# Cookbook: Form

Work in Progress This page is currently being revised. It might be incomplete or contain inaccuracies.

A web application's main purpose is to present and gather data. For this reason angular strives to make both of these operations trivial. This example shows off how you can build a simple form to allow a user to enter data.

      <script>
        function FormController(){
          this.user = {
            name: 'John Smith',
            address:{line1: '123 Main St.', city:'Anytown', state:'AA', zip:'12345'},
            contacts:[{type:'phone', value:'1(234) 555-1212'}]
          };
          this.state = /^\w\w$/;
          this.zip = /^\d\d\d\d\d$/;
        }
      </script>
      <div ng:controller="FormController" class="example">

        <label>Name:</label><br/>
        <input type="text" name="user.name" ng:required/> <br/><br/>

        <label>Address:</label><br/>
        <input type="text" name="user.address.line1" size="33" ng:required/> <br/>
        <input type="text" name="user.address.city" size="12" ng:required/>,
        <input type="text" name="user.address.state" size="2" ng:required ng:validate="regexp:state"/>
        <input type="text" name="user.address.zip" size="5" ng:required
    ng:validate="regexp:zip"/><br/><br/>

        <label>Phone:</label>
        [ <a href="" ng:click="user.contacts.$add()">add</a> ]
        <div ng:repeat="contact in user.contacts">
          <select name="contact.type">
            <option>email</option>
            <option>phone</option>
            <option>pager</option>
            <option>IM</option>
          </select>
          <input type="text" name="contact.value" ng:required/>
           [ <a href="" ng:click="user.contacts.$remove(contact)">X</a> ]
        </div>
        <hr/>
        Debug View:
        <pre>user={{user}}</pre>
      </div>

      it('should show debug', function(){
        expect(binding('user')).toMatch(/John Smith/);
      });
      it('should add contact', function(){
        using('.example').element('a:contains(add)').click();
        using('.example div:last').input('contact.value').enter('you@example.org');
        expect(binding('user')).toMatch(/\(234\) 555\-1212/);
        expect(binding('user')).toMatch(/you@example.org/);
      });

      it('should remove contact', function(){
        using('.example').element('a:contains(X)').click();
        expect(binding('user')).not().toMatch(/\(234\) 555\-1212/);
      });

      it('should validate zip', function(){
        expect(using('.example').element(':input[name=user.address.zip]').attr('className'))
          .not().toMatch(/ng-validation-error/);
        using('.example').input('user.address.zip').enter('abc');
        expect(using('.example').element(':input[name=user.address.zip]').attr('className'))
          .toMatch(/ng-validation-error/);
      });

      it('should validate state', function(){
        expect(using('.example').element(':input[name=user.address.state]').attr('className'))
          .not().toMatch(/ng-validation-error/);
        using('.example').input('user.address.state').enter('XXX');
        expect(using('.example').element(':input[name=user.address.state]').attr('className'))
          .toMatch(/ng-validation-error/);
      });

## Things to notice

- The user data model is initialized `controller` and is available in the `scope` with the initial data.
- For debugging purposes we have included a debug view of the model to better understand what is going on.
- The `input widgets` simply refer to the model and are auto bound.
- The inputs `validate`. (Try leaving them blank or entering non digits in the zip field)
- In your application you can simply read from or write to the model and the form will be updated.
- By clicking the 'add' link you are adding new items into the `user.contacts` array which are then reflected in the view.