nested-forms/apps/baseline/README.md

# Base Line - The Single component

The easiest way to create a simple Reactive Form is to use a single Angular component to build and display the form. In this example application, an asynchronous call to an API is simulated. The `Contact` object thus obtained is used to create and initialize a `FormGroup` using the Angular `FormBuilder`.

```typescript
  public ngOnInit() {
    this.subscription = this.service
      .loadContact()
      .subscribe((data: Contact) => {
        this.form = this.createForm(data);
      });
  }

  public createForm(model: Contact): FormGroup {
    const name = model.name;

    const addresses: FormArray = this.fb.array([]);

    const group = this.fb.group({
      name: this.fb.group({
        firstName: [name ? name.firstName : ''],
        lastName: [name ? name.lastName : ''],
        middleName: [name ? name.middleName : ''],
        prefix: [name ? name.prefix : ''],
        suffix: [name ? name.suffix : ''],
      }),
      addresses: addresses,
    });

    if (model.addresses) {
      model.addresses.forEach(addr => {
        addresses.push(
          this.fb.group({
            line1: [addr ? addr.line1 : ''],
            line2: [addr ? addr.line2 : ''],
            city: [addr ? addr.city : ''],
            state: [addr ? addr.state : ''],
            postalCode: [addr ? addr.postalCode : ''],
          }),
        );
      });
    }

    return group;
  }

  get addresses(): FormArray {
    return this.form.get('addresses') as FormArray;
  }
```

The component's template remders input controls for the Contact's name, and iterates over the array of addresses to render controls to edit each one.

```html
<form *ngIf="form" [formGroup]="form">
  <ng-container formGroupName="name">
    <div>
      <label for="firstName">First Name: </label>
      <input name="firstName" formControlName="firstName">
    </div>
    <!-- etc for each attribute in the Contact name -->
  </ng-container>

  <ng-container formArrayName="addresses">
    <ng-container *ngFor="let addr of addresses.controls; let i=index">
      <!-- Note: the form group is bound to the index variable -->
      <ng-container [formGroupName]="i">
        <div>
          <label for="line1">Line 1: </label>
          <input name="line1" formControlName="line1">
        </div>
        <!-- etc for each attribute in the Address -->
      </ng-container>
    </ng-container>
  </ng-container>

</form>
```

## Pros

- All of the logic is in one place
- The potential complexity of multiple components is avoided

## Cons

- The component and its template will become ever larger and more complex as the form grows
- Little-to-no opportunity for code reuse