes, Bootstrap version).

First Use Case: Replace vanilla Blade form helpers with Collective’s Bootstrap-aware versions:

{!! Form::open(['class' => 'form-horizontal']) !!}
  {!! Form::text('email', null, ['class' => 'form-control', 'placeholder' => 'Email']) !!}
  {!! Form::submit('Submit', ['class' => 'btn btn-primary']) !!}
{!! Form::close() !!}

Key: Wrap inputs in form-horizontal (Bootstrap 4) or form-group for alignment.

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

Form Layouts:
- Use Form::open() with class="form-horizontal" for stacked labels/inputs.
- Group inputs with Form::label() + Form::control() (alias for Form::input() with class="form-control"):
```
<div class="form-group">
  {!! Form::label('name', 'Full Name', ['class' => 'control-label']) !!}
  {!! Form::control('name', null, ['placeholder' => 'John Doe']) !!}
</div>
```

Dynamic Attributes:

Merge classes/attributes dynamically:

{!! Form::select('role', $roles, null, [
    'class' => 'form-control' . ($errors->has('role') ? ' is-invalid' : ''),
    'data-toggle' => 'selectpicker'
]) !!}

Validation Integration:

Leverage Laravel’s validation + Collective’s error display:

@if($errors->has('email'))
  <div class="invalid-feedback">{{ $errors->first('email') }}</div>
@endif

Bootstrap Components:

Pre-built helpers for checkboxes/radio buttons:

{!! Form::checkbox('subscribe', 1, old('subscribe', true), ['class' => 'form-check-input']) !!}
{!! Form::label('subscribe', 'Subscribe', ['class' => 'form-check-label']) !!}

Asset Integration:
- Use Form::asset() for CSRF tokens, method spoofing, or hidden fields:
```
{!! Form::asset('meta', '<meta name="referrer" content="no-referrer">') !!}
```

Advanced Patterns

Custom Field Types: Extend the package by creating a custom field class (see collective/html/src/FormBuilder):

// app/Extensions/CustomField.php
use Collective\Html\FormBuilder;

class CustomField extends FormBuilder {
    public static function customInput($name, $value = null, $options = []) {
        return '<input type="custom" name="' . e($name) . '" value="' . e($value) . '" ' . e($options) . '>';
    }
}

FormBuilder::macro('customInput', function($name, $value = null, $options = []) {
    return CustomField::customInput($name, $value, $options);
});

Form Macros: Create reusable form sections:

// app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Form;

public function boot() {
    Form::macro('addressFields', function($prefix) {
        return <<<HTML
        <div class="form-group">
            {!! Form::label($prefix . '[street]', 'Street') !!}
            {!! Form::text($prefix . '[street]', null, ['class' => 'form-control']) !!}
        </div>
        HTML;
    });
}

Usage:

{!! Form::addressFields('user') !!}

Gotchas and Tips

Common Pitfalls

Bootstrap Version Mismatch:
- The package assumes Bootstrap 4. Use class="form-control" (not form-control in v3).
- Fix: Override config or manually adjust classes.
CSRF Token Conflicts:
- If using Form::open() without route() or url(), ensure @csrf is included separately:
```
{!! Form::open(['class' => 'form-horizontal']) !!}
@csrf
```
Macro Overrides:
- Collective’s macros (e.g., Form::control()) may conflict with custom macros.
- Tip: Use Form::macro() in AppServiceProvider@boot() to extend after Collective loads.
Asset Helpers:
- Form::asset() is not for form fields—use it for non-input HTML (e.g., <meta>, <script>).
Deprecated Methods:
- Avoid Form::model() (Laravel 5.x). Use Form::open(['model' => $model]) instead.

Debugging Tips

Inspect Output: Use {!! Form::text('field')->render() !!} to debug raw HTML.
Check Config: Verify config/html.php for default attributes (e.g., default_options).
Clear Views: Run php artisan view:clear if macros stop working.

Performance Quirks

Avoid Nested Macros: Deeply nested Form::macro() calls can bloat Blade templates.

Cache Forms: For complex forms, cache the Blade output:

// app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
public function boot() {
    Blade::directive('cacheForm', function($expr) {
        return "<?php echo \$__env->make('{$expr}')->render(); ?>";
    });
}

Usage:

@cacheForm('forms.partial')

Extension Points

Custom Validators: Extend FormBuilder to add validation-aware fields:

Form::macro('phone', function($name, $value = null, $options = []) {
    return Form::text($name, $value, array_merge($options, [
        'class' => 'form-control' . ($errors->has($name) ? ' is-invalid' : '')
    ]));
});

Localization: Override labels/placeholders via language files (resources/lang/en/form.php):

return [
    'labels' => [
        'email' => 'Email Address',
    ],
];

Access in Blade:

{!! Form::label('email', trans('form.labels.email')) !!}

Event Listeners: Hook into form submission via Laravel events (e.g., FormSubmitting):

// app/Providers/EventServiceProvider.php
protected $listen = [
    'Collective\Html\FormEvents\FormSubmitting' => [
        'App\Listeners\LogFormSubmission',
    ],
];

Collective Input Laravel Package