Rendering a form

Resources are convenient. They’re not mandatory.

A Form is a schema with validation and HTML. Mount it on a custom page, a Conduit component, or a plain view handler. The same field kit that powers Creating records works here.

Minimal

app/orbit/forms/settings.py

from almasix.orbit.forms import Form, TextInput, Toggle

settings = (
    Form.make("settings")
    .schema([
        TextInput.make("site_name").required().max_length(80),
        Toggle.make("maintenance").label("Maintenance mode"),
    ])
)

settings.fill({"site_name": "Acme", "maintenance": False})
errors = settings.validate(request_data)
if not errors:
    save(settings.dehydrate())

html = settings.render(settings.get_state())

fill loads state, validate returns a {field: [messages]} map, dehydrate is the payload you persist. render walks the schema and emits .or-field chrome.

On a custom page

app/orbit/pages/branding_page.py

from almasix.orbit import Page
from almasix.orbit.forms import Form, TextInput


class BrandingPage(Page):
    navigation_label = "Branding"
    navigation_group = "Settings"

    def form(self) -> Form:
        return Form.make("branding").schema([
            TextInput.make("brand_name").required(),
            TextInput.make("primary_color").default("#f1511b"),
        ])

Wire fill / validate / dehydrate in your page action (or Conduit method). Orbit will not invent a database — it renders the fields and leaves persistence to you.

Readonly mode

form.readonly()          # Form-level flag
TextInput.make("slug").readonly()  # Field-level

Readonly fields still show up; they refuse to be edited. Handy for “review before publish” screens and for View when you have not defined an infolist.

Layouts

Nest Section, Grid, Tabs, and Wizard inside .schema([...]). The form does not care whether a child is a field or a layout — both are components.

app/orbit/forms/profile.py

from almasix.orbit.forms import Form, TextInput
from almasix.orbit.schemas import Section, Grid

Form.make("profile").schema([
    Section.make("identity")
    .heading("Identity")
    .schema([
            Grid.make().columns(2).schema([
            TextInput.make("first_name").required(),
            TextInput.make("last_name").required(),
        ]),
    ]),
])

Why bother?

• Settings that aren’t a CRUD model
• Multi-step wizards that don’t map 1:1 to a resource
• Embedding a slice of Orbit UI inside a non-admin Conduit page

When you do have a model, prefer a resource so navigation, permissions, and table/form/infolist stay in one place.

Next: Closures · Text input · Validation.