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Hidden Field

The hidden field provides a hidden input element for storing data that should not be visible to users but needs to be submitted with the form. It's commonly used for tokens, IDs, and other server-side data.

Namespace​

JobMetric\CustomField\CustomFields\Hidden\Hidden

Overview​

The hidden field renders as an HTML <input type="hidden"> element. It's invisible to users but included in form submissions, making it perfect for CSRF tokens, record IDs, and other data that needs to be passed with the form.

When to Use​

Use the hidden field when you need:

  • CSRF tokens - Security tokens for form protection
  • Record IDs - Model IDs for updates
  • Session data - User session information
  • State management - Form state or workflow data
  • Server-side data - Any data that should be submitted but not visible

Example scenarios:

  • CSRF token protection
  • Edit forms (model ID)
  • Multi-step forms (step tracking)
  • Workflow state
  • User ID in forms

Builder Method​

CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()

Available Methods​

Common Attributes​

  • name(string $name, ?string $uniq = null) - Set field name
  • id(?string $id) - Set field ID (optional for hidden fields)
  • value(mixed $value) - Set field value (required)

Field Labels​

Hidden fields typically don't use labels or info text since they're not visible.

Basic Example​

use JobMetric\CustomField\Facades\CustomFieldBuilder;

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('token')
    ->value('abc123')
    ->build();

$result = $hidden->toHtml();
echo $result['body'];

Advanced Examples​

CSRF Token​

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('_token')
    ->value(csrf_token())
    ->build();

Model ID for Updates​

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('id')
    ->value($product->id)
    ->build();

Multi-Step Form State​

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('step')
    ->value(2)
    ->build();

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('form_id')
    ->value($formId)
    ->build();

User ID​

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('user_id')
    ->value(auth()->id())
    ->build();

Workflow State​

$hidden = CustomFieldBuilder::hidden()
    ->name('status')
    ->value('draft')
    ->build();

Rendering​

HTML Output​

$result = $hidden->toHtml();

// $result contains:
// [
//     'body' => '<input type="hidden" ...>',
//     'scripts' => [],
//     'styles' => []
// ]

echo $result['body'];

Array Output​

$array = $hidden->toArray();

// Returns complete field configuration

HTML Output​

The hidden field renders as:

<input type="hidden" name="token" value="abc123" />

Security Considerations​

  • Never store sensitive data in hidden fields that users can modify
  • Always validate hidden field values on the server
  • Use CSRF tokens for form protection
  • Don't rely on hidden fields for security