Symfony 2.5 - Data transformer and View transformer

Question

I'm working on a symfony 2.5 project, I used reverse engineering (doctrine:mapping:import) and I need a data transformer on a form that saves the patient in order of make an appointment in the database but I need the user to write his identification number (the field name is numeroRegistro). I read about it and implemented it, and I'm having problems at the moment of creation.

this is my Type :

<?php

namespace frontend\citasBundle\Form;

use Symfony\Component\Form\AbstractType;
use Symfony\Component\Form\FormBuilderInterface;
use Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\OptionsResolverInterface;
use frontend\citasBundle\Form\DataTransformer\IssueToNumberTransformer;

class CitasType extends AbstractType
{
/**
 * @param FormBuilderInterface $builder
 * @param array $options
 */

public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
    $entityManager = $options['em'];
    $transformer = new IssueToNumberTransformer($entityManager);


    $builder
        ->add('estado')
        ->add('tipo')
        ->add('encargado')
        ->add('eps')
        ->add('fechaInicio')
        ->add('fechaFin')
        ->add('comentario')
        ->add('fechaAsignacion')
        ->add('usuarioAsigna')
        ->add('paciente','text')->addModelTransformer($transformer)
        ->add('consultorios')
    ;
}

/**
 * @param OptionsResolverInterface $resolver
 */
public function setDefaultOptions(OptionsResolverInterface $resolver)
{
    $resolver->setDefaults(array(
        'data_class' => 'frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas'
    ))
        ->setRequired(array(
        'em',
    ))
    ->setAllowedTypes(array(
        'em' => 'Doctrine\Common\Persistence\ObjectManager',
    ));

}

/**
 * @return string
 */
public function getName()
{
    return 'frontend_citasbundle_citas';
}
}

This is the datatransformer :

<?php

// src/Acme/TaskBundle/Form/DataTransformer/IssueToNumberTransformer.php
namespace frontend\citasBundle\Form\DataTransformer;
use Symfony\Component\Form\DataTransformerInterface;
use Symfony\Component\Form\Exception\TransformationFailedException;
use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\ObjectManager;
//use frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Issue;

class IssueToNumberTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
{
/**
 * @var ObjectManager
 */
private $om;

/**
 * @param ObjectManager $om
 */
public function __construct(ObjectManager $om)
{
    $this->om = $om;
}

/**
 * Transforms an object (issue) to a string (number).
 *
 * @param  Issue|null $issue
 * @return string
 */
public function transform($issue)
{
    if (null === $issue) {
        return "";
    }

    return $issue->getId();
}

/**
 * Transforms a string (number) to an object (issue).
 *
 * @param  string $number
 *
 * @return Issue|null
 *
 * @throws TransformationFailedException if object (issue) is not found.
 */
public function reverseTransform($number)
{
    if (!$number) {
        return null;
    }

    $issue = $this->om
        ->getRepository('frontendpacienteBundle:Paciente')
        ->findOneBy(array('numeroRegistro' => $number))
    ;

    if (null === $issue) {
        throw new TransformationFailedException(sprintf(
            'An issue with number "%s" does not exist!',
            $number
        ));
    }

    return $issue;
}
}

And finally my entity :

<?php

namespace frontend\citasBundle\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

/**
  * Citas
 */
class Citas
{
/**
 * @var integer
 */
private $id;

/**
 * @var boolean
 */
private $estado;

/**
 * @var string
 */
private $tipo;

/**
 * @var integer
 */
private $encargado;

/**
 * @var string
 */
private $eps;

/**
 * @var \DateTime
 */
private $fechaInicio;

/**
 * @var \DateTime
 */
private $fechaFin;

/**
 * @var string
 */
private $comentario;

/**
 * @var \DateTime
 */
private $fechaAsignacion;

/**
 * @var string
 */
private $usuarioAsigna;

/**
 * @var \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente
 */
private $paciente;

/**
 * @var \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Consultorios
 */
private $consultorios;


/**
 * Get id
 *
 * @return integer 
 */
public function getId()
{
    return $this->id;
}

/**
 * Set estado
 *
 * @param boolean $estado
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setEstado($estado)
{
    $this->estado = $estado;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get estado
 *
 * @return boolean 
 */
public function getEstado()
{
    return $this->estado;
}

/**
 * Set tipo
 *
 * @param string $tipo
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setTipo($tipo)
{
    $this->tipo = $tipo;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get tipo
 *
 * @return string 
 */
public function getTipo()
{
    return $this->tipo;
}

/**
 * Set encargado
 *
 * @param integer $encargado
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setEncargado($encargado)
{
    $this->encargado = $encargado;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get encargado
 *
 * @return integer 
 */
public function getEncargado()
{
    return $this->encargado;
}

/**
 * Set eps
 *
 * @param string $eps
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setEps($eps)
{
    $this->eps = $eps;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get eps
 *
 * @return string 
 */
public function getEps()
{
    return $this->eps;
}

