Introduction:gform_chained_selects_input_choices
Gravity Forms is renowned for its flexibility and extensibility, allowing developers to create dynamic and interactive forms easily. One of its standout features is Chained Selects, which enables the creation of dependent dropdown menus. However, what truly sets Gravity Forms apart is its extensive support for hooks and filters, empowering developers to customize and extend its functionality. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to harness the power of the gform_chained_selects_input_choices hook to dynamically populate options in Gravity Forms Chained Selects, offering users a more tailored form-filling experience.

Understanding the gform_chained_selects_input_choices Hook:
The gform_chained_selects_input_choices hook is a powerful tool provided by Gravity Forms that allows developers to modify the options available in Chained Selects dynamically. By hooking into this filter, developers can manipulate the choices presented to users based on various criteria, such as user roles, form input, or external data sources.

Code Example 1: Basic Usage

add_filter( 'gform_chained_selects_input_choices', 'custom_populate_chained_selects', 10, 7 );

function custom_populate_chained_selects( $choices, $field, $form, $input_id, $chain_index, $value, $criteria ) {
    // Modify $choices array based on your custom logic
    return $choices;
}

In this example:

• $choices: An array containing the options to be displayed in the Chained Select.
• $field: The field object representing the Chained Select field.
• $form: The form object containing the Chained Select field.
• $input_id: The ID of the input field.
• $chain_index: The index of the Chained Select chain.
• $value: The selected value in the Chained Select.
• $criteria: An array containing criteria for populating the choices.

Code Example 2: Dynamic Population from External Source (e.g., Database)

add_filter( 'gform_chained_selects_input_choices', 'populate_chained_selects_from_database', 10, 7 );

function populate_chained_selects_from_database( $choices, $field, $form, $input_id, $chain_index, $value, $criteria ) {
    if ( $input_id === 2 && $chain_index === 1 ) {
        // Assuming input_id 2 is the parent field and chain_index 1 is the first level of dependency
        // Fetch options from the database based on $value or other criteria
        // Populate $choices array with fetched options
    }

    return $choices;
}

In this example, we’re populating the Chained Select options dynamically from a database based on the selected value in the parent dropdown.

Best Practices:

• Utilize conditional checks to ensure that the hook is applied only to the relevant Chained Select fields.
• Sanitize and validate input data to prevent security vulnerabilities.
• Optimize database queries and external API requests to minimize latency and improve performance.
• Document your code comprehensively for future reference and maintainability.

Conclusion:
The gform_chained_selects_input_choices hook empowers developers to customize the options presented in Gravity Forms Chained Selects dynamically. By leveraging this hook, developers can create forms that adapt to user input, providing a more personalized and intuitive form-filling experience. Whether you’re fetching options from a database, integrating with external APIs, or applying custom logic, the gform_chained_selects_input_choices hook offers endless possibilities for enhancing your Gravity Forms implementation.

If you need help coding up a solution to prepopulate your chained selects get in touch.

Photo by Edrin Spahiu on Unsplash