[Zope] Form records not behaving as I would expect

16 Oct 2001

      I am trying to use the 'records' directive to combine input data from a form
into records that I can insert into an SQL table using this method:

########################################
Z SQL Method: demoSet

Arguments:
  locationid
  demoname

update demomap
  set
    locationid=<dtml-sqlvar locationid type="int">,
    demoname=<dtml-sqlvar demoname type="string">
########################################

The form I'm using is this:

########################################
<dtml-var standard_html_header>

<dtml-if action>
  <br>You submitted some values!
<dtml-in demolist>
  <dtml-set locationid=locationid>
  <dtml-set demoname=demoname>
  <dtml-call demoSet>
</dtml-in>
</dtml-if>

<form action="<dtml-var URL>" method="GET">
<table border="<dtml-var table_border>">
<dtml-in demoGetAll>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top"><dtml-var locationname>:</td>
    <td>
      <input type="hidden"
name="demolist.locationid:int:records:ignore_empty" value="<dtml-var locationid>">
      <input type="text" name="demolist.demoname:string:records"
value="<dtml-var demoname>" size="70">
      <br><a href="<dtml-var demoname>">Test link</a>
    </td>
  </tr>
</dtml-in>
  <tr>
    <td colspan="2" align="center">
      <input type="submit" name="action" value="Make these changes">
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</form>

<dtml-var standard_html_footer>
########################################

The problem I'm experiencing is that the <dtml-in demolist> block in the
DTML document above fails unless I have the seemingly-redundant dtml-set
tags at the start of the block.  Specifically, I get a "Missing input
variable, locationid" message and some traceback information, which I
haven't included here but can reproduce if needed.

Now, if I replace the lines

  <dtml-set locationid=locationid>
  <dtml-set demoname=demoname>
  <dtml-call demoSet>

with

  <br><dtml-var locationid>
  <br><dtml-var demoname>

the the script cheerfully outputs the expected values.

I'm stumped.  Why can I display those value but not insert them with an SQL
query?  I've read several HOWTOs that assert that I should only need to use:

  <dtml-in demolist>
    <dtml-call demoSet>
  </dtml-in>

and be done with it.

I appreciate any insight into my problem.  I'm coming from a
C++/Java/Perl/PHP background and haven't quite gotten into the Zope way of
doing things yet, although my Zope Book should be arriving in the next day
or so.  Many advance thanks for a newbie!
-- 
Kirk Strauser