Creating nodes using mini-forms anywhere

Recently a client needed to have a mini form for creating specific types of nodes on the fly from anywhere on the site. So, instead of the user clicking "Create content" then "foo" then filling in the form, then clicking submit, a form for that type of content will be shown on most pages in a block in the side bar. So, they can create that type of node quickly.

There are two ways to do this:

• Call drupal_get_form('nodetype_node_form'), then use hook_form_alter() to unset the parts you don't need.
• Create your own form, then do a drupal_execute() using the data from your form.

Calling the node type node form

For this, assuming you have a content type called foo, then you do the following:

function custom_foo_node_form() {
global $user;
$node = array(
'uid' => $user->uid,
'name' => $user->name,
'type' => 'foo',
);
return drupal_get_form('foo_node_form', $node);
}
function custom_form_alter($form_id, &$form) {
if ($form_id == 'foo_node_form') {
if ($_GET['q'] != 'node/add/foo') {
$values = array(
'menu',
'attachments',
'preview',
'options',
'author',
'log',
'body_filter',
'path',
);
foreach($values as $k) {
if (isset($form[$k])) {
unset($form[$k]);
}
}
}
}
} 

You then place the following in a block with type PHP or anywhere in the theme's .tpl.php you wish.

<?php print custom_foo_node_form() ?> 

Using your own form with drupal_execute()

However, in order to keep the mini form clean and not too busy, we opted for the second option.

For this, the code will look like this:

function custom_foo() {
return drupal_get_form('custom_foo_form');
}
function custom_foo_form() {
$form['title'] = array(
'#type'  => 'textfield',
'#title' => 'foo',
);
$form['taxonomy'] = taxonomy_form(1);
$form['submit'] = array(
'#type'  => 'submit',
'#value' => 'Foo',
);
return $form;
}
function custom_foo_form_submit($form_id, $form) {
global $user;
$form_id = 'foo_node_form';
$node = array(
'uid'  => $user->uid,
'name' => $user->name,
'type' => 'foo',
);
$form_values = array(
'title'    => $form['title'],
'name'     => $user->name,
'taxonomy' => $form['taxonomy'],
);
watchdog('debug', 'Saving foo from mini node form');
drupal_execute($form_id, $form_values, $node);
} 

Note that there is no body for this type of node, as it is a CCK type with an optional body. Only the title is relevant. But of course you can include a body if you so wish.

Then, in a block of type PHP or anywhere in your tpl.php files, you place the following call:

<?php print custom_foo() ?> 

Thanks to Karoly Negyesi (chx) for his advice on the options available.