Updating Repeaters via API - without removeAll()

[renobird]

Is there a way other than the removeAll() method to update existing repeater fields?

I have pages that have 10 repeaters—each page may get edited a dozen times or more.

What happens with removeAll() is each time the page is saved, the repeaters are removed and recreated — assigning them a new page id.

The page id numbers start to grow like crazy.

For example:

1 page with 10 repeaters that gets edited 10 times = 100 new page ids. Not a huge deal.

Except, there could be 20-30 pages that get that many edits. Now we are talking about 2000-3000 new page ids — every day.

So I'm looking for another method to update the existing repeaters.
There will always be the same 10. No more, no less.

A gentle nudge in the right direction would be appreciated.

[renobird]

Can repeater pages be edited directly? Seems like even if I know the ID of the page, I can't update it via the API.

[Wanze]

Hi renobird,

I did a quick test and it worked for me. Just updated the first page of a repeater field with the API:

$firstPage = $pages->get('/myRepeaterPage/')->repeater_field->first();
$firstPage->of(false);
$firstPage->field = 'new value';
$firstPage->save();

Can you post some example code?

Cheerio

[renobird]

Hi Wanze,

I'm not sure what is going on actually, I was trying something very similar.

$rp = $pages->get('id=4591');
$rp->of(false);
$rp->form_expense_description = 'test';
$rp->save();

that gives me these errors:

Notice: Trying to get property of non-object in /xxxx/wire/core/PageAccess.php on line 25
Notice: Trying to get property of non-object in /xxxx/wire/core/PageAccess.php on line 27
Fatal error: Call to a member function hasRole() on a non-object in /xxxx/wire/core/Page.php on line 1275

This error message was shown because site is in debug mode ($config->debug = true; in /site/config.php). Error has been logged.

[renobird]

echo $rp->title;

that gives me the correct page title, so the get seems to work.

[renobird]

Hang on. I think I understand now.

I was going about that wrong.

[renobird]

Thanks Wanze,

I managed to get it sorted out.

$n = 1;
$type = "expense$n";
$desc = "desc$n";
$amount = "amount$n";
$pm = "method$n";

$expenses = $p->travel_expense; // the repeaters    
foreach ($expenses as $expense){

    $rp = $pages->get("id=$expense->id"); // the repeater page we want to update
    $rp->of(false);

    // update repeater fields
    $rp->expense_type = $input->post->$type;
    $rp->expense_description = $sanitizer->text($input->post->$desc);
    $rp->expense_amount = filter_var($input->post->$amount,FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT,FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_FRACTION);
    $rp->payment_method = $input->post->$pm;

    // save the repeater page
    $rp->save();

    // update counter etc
    $n++;
    $type = "expense$n";
    $desc = "desc$n";
    $amount = "amount$n";
    $pm = "method$n";  
} 

[Wanze]

Glad it works for you!

I think you can delete this line: $rp = $pages->get("id=$expense->id"); // the repeater page we want to update

You should have the same page already in your $expense variable from the foreach loop.

[renobird]

Hi Wanze,

I'm not sure I follow there. Don't I need to get the actual page for the repeater before I can set the values?

[Wanze]

Hi Reno,

When you loop through your repeater, in each iteration you already get the page.

So the additional find is not needed, but I guess it does not affect performance at all because the page is loaded already:

foreach ($expenses as $rp){ // changed $expense to $rp
    // the following line got you the same page as $expense before
    // $rp = $pages->get("id=$expense->id"); // the repeater page we want to update
    $rp->of(false);
    // ...

[renobird]

Wanze,

Ah, duh!  Gotcha — sometimes I still over think things when it comes to repeaters.

[pwfans]

On 5/22/2013 at 4:18 AM, renobird said:

Thanks Wanze,

I managed to get it sorted out.

$n = 1;
$type = "expense$n";
$desc = "desc$n";
$amount = "amount$n";
$pm = "method$n";

$expenses = $p->travel_expense; // the repeaters    
foreach ($expenses as $expense){

    $rp = $pages->get("id=$expense->id"); // the repeater page we want to update
    $rp->of(false);

    // update repeater fields
    $rp->expense_type = $input->post->$type;
    $rp->expense_description = $sanitizer->text($input->post->$desc);
    $rp->expense_amount = filter_var($input->post->$amount,FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT,FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_FRACTION);
    $rp->payment_method = $input->post->$pm;

    // save the repeater page
    $rp->save();

    // update counter etc
    $n++;
    $type = "expense$n";
    $desc = "desc$n";
    $amount = "amount$n";
    $pm = "method$n";  
} 

Is it possible to update current value while also add new item (if any) for current repeater using dynamic row ?