Extending Zend_View_Helper_FormElement - zend-framework

Question

I have created this file at My/View/Helper/FormElement.php
<?php
abstract class My_View_Helper_FormElement extends Zend_View_Helper_FormElement
{
protected function _getInfo($name, $value = null, $attribs = null,
$options = null, $listsep = null
) {
$info = parent::_getInfo($name, $value, $attribs, $options, $listsep);
$info['id'] = 'My new ID';
return $info;
}
}
How can i get the normal form elements to use this instead?
Why i want this?
Say that i use the same form multiple times on a page, the 'id='-tag of the formelements will apear multiple times, this is not w3c-valid. So initially i want to prefix the id with the id of the form.
Any better ideas or ways to do this is much apreciated.
Update: Just realized it's the same problem with the decorators :( Don't think this is the right path i've taken.

Answer 1

Create new form class extending Zend_Form and in the init() method use variable $ns to add prefix/suffix to all elements. You can set $ns variable through form constructor.
class Form_Test extends Zend_Form
{
protected $ns;
public function init()
{
$this->setAttrib('id', $this->ns . 'testForm');
$name = new Zend_Form_Element_Text('name');
$name->setAttrib('id', $this->ns . 'name');
$name->setLabel('Name: *')->setRequired(true);
$submit = new Zend_Form_Element_Submit('submit');
$submit->setAttrib('id', $this->ns . 'submitbutton');
$submit->setLabel('Add')->setIgnore(true);
$this->addElements(array($name, $submit));
}
public function setNs($data)
{
$this->ns = $data;
}
}
In the controller or wherever you are calling this forms specify each form instance:
$form1 = new Form_Test(array('ns' => 'prefix1'));
$this->view->form1 = $form1;
$form2 = new Form_Test(array('ns' => 'prefix2'));
$this->view->form2 = $form2;
// Validation if calling from the controller
if ($form1->isValid()) ...

Answer 2

Using multiple instances of same forms on a page can be validated if used as subform.
SubForms prefix all id's with the name/identifier of the subform.