Project_Form.php

<?php

class Project_Form extends Zend_Form
{

    private $_uid = 0;
    /*
    public $elementDecorators = array(
        'ViewHelper',
        'Errors',
        array(array('data' => 'HtmlTag'), array('tag' => 'td', 'class' => 'element')),
        array('Label', array('tag' => 'td'),
        array(array('row' => 'HtmlTag'), array('tag' => 'tr')),
    ));

    public $buttonDecorators = array(
        'ViewHelper',
        array(array('data' => 'HtmlTag'), array('tag' => 'td', 'class' => 'element')),
        array(array('label' => 'HtmlTag'), array('tag' => 'td', 'placement' => 'prepend')),
        array(array('row' => 'HtmlTag'), array('tag' => 'tr')),
    );
*/
    public function __construct($options = null)
    {
        if (is_array($options)) {
            $this->setOptions($options);
        } elseif ($options instanceof Zend_Config) {
            $this->setConfig($options);
        }
        $this->getPluginLoader(Zend_Form::ELEMENT)->addPrefixPath('Project_Form_Element', 'Project/Form/Element');
        $this->addElementPrefixPath('Project_Filter', 'Project/Filter', Zend_Form_Element::FILTER);
        $this->addElementPrefixPath('Project_Validate', 'Project/Validate', Zend_Form_Element::VALIDATE);

        $this->init();


        $this->loadDefaultDecorators();
        
        /* example
        $this->setElementDecorators(array(
                array('ViewHelper'),
                array('Description', array('placement' => Zend_Form_Decorator_Abstract::PREPEND)),
                array('Errors'),
                array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'dd')),
                array('Label', array('tag' => 'dt')),
            )
        );
         */
    }

    public function setOptions(array $options) {
        parent::setOptions($options);
    }

    public function setValues($defaults) {
        if ($defaults instanceof Zend_Db_Table_Rowset_Abstract) {
            return $this->setDefaults($defaults->current()->toArray());
        }
        return $this->setDefaults($defaults);
    }

    public function addDescription($desc, $label=null) {
        $decorators = array(
            array('Description', array('placement' => Zend_Form_Decorator_Abstract::PREPEND)),
        );
        if ($label!==null) {
            $decorators[] = array('Label', array('tag' => 'dt'));
        }

        $t = $this->addElement('text', 'desc_'.$this->_uid++, array(
            'label'       => $label,
            'description' => $desc,
            'decorators'  => $decorators,
        ));

    }

    private $_tableGroupBase = '__table-group-';

    public function addTableGroup(array $rowsets, $options=null) {
        if ($options===null) {
            $options = array(
                'return' => false,
                'class'  => '',
            );
        } else {
            if (!isset($options['return'])) {
                $options['return'] = false;
            }
        }


        $form = new Project_Form_SubForm();
        $form->setIsArray(false);
        $form->clearDecorators();


        $body = new Project_Form_SubForm();
        $body->setIsArray(false);
        
        foreach($rowsets as $id => $rowset){

            $rowForm = new Project_Form_SubForm();
            $rowForm->setIsArray(false);

            foreach ($rowset as $el) {
                if (is_array($el)) {

                    $newOptions = $options;
                    $newOptions['return'] = true;
                    $el = $this->addTableGroup( $el , $newOptions);
                    $tmp = new Project_Form_SubForm();
                    $tmp->setIsArray(false);
                    $tmp->clearDecorators();
                    $tmp->setDecorators(array(
                        'FormElements',
                        array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'td')),
                    ));

                    $tmp->addSubForm($el, $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++);

                    $rowForm->addSubForm($tmp, $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++);
                    continue;
                } else if( is_null($el) ) {
                    $el = $this->createElement('hidden', $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++, array('ignore' => true));
                }

                $rowForm->addElement( $el );
                $rowForm->setElementDecorators(array(
                    'ViewHelper',
                    'Errors',
                    'Label',
                    array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'td')),
                ));
                
            }

            $body->addSubForm($rowForm, $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++);

        }
        
        $form->setDecorators(array(
            'FormElements',
            array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'table', 'class' => $options['class'])),
        ));

        $body->setDecorators(array(
            'FormElements',
            array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'tbody')),
        ));
        $body->setSubFormDecorators(array(
            'FormElements',
            array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'tr')),
        ));

        $form->addSubForm($body, $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++);
        if ($options['return']) {
            return $form;
        }

        $this->addSubForm($form, $this->_tableGroupBase.$this->_uid++);
    }

    public function getValues($suppressArrayNotation = false)
    {
        $values = array();
        foreach ($this->getElements() as $key => $element) {
            if (!$element->getIgnore()) {
                $values[$key] = $element->getValue();
            }
        }
        foreach ($this->getSubForms() as $key => $subForm) {
            $array = $this->_getArrayName($subForm->getElementsBelongTo());
            if (empty($array)) {
                if (preg_match('~^'.$this->_tableGroupBase.'~', $key)) {
                    $values = array_merge($values, $subForm->getValues(true));
                } else {
                    $values[$key] = $subForm->getValues(true);
                }
            } else {
                $values[$array] = $subForm->getValues(true);
            }
        }

        if (!$suppressArrayNotation && $this->isArray()) {
            $values = array(
                $this->getElementsBelongTo() => $values
            );
        }

        return $values;
    }
}

Project_Form_Example.php

<?php
class Project_Form_Course extends Project_Form {
    
    public function init() {

        $this->addTableGroup(array(array(
            $this->createElement('textarea', 'other_description', array(
                'label'       => 'other_description',
                'rows' => 6,
                'cols' => 25,
                'description' => '',
                'decorators' => array(
                    array('ViewHelper'),
                    array('Description', array('placement' => Zend_Form_Decorator_Abstract::PREPEND)),
                    array('Errors'),
                    array('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'dd')),
                    array('Label', array('tag' => 'dt')),
                )
            )),
            $this->createElement('text', 'other_requests', array(
                'label'       => 'budget_request$',
            )),
        )), array('class'=>'budget-request'));
        

    }
}

Project_Form_SubForm.php

<?php

class Project_Form_SubForm extends Project_Form
{
    /**
     * Whether or not form elements are members of an array
     * @var bool
     */
    protected $_isArray = true;

    /**
     * Load the default decorators
     * 
     * @return void
     */
    public function loadDefaultDecorators()
    {
        if ($this->loadDefaultDecoratorsIsDisabled()) {
            return;
        }

        $decorators = $this->getDecorators();
        if (empty($decorators)) {
            $this->addDecorator('FormElements')
                 ->addDecorator('HtmlTag', array('tag' => 'dl'))
                 ->addDecorator('Fieldset')
                 ->addDecorator('DtDdWrapper');
        }
    }
}