SQLFORM.accept is clobbering formstyle='bootstrap' when custom widgets are used

[Jeremy Field]

I believe this line in sqlhtml.py is disturbing the way formstyle_bootstrap displays custom widgets:

parent.components = [widget]

The older formstyles (table3cols, table2cols, etc) all wrap their controls within a dedicated tag, for example:

_controls = TD(controls, ...)

...

table.append(TR(_label, _controls, _help, _id=id))

In contrast, formstyle_bootstrap puts a help span as a sibling to the controls:

_help = SPAN(help, _class='help-block')

_controls = DIV(controls, _help, ...)

...

parent.append(DIV(label, _controls, ..., _id=id))

The result is that, when the form is submitted but has errors, i.e.:

• form.accepts(...) returns False, and
• fieldname is in request_vars,

the DIV which contained controls and _help now only contains the widget. The styling applied in formstyle_bootstrap is also lost, e.g.:

controls.add_class('span4')

A partial fix might be to wrap the controls in a redundant SPAN in formstyle_bootstrap:

_controls = DIV(SPAN(controls), _help, ...)

although this would not fix the styling problem.

Is this bug fixable while maintaining backward compatibility? Is there a fundamental impedance mismatch between the web2py and boostrap approaches to form layout? I have worked around the problem in my project to some extent with a custom formstyle, but am still affected by the styling problem.

Thanks for an otherwise glorious framework.

Regards,
Jeremy Field