diff --git a/src/_posts/2019-08-30-civicrm-mailing-validation.md b/src/_posts/2019-08-30-civicrm-mailing-validation.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dc670a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/_posts/2019-08-30-civicrm-mailing-validation.md @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: CiviCRM AngularJS extension +description: Adding custom validation to the CiviCRM Mailing form +image: civicrm_validation_header.jpg +category: howto +date: 2019-08-30 +--- + +A couple of our clients use [CiviCRM](https://civicrm.org/); one of them uses +the "Mailing" features to send out emails to their supporters. Apparently, +they're facing a bug where if someone sends out a Mailing with the same name +(not subject line, just the internal identifier 🙄) as an existing one, it'll +freeze the CRM later. + +As an added challenge, the Mailings feature of CiviCRM [now uses +AngularJS](https://docs.civicrm.org/dev/en/latest/framework/angular/) following +a recent rebuild, and there aren't many tutorials or examples out there. +Luckily, the CiviCRM developer community was super-helpful, and we managed to +sort out some in-form validation to prevent duplicate Mailing +names for our client… and now for you, too! + +## Create a new extension + +Using [`civix`](https://github.com/totten/civix), we set up a new CiviCRM extension for our code: + + civix generate:module mailing + +(We called our extension `mailing`, because our creative director was occupied with an Art at the time) + +Our client sensibly keeps their custom CiviCRM extensions in `git`, at this stage we initialised a repository, added the boilerplate template code, and pushed. + +## Set up the AngularJS hook + +A function called `mailing_civicrm_alterAngular()` will get executed whenever an AngularJS page loads, and you can use a `ChangeSet` to edit an AngularJS template – and, because AngularJS templates specify form logic, also change the validation behaviour. Our hook function looks like this: + + function mailing_civicrm_alterAngular($angular) { + $changeSet = \Civi\Angular\ChangeSet::create('mailing_name_unique') + ->alterHtml('~/crmMailing/BlockSummary.html', function(phpQueryObject $doc) { + // name validation + $doc->find('.crm-group:has([crm-ui-id="subform.mailingName"])')->attr('ng-controller', 'NameValidateCtrl'); + $doc->find('[crm-ui-id="subform.mailingName"]')->attr('ng-blur', 'validateName(mailing, \'name\')'); + $doc->find('[crm-ui-id="subform.mailingName"]')->attr('crm-ui-validate', 'isValid'); + }); + + $angular->add($changeSet); + + CRM_Core_Resources::singleton()->addScriptFile('mailing', 'js/disallow-duplicate-names.js'); + } + + +Setting `crm-ui-validate` to `validateName` directly fired the event _way_ too many times, so instead `validateName` is only called when focus leaves the field, `ng-blur`, which then sets the `isValid` variable that's checked by `crm-ui-validate`. + +## Create the `validateName` function + +Then, the code which queries the CiviCRM API to check for mailings with duplicate names: + + var validating = false; + + (function(angular, $) { + var crmMailing = angular.module('crmMailing'); + + crmMailing.controller('NameValidateCtrl', function($scope) { + $scope.isValid = false; + + $scope.validateName = function(mailing, field) { + if (!validating) { + validating = true; + + CRM.api3('Mailing', 'get', { + "sequential": 1, + "name": mailing[field], + "id": {"!=": mailing.id} + }).then(function(result) { + // do something with result + if (result.count > 0 ) { + $scope.isValid = false; + CRM.alert(ts('There is already a mailing with this name; sending this one will crash CiviCRM!')); + } else { + $scope.isValid = true; + } + }, function(error) { + // oops + console.log(error); + }); + + validating = false; + } + }; + }); + })(angular, CRM.$); + +(saved as `js/disallow-duplicate-names.js`) + +## Conclusion + +Activate the extension, e.g. with `cv` + + $ cv en mailing + +Now, open a mailing and try to give it the same name as an existing one – you should see the field border turn red, and you'll be prevented from continuing or sending the mailing: + +![](/assets/images/civicrm_validation.png) + +(As a bonus, the extension also sends a notification to the user using `CRM.alert` to explain the error) + +It does seem like a red border sometimes hangs around the field label even after the value is valid again.. but apart from that, the feature is working great! diff --git a/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation.png b/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b2e9521 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation.png differ diff --git a/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation_header.jpg b/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation_header.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..46b82e9 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/assets/images/civicrm_validation_header.jpg differ