Common Form Issues

In this section, we look at areas of common concern with forms, that is, how to change the text information associated with the default forms, how to alter the styling of forms, and how to use images for form buttons. In the process, we compare and contrast the different approaches introduced earlier and note some special issues.

Modifying Data Labels and Other Text

One of the most commonly requested form modifications is the ability to change the data labels and explanatory text built into the default forms. There are several alternative ways to modify the text elements. The choice of which technique to apply depends largely on the number of changes you wish to make and degree to which you will need to be able to administer the text through the admin interface.

Using form_alter()

As we saw earlier in this chapter, you can create a custom module and use form_alter to make changes to one or more forms. This approach is very useful where you want to make changes across several...