Drupal 7 Module Development

Chapter 7
}
'@height' => $item['height'],
'@width' => $item['width'],
'@unit' => dimfield_units($item['units']),
));
}
elseif ($field['settings']['num_dimensions'] == 3) {
$output = t(
'@height @unit by @width @unit by @depth @unit', array(
'@height' => $item['height'],
'@width' => $item['width'],
'@depth' => $item['depth'],
'@unit' => dimfield_units($item['units']),
));
}
$element[$delta] = array('#markup' => $output);
}
break;
}
return $element;
The formatter_view callback is expected to return a renderable array that the
theme system can understand. In this case, we simply want a formatted string that
describes the data stored in the field. As before, we get multiple field values passed
to the callback at once in an array. So we simply iterate over them one by one and
assign them to the $element variable. The #markup element type tells Drupal "Here's
some HTML. I've already formatted it, just use it". When that element gets rendered
later, in the page, the strings we generated using the t() function will simply get
displayed with all of the appropriate data in them.
Complex formatters
There is, of course, nothing preventing us from rendering all of the values together if
we want. In fact, our second formatter will do just that. Rather than a series of values
one after another, we'll render all of the available values in a single table.
Then the question arises, how do we display units? As their own column? Inline on
each cell? Just in the header of each dimension column? In cases like this, the best
option is to let the user decide using the configuration capabilities of formatters.
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