/**
 * Set fechaInicio
 *
 * @param \DateTime $fechaInicio
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setFechaInicio($fechaInicio)
{
    $this->fechaInicio = $fechaInicio;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get fechaInicio
 *
 * @return \DateTime 
 */
public function getFechaInicio()
{
    return $this->fechaInicio;
}

/**
 * Set fechaFin
 *
 * @param \DateTime $fechaFin
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setFechaFin($fechaFin)
{
    $this->fechaFin = $fechaFin;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get fechaFin
 *
 * @return \DateTime 
 */
public function getFechaFin()
{
    return $this->fechaFin;
}

/**
 * Set comentario
 *
 * @param string $comentario
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setComentario($comentario)
{
    $this->comentario = $comentario;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get comentario
 *
 * @return string 
 */
public function getComentario()
{
    return $this->comentario;
}

/**
 * Set fechaAsignacion
 *
 * @param \DateTime $fechaAsignacion
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setFechaAsignacion($fechaAsignacion)
{
    $this->fechaAsignacion = $fechaAsignacion;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get fechaAsignacion
 *
 * @return \DateTime 
 */
public function getFechaAsignacion()
{
    return $this->fechaAsignacion;
}

/**
 * Set usuarioAsigna
 *
 * @param string $usuarioAsigna
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setUsuarioAsigna($usuarioAsigna)
{
    $this->usuarioAsigna = $usuarioAsigna;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get usuarioAsigna
 *
 * @return string 
 */
public function getUsuarioAsigna()
{
    return $this->usuarioAsigna;
}

/**
 * Set paciente
 *
 * @param \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente $paciente
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setPaciente(\frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente $paciente = null)
{
    $this->paciente = $paciente;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get paciente
 *
 * @return \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente 
 */
public function getPaciente()
{
    return $this->paciente;
}

/**
 * Set consultorios
 *
 * @param \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Consultorios $consultorios
 * @return Citas
 */
public function setConsultorios(\frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Consultorios $consultorios = null)
{
    $this->consultorios = $consultorios;

    return $this;
}

/**
 * Get consultorios
 *
 * @return \frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Consultorios 
 */
public function getConsultorios()
{
    return $this->consultorios;
}
}

I thought with that was enough but when i submit i get this error :

Catchable Fatal Error: Argument 1 passed to frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas::setPaciente() must           be an instance of frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente, string given, called in C:\xampp\htdocs\genoma\vendor\symfony\symfony\src\Symfony\Component\PropertyAccess\PropertyAccessor.php on line 438 and defined in C:\xampp\htdocs\genoma\src\frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas.php line   296

Am i improperly configuring the data transformer ? and if i try edit a register inserted via database i get this :

The form's view data is expected to be an instance of class frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas, but is a(n) string. You can avoid this error by setting the "data_class" option to null or by adding a view transformer that transforms a(n) string to an instance of frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas.

I used the datatransformer because i need to enter the identification number of the patient in the form in a text field -- and the same when edit the register.

**I'm getting crazy with this thing. I appreciate your help since now. **

Solution

You must build transformed field via FormBuilderInterface::create():

$builder
    // ...
    ->add(
        $builder->create('paciente','text')
            ->addModelTransformer($transformer)
    );

See How to Use Data Transformers, the manual is pretty clear at this point.

Comments

[Carlos Delgado]

i add this : $builder ->add( $builder->create('paciente','text') ->addModelTransformer($transformer) ); and comment : ->add('paciente','text')->addModelTransformer($transformer) but still the same error : Catchable Fatal Error: Argument 1 passed to frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas::setPaciente() must be an instance of frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Paciente, string given, called in htdocs\genoma\vendor\symfony\symfony\src\Symfony\Component\P‌​ropertyAccess\Proper‌​tyAccessor.php on line and defined in src\frontend\citasBundle\Entity\Citas.php

[Carlos Delgado]

Thanks for the support

[Carlos Delgado]

PLUS : I try to edit a register and doesn't throw the error mentioned in the question :) thanks , but still the problem in update and create.

[ozahorulia]

@CarlosDelgado Sorry, when exactly you're getting the error?

[ozahorulia]

Okay, seems strange then. Try to make some breakpoints inside both transform() and setPaciente() methods. See, what exactly do they return or accept as an argument.

[Carlos Delgado]

Hast, thanks ! symfony was giving me the answer :( , I'm colombian my english is not perfect jaja in my issueTransformer i had : ->getRepository('frontendPACIENTEBundle:Paciente') ->findOneBy(array('numeroRegistro' => $number)) and was expecting ->getRepository('frontendCITASBundle:Paciente') ->findOneBy(array('numeroRegistro' => $number)) .

[Carlos Delgado]

Thanks for all your support !

[ozahorulia]

@CarlosDelgado please, accept the answer, if it helped you. You are welcome.