MultiWidget / MultiValueField does not interpret initial data

[daofma@…]

Below I've used SplitDateTime as an example, but it applies to other MultiWidget / MultiValueField as well, as I came across the issue using a custom MultiWidget / MultiValueField. I'm not sure in which the problem lies. Generally, the MultiValueField accepts values from the "data=" argument to the form constructor, and these appear when the MultiWidget is rendered just fine. However, when a dictionary is passed through the "initial=" argument, it does not appear. An example follows:

>>> from django.newforms import *
>>> class TestForm(Form):
...     the_datetime_field = SplitDateTimeField(widget=SplitDateTimeWidget)
... 
>>> test_data = {'the_datetime_field_0':'12/24/07', 'the_datetime_field_1':'15:00'}
>>> unbound_form_no_initial = TestForm()
>>> unbound_form_no_initial.as_p()
u'<p><label for="id_the_datetime_field_0">The datetime field:</label> <input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_0" id="id_the_datetime_field_0" /><input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_1" id="id_the_datetime_field_1" /></p>'
>>> bound_form = TestForm(data=test_data)
>>> bound_form.as_p()
u'<p><label for="id_the_datetime_field_0">The datetime field:</label> <input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_0" value="12/24/07" id="id_the_datetime_field_0" /><input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_1" value="15:00" id="id_the_datetime_field_1" /></p>'
>>> unbound_form_with_initial = TestForm(initial=test_data)
>>> unbound_form_with_initial.as_p()
u'<p><label for="id_the_datetime_field_0">The datetime field:</label> <input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_0" id="id_the_datetime_field_0" /><input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_1" id="id_the_datetime_field_1" /></p>'

As you can see, only the bound form shows the values. The first unbound form is of course not supposed to show any initial values. However, the second unbound form is passed initial values that it is supposed to show, but it does not.

[lurker86@…]

I met this problem too.
Does anyone have some solutions?

[Manuel Saelices]

Is invalid because initial cannot be splitted in two or more values. The correct code was:

>>> from datetime import datetime
>>> from django.newforms import *
>>> class TestForm(Form):
...     the_datetime_field = SplitDateTimeField(widget=SplitDateTimeWidget)
... 
>>> test_data = {'the_datetime_field': datetime(2007, 12, 24, 15, 00)}
>>> unbound_form_with_initial = TestForm(initial=test_data)
>>> unbound_form_with_initial.as_p()
u'<p><label for="id_the_datetime_field_0">The datetime field:</label> <input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_0" value="2007-12-24" id="id_the_datetime_field_0" /><input type="text" name="the_datetime_field_1" value="15:00:00" id="id_the_datetime_field_1" /></p>'

[Manuel Saelices]

I update docs for made a clarification about difference between initial and data

[Nis Jørgensen <nis@…>]

An update to the documentation, since this seems to have bitten a few people.

[Manuel Saelices]

I created a more specific ticket #5469 for documenting this.