

method           =       $method;
                $this->action           =       $action;
                $this->name                     =       $name;
                $this->class            =       $class;
                $elements                       =       array();
                $this->getStatus        =       0;
        }
        /* add new element
         ** purpose: adds an entity to the container */
        function addElement( $element ) {
                $element['id']                          =       $this->nextElementID();
                $location                                       =       $element['id'];
                $this->elements[$location]      =       $element;

                return $element['id'];
        }
        /* update element
         ** purpose: updates an existing form element */
        function updateElement( $updatedElement ) {
                $id     =       $updatedElement['id'];
                $this->elements[$id]    =       $updatedElement;
        }
        function nextElementID()        {       return count( $this->elements );        }
        function getElement($id)        {       return $this->elements[$id];            }
        function numElements()          {       return count( $this->elements );        }
        /* get the next element
         ** purpose: each time this is called it gets the next element until the end is reached */
        function getNext() {
                if( $this->getStatus == $this->numElements() ) {        // is this the end of the elements?
                        $this->getStatus        =       0;                                              // reset the sentinal                        return false;                                                                   // indicate ending
                }
                $element        =       $this->getElement( $this->getStatus );
                $this->getStatus++;
                return $element;
        }
        /* add a select box entity to the form
         ** purpose: adds a select box to the container */
        function addSelect($name,$description) {
                $element['type']                        =       'select';
                $element['name']                        =       $name;
                $element['selections']          =       array();
                $element['description']         =       $description;
                $element['beginCode']           =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add item to a select box instance
         ** purpose: adds an option to a select box entity */
        function addSelect_item($id,$val,$description) {
                // get the element from the array of elements
                $element        =       $this->getElement($id);
                if( $element['type']    != 'select' ) {
                        return false;
                }
                $selections     =       $element['selections'];
                $location       =       count( $selections );
                $selections[$location]['value']                 =       $val;
                $selections[$location]['description']   =       $description;
                $selections[$location]['code']  =
                        "\t\t\n";
                $element['selections']  =       $selections;

                $this->updateElement($element);
        }
        function getSelectItems( $element ) {
                if( $element['type'] != 'select' ) { return false; }
                $selections     =       $element['selections'];
                for( $i = 0; $i < count( $selections ); $i++ ) {
                        $outp   .=      $selections[$i]['code'];
                }
                return $outp;
        }
        /* add a text box
         ** purpose: adds a text box to the container */
        function addTextBox($name,$value,$description) {
                $element['type']                =       'text';
                $element['name']                =       $name;
                $element['value']               =       $value;
                $element['description'] =       $description;
                $element['code']                =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add a check box
         ** purpose: adds a check box to the container */
        function addCheckBox($name,$value,$description) {
                $element['type']                =       'checkbox';
                $element['name']                =       $name;
                $element['value']               =       $value;
                $element['description'] =       $description;
                $element['code']                =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add a radio button
         ** purpose: adds a radio button to the container */
        function addRadioButton($name,$value,$description) {
                $element['type']                =       'radio';
                $element['name']                =       $name;
                $element['value']               =       $value;
                $element['description'] =       $description;
                $element['code']                =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add a textarea
         ** purpose: adds a textarea to the container */
        function addTextArea($name,$value,$description) {
                $element['type']                =       'textarea';
                $element['name']                =       $name;
                $element['value']               =       $value;
                $element['description'] =       $description;
                $element['code']                =       "{$element['value']}";
                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add a submit button
         ** purpose: add a submit button to the container */
        function addSubmitButton($name,$value) {
                $element['type']        =       'submit';
                $element['name']        =       $name;
                $element['value']       =       $value;
                $element['code']        =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* add a hidden field
         ** purpose: add a hidden field to the container */
        function addHiddenField($name,$value) {
                $element['type']                =       'hidden';
                $element['name']                =       $name;
                $element['value']               =       $value;
                $element['code']                =       "";

                return $this->addElement($element);
        }
        /* get HTML output as a table
         ** purpose: returns the HTML data from the container with the descriptions on the left
                                 and the form elements on the right */
        function getTableOfElements_1() {
                $outp .= "\n";
                $outp .= "\n";
                $element        =       $this->getNext();
                while( $element ) {
                        $outp .= "\t";
                        switch($element['type'])
                        {
                                case 'select':
                                        $selectItems    =       $this->getSelectItems( $element );
                                        $outp .=
                                        "" .
                                        "\n\t\n" .
                                        "\t\n\t";
                                        break;
                                case 'text':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'checkbox':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'radio':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'textarea':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'submit':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'hidden':
                                        $outp .= $element['code'];
                        }
                        $outp .= "\n";
                        $element        =       $this->getNext();
                }
                $outp .= "{$element['description']} \n" .
                                        "\t" . $element['beginCode'] . "\n" .
                                        $selectItems .
                                        "\t" . $element['endCode'] . "\n" .
                                        "\t
{$element['description']} {$element['code']}
{$element['description']} {$element['code']}
{$element['description']} {$element['code']}
{$element['description']} {$element['code']}
  {$element['code']}\n";
                $outp .= "\n";
                return $outp;
        }
        /* get HTML output as a table
         ** purpose: returns the HTML data from the container with the descriptions on the right
                                 and the form elements on the left */
        function getTableOfElements_2() {
                $outp .= "\n";
                $outp .= "\n";
                $element        =       $this->getNext();
                while( $element ) {
                        $outp .= "\t";
                        switch($element['type'])
                        {
                                case 'select':
                                        $selectItems    =       $this->getSelectItems( $element );
                                        $outp .=
                                        "\n" .
                                        "\t\n" .
                                        "\t\n" .
                                        "\t";
                                        break;
                                case 'text':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'checkbox':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'radio':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'textarea':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                                case 'submit':
                                        $outp .= "";
                                        break;
                        }
                        $outp .= "\n";
                        $element        =       $this->getNext();
                }
                $outp .= "\n" .
                                        "\t" . $element['beginCode'] . "\n" .
                                        $selectItems .
                                        "\t" . $element['endCode'] . "\n" .
                                        "\t {$element['description']}
{$element['code']} {$element['description']}
{$element['code']} {$element['description']}
{$element['code']} {$element['description']}
{$element['code']} {$element['description']}
{$element['code']}  \n";
                $outp .= "\n";
                return $outp;
        }
}
/** test code
$form           =       new form_HTML('post','index.php','mainBody','formClass');
$selectId       =       $form->addSelect('select test','description of the select box');
$form->addSelect_item($selectId,'item1val','item1description');
$form->addSelect_item($selectId,'item2val','item2description');
$form->addTextBox('text_test','text_value_test','description of the text box');
$form->addCheckBox('cb_name','cb_value','cb_description');
$form->addRadioButton('rb_name','rb_value','rb_description');
$form->addTextArea('ta_name','ta_value','description of the textarea');
echo $form->getTableOfElements_1();
echo $form->getTableOfElements_2();
/**/
?>
{$element['description']}	\n" . "\t" . $element['beginCode'] . "\n" . $selectItems . "\t" . $element['endCode'] . "\n" . "\t
{$element['description']}	{$element['code']}
{$element['description']}	{$element['code']}
{$element['description']}	{$element['code']}
{$element['description']}	{$element['code']}
	{$element['code']}