widget

type: string default: choice

The basic way in which this field should be rendered. Can be one of the following:

• choice: renders three select inputs. The order of the selects is defined in the format option.
• text: renders a three field input of type text (month, day, year).
• single_text: renders a single input of type text. User's input is validated based on the format option.

input

type: string default: datetime

The format of the input data - i.e. the format that the date is stored on your underlying object. Valid values are:

• string (e.g. 2011-06-05)
• datetime (a DateTime object)
• array (e.g. array('year' => 2011, 'month' => 06, 'day' => 05))
• timestamp (e.g. 1307232000)

The value that comes back from the form will also be normalized back into this format.

empty_value

type: string or array

If your widget option is set to choice, then this field will be represented as a series of select boxes. The empty_value option can be used to add a "blank" entry to the top of each select box:

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$builder->add('dueDate', 'date', array(
    'empty_value' => '',
));

Alternatively, you can specify a string to be displayed for the "blank" value:

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$builder->add('dueDate', 'date', array(
    'empty_value' => array('year' => 'Year', 'month' => 'Month', 'day' => 'Day')
));

years

type: array default: five years before to five years after the current year

List of years available to the year field type. This option is only relevant when the widget option is set to choice.

months

type: array default: 1 to 12

List of months available to the month field type. This option is only relevant when the widget option is set to choice.

days

type: array default: 1 to 31

List of days available to the day field type. This option is only relevant when the widget option is set to choice:

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'days' => range(1,31)

format

type: integer or string default: IntlDateFormatter::MEDIUM

Option passed to the IntlDateFormatter class, used to transform user input into the proper format. This is critical when the widget option is set to single_text, and will define how the user will input the data. By default, the format is determined based on the current user locale: meaning that the expected format will be different for different users. You can override it by passing the format as a string.

For more information on valid formats, see Date/Time Format Syntax. For example, to render a single text box that expects the user to enter yyyy-MM-dd, use the following options:

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$builder->add('date_created', 'date', array(
    'widget' => 'single_text',
    'format' => 'yyyy-MM-dd',
));

data_timezone

type: string default: system default timezone

Timezone that the input data is stored in. This must be one of the PHP supported timezones

user_timezone

type: string default: system default timezone

Timezone for how the data should be shown to the user (and therefore also the data that the user submits). This must be one of the PHP supported timezones

by_reference

default: false

The DateTime classes are treated as immutable objects.

error_bubbling

default: false

invalid_message

type: string default: This value is not valid

This is the validation error message that's used if the data entered into this field doesn't make sense (i.e. fails validation).

This might happen, for example, if the user enters a nonsense string into a time field that cannot be converted into a real time or if the user enters a string (e.g. apple) into a number field.

Normal (business logic) validation (such as when setting a minimum length for a field) should be set using validation messages with your validation rules (reference).

invalid_message_parameters

type: array default: array()

When setting the invalid_message option, you may need to include some variables in the string. This can be done by adding placeholders to that option and including the variables in this option:

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$builder->add('some_field', 'some_type', array(
    // ...
    'invalid_message'            => 'You entered an invalid value - it should include %num% letters',
    'invalid_message_parameters' => array('%num%' => 6),
));

These options inherit from the date type:

virtual

type: boolean default: false

This option determines if the form will be mapped with data. This can be useful if you need a form to structure the view. See How to use the Virtual Form Field Option.