Introduction

Quick Start

Basic Concepts

Understanding Routing

Intercepting Requests

Module Fundamentals

Database Operations

Templates

Helpers

Form Handling

Form Validation

Working With Files

Image Manipulation

Working With Dates & Times

Language Control

Security

Tips And Best Practices

Checkboxes and Radio Buttons

Checkboxes and radio buttons use a similar helper pattern as other form elements, with special handling for checked states.

Always do this:

In your view: Use value="1" for checkboxes
In your controller: Convert POST data to boolean for views, integer for database
In your database: Store as 0 or 1

Checkboxes

Use form_checkbox():

Parameters

$name (string, required) - The name attribute for the checkbox
$value (string|bool|int, optional) - The value attribute. Defaults to '1'
$checked (mixed, optional) - Whether the checkbox should be checked. Defaults to false
$attributes (array, optional) - Additional HTML attributes. Defaults to []

Recommended Pattern (Best Practice)

For accessibility and improved usability, always wrap the checkbox input directly within the HTML <label> element. This allows users to click the text to toggle the checkbox, increasing the target area.

Note on Validity: Placing the input inside the label (implicit association) is perfectly valid HTML5 and the industry-standard best practice for these elements.

The Checkbox Reality

Unchecked checkboxes don't submit any data. This is HTML behavior, not Trongate.

When a form submits:

Checked checkbox → POST contains subscribe='1'
Unchecked checkbox → POST contains no subscribe field

Here's something crucial: unchecked checkboxes don't submit anything.

If a checkbox is checked, the form submits its value. If unchecked, the field doesn't appear in the POST data at all.

This is why you often see this pattern:

The Complete Pattern

Step 1: View File (Use Wrapping Pattern)

Important: The third parameter ($newsletter_checked) must be true or false.

Step 2: Controller (Two different conversions)

Your controller needs to handle data differently depending on whether it's going to the view or to the database.

Step 3: Database Schema

Two Different Conversions

When working with checkboxes the type of conversion that happens differs, depending on whether the goal is to render a view file or enter a checkbox value into a database.

Destination	Needs	Conversion	Result
View (form_checkbox)	Boolean	`(bool) post('field', true)`	`true` or `false`
Database	Integer 0/1	`(int) (bool) post('field', true)`	`1` or `0`

Common Pitfalls

Never use string values for checkboxes.

Do this: Always use 1 as the value

Radio Buttons

Radio buttons are simpler - they always submit a value. You should also wrap the radio input within the <label> element for accessibility.

Parameters

$name (string, required) - The name attribute for the radio button
$value (string|bool|int, optional) - The value attribute. Defaults to ''
$checked (mixed, optional) - Whether the radio button should be checked. Defaults to false
$attributes (array, optional) - Additional HTML attributes. Defaults to []

Radio Group Example (Recommended Pattern)

Multiple Checkboxes

For multiple selections, store as JSON array:

Quick Reference

Element	View Code	To View (boolean)	To Database
Checkbox	`<label>...form_checkbox('field', 1, $checked)...</label>`	`(bool) post('field', true)`	`(int) (bool) post('field', true)`
Radio	`<label>...form_radio('field', 'value', $checked)...</label>`	`post('field', true)`	`post('field', true)`
Text Input	`form_input('field', $value)`	`post('field', true)`	`post('field', true)`

Remember: Checkboxes are the only form element that needs different handling for views vs. databases. Everything else uses the same value for both.

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