Symfony Form Conventions

1. The data_class Is the Single Source of Truth

All form data must flow through the data_class, not through options.

Options configure the form type behavior (labels, choices, validation rules), not transport data.

Problem

// ❌ AVOID - Data passed as options
$this->formFactory->create(IdentityDocumentType::class, $data, [
    'customer_birth_date' => $birthDate,
    'existing_files' => $existingFiles,
]);

// In configureOptions:
$resolver->setRequired('customer_birth_date');
$resolver->setRequired('existing_files');

Solution

// ✅ CORRECT - Everything is in the data_class
$this->formFactory->create(IdentityDocumentType::class, new IdentityDocument(
    customerBirthDate: $birthDate,
    existingFiles: $existingFiles,
));

// The FormType accesses data via $options['data']
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options): void
{
    $identityDocument = $options['data'];
    $existingFiles = $identityDocument->existingFiles;
}

Benefits

• The form type needs no custom options → zero-option form
• Event listeners no longer need parameters captured by the closure
• The factory only creates the data object, not the form itself

2. DataTransformer to Convert Form Objects to Model Objects

The conversion between Symfony's native form objects and application model objects belongs in a DataTransformer, not in the controller.

The controller must only manipulate model objects, never form-internal types.

Problem

// ❌ AVOID - Conversion in the controller
foreach ($fieldNames as $fieldName) {
    $file = $formData->getFileByFieldName($fieldName);

    if ($file instanceof UploadedFile) {
        $uploadFile = new UploadFile(
            file_get_contents($file->getPathname()),
            $file->getClientOriginalName(),
        );
    }
}

Solution

// ✅ CORRECT - DataTransformer in the FormType
$builder->get($fieldName)->addModelTransformer(new CallbackTransformer(
    static fn (): mixed => null,
    static fn (?UploadedFile $file): ?UploadFile => $file instanceof UploadedFile
        ? new UploadFile(
            file_get_contents($file->getPathname()),
            $file->getClientOriginalName(),
        )
        : null,
));

// The controller only manipulates model objects
foreach ($formData->getUploadFiles() as $file) {
    // $file is already a model object
}

3. property_path for Non-Standard Mappings

Use property_path to map multiple fields to an indexed collection, instead of creating a getter/setter per field.

Problem

// ❌ AVOID - One property per file
final class FormData
{
    private ?UploadedFile $frontFile = null;
    private ?UploadedFile $backFile = null;
    private ?UploadedFile $passportFile = null;

    public function getFrontFile(): ?UploadedFile { ... }
    public function setFrontFile(?UploadedFile $file): void { ... }
    // ... x3 getters/setters
}

Solution

// ✅ CORRECT - A collection with property_path
final class FormData
{
    private array $uploadFiles = [];

    public function getUploadFiles(): array { return $this->uploadFiles; }
    public function setUploadFiles(array $files): void { ... }
}

// In the FormType:
foreach (FieldName::ALL as $fieldName) {
    $builder->add($fieldName, FileUploadType::class, [
        'property_path' => sprintf('uploadFiles[%s]', $fieldName),
    ]);
}

Quick Reference

Rule	Principle
Data → data_class	Never in form type options
Form → model conversion	DataTransformer, not the controller
N fields → 1 collection	property_path to an indexed array
Zero-option form	If the data_class carries everything, no custom options