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This article covers form templates and user management in Localist Events Liquid templates. The content builds on template fundamentals (Article 1), form tags (Article 5), and object references to provide practical guidance for developers implementing custom event submission forms, user dashboards, and messaging interfaces.

Overview

Forms and user management in Localist represent two critical surfaces where developers customize the user experience. Event submission forms allow both public users and administrators to create and edit events. User management templates render account settings, notifications, messages, and profile information.

This article documents:

• Template variables available on form pages (event submission, user dashboards)
• Object structures for custom fields, messages, conversations, and notifications
• Practical patterns for rendering forms with custom field support
• User-facing dashboard and settings templates

Event Submission Forms

Public Event Submission Form

The public event submission form (tmpl-event-edit) provides a template for users to create or edit events in the calendar. This template has access to the event being edited (if applicable) and all available form configuration data.

Template Variables

Example: Rendering Form Sections Conditionally

{% if visible_sections.basic_info %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Event Details</legend>
    <input type="text" name="event[title]" value="{{ event.title }}" />
    <textarea name="event[description]">{{ event.description }}</textarea>
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

{% if visible_sections.categories %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Categories & Tags</legend>
    {% for context in selected_tags %}
      {% for tag in context[1] %}
        <label>
          <input type="checkbox" name="event[tag_ids][]" value="{{ tag.id }}" checked />
          {{ tag.name }}
        </label>
      {% endfor %}
    {% endfor %}
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

Example: Rendering Status and Visibility Options

<label>Event Status</label>
<select name="event[status]">
  {% for option in status_options %}
    <option value="{{ option.value }}" {% if event.status == option.value %}selected{% endif %}>
      {{ option.label }}
    </option>
  {% endfor %}
</select>

<label>Visibility</label>
<select name="event[visibility]">
  {% for option in visibility_options %}
    <option value="{{ option.value }}" {% if event.visibility == option.value %}selected{% endif %}>
      {{ option.label }}
    </option>
  {% endfor %}
</select>

Example: Conditional Zoom Integration

{% if has_zoom_integration == 'true' %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Zoom Meeting</legend>
    <p>Zoom integration status: {{ zoom_status }}</p>
    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="event[zoom_enabled]" {% if event.zoom_enabled %}checked{% endif %} />
      Enable Zoom meeting for this event
    </label>
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

Custom Field Objects

The Custom Field Object

The Custom Field object represents a field definition (not its value). Use this object when rendering form inputs for custom fields or displaying field metadata.

Note: To access the actual value of a custom field on an object (event, user, place, group), use the Custom Fields accessor, not the Custom Field object definition.

Custom Field Attributes

Example: Iterating Over Custom Field Definitions

{% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="custom_field_{{ field.key }}">
      {{ field.label }}
      {% if field.required %}<span class="required">*</span>{% endif %}
    </label>

    {% if field.field_type == 'text' %}
      <input 
        type="text" 
        id="custom_field_{{ field.key }}" 
        name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
        {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
      />
    {% elsif field.field_type == 'textarea' %}
      <textarea 
        id="custom_field_{{ field.key }}" 
        name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
        {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
      ></textarea>
    {% endif %}
  </div>
{% endfor %}

The Custom Fields Collection

The Custom Fields object is a dynamic collection providing access to custom field values on any object (event, user, place, group).

Use: Access individual field values by key: custom_fields.my_field_key returns the value for that field.

Example: Displaying Custom Field Values

{% if event.custom_fields.department %}
  <p>Department: {{ event.custom_fields.department }}</p>
{% endif %}

{% if event.custom_fields.room_capacity %}
  <p>Room Capacity: {{ event.custom_fields.room_capacity }}</p>
{% endif %}

Example: Rendering Dynamic Form Fields Based on Type

{% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
  {% assign field_value = event.custom_fields[field.key] %}

  <div class="form-field">
    <label>{{ field.label }}</label>

    {% case field.field_type %}
      {% when 'text' %}
        <input type="text" name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" value="{{ field_value }}" />
      {% when 'textarea' %}
        <textarea name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]">{{ field_value }}</textarea>
      {% when 'dropdown' %}
        <select name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]">
          <option value="">-- Select --</option>
          {% for option in field.options %}
            <option value="{{ option }}" {% if field_value == option %}selected{% endif %}>
              {{ option }}
            </option>
          {% endfor %}
        </select>
      {% when 'checkbox' %}
        <label>
          <input type="checkbox" name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" value="yes" {% if field_value %}checked{% endif %} />
          {{ field.label }}
        </label>
    {% endcase %}
  </div>
{% endfor %}

User Dashboard and Profile Templates

Edit Profile Template

The Edit Profile template (tmpl-settings-index) allows users to modify their account information.

Template Variables

Notification Settings Template

The Notification Settings template (tmpl-settings-notifications) enables users to configure how they receive notifications.

Template Variables

Example: SMS Notification Settings

<fieldset>
  <legend>SMS Notifications</legend>
  {% for option in sms_notification_options %}
    <label>
      <input 
        type="radio" 
        name="user[sms_frequency]" 
        value="{{ option.value }}"
        {% if sms_notification_setting == option.value %}checked{% endif %}
      />
      {{ option.label }}
    </label>
  {% endfor %}
</fieldset>

Privacy Settings Template

The Privacy Settings template (tmpl-settings-privacy) controls visibility of the user’s profile and activities.

Template Variables

Calendar Digests Template

The Calendar Digests template (tmpl-settings-digests) displays and manages the user’s email digest subscriptions.

Template Variables

Example: Rendering Digest List

<div class="digests-list">
  {% for digest in digest_summaries %}
    <div class="digest-item">
      <h3>{{ digest.title }}</h3>
      <p>Sent: {{ digest.send_day }}</p>
      <p>Status: {% if digest.enabled %}Active{% else %}Inactive{% endif %}</p>
      <p>Date Range: {{ digest.date_range }}</p>
      <p>Event Limit: {{ digest.limit }}</p>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

Manage Friends & Places Template

The Manage Friends & Places template (tmpl-settings-manage-friends) shows a user’s social connections.

Template Variables

The Conversation Object

The Conversation object represents a message thread between two users.

Used as: conversation (when viewing a thread), recent_conversations (array of conversation items)

Participants

Status

URLs

Example: Displaying a Conversation List

<div class="conversations">
  {% for conv in recent_conversations %}
    <div class="conversation-item {% if conv.unread %}unread{% endif %}">
      <a href="{{ conv.url }}">
        <strong>{{ conv.with.name }}</strong>
        <p>{{ conv.last_message_at | date: "%b %d, %Y" }}</p>
      </a>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Message Object

The Message object represents an individual message in a conversation thread.

Used as: messages (array of message objects in conversation context)

Properties

Status

Example: Rendering a Message Thread

<div class="conversation-thread">
  {% for msg in messages reversed %}
    <div class="message {% if msg.unread %}unread{% endif %} {% if msg.from.id == user.id %}sent{% else %}received{% endif %}">
      <div class="message-header">
        <strong>{{ msg.from.name }}</strong>
        <span class="timestamp">{{ msg.sent_at | date: "%b %d at %I:%M %p" }}</span>
      </div>
      <div class="message-body">
        {{ msg.message }}
      </div>
      {% if msg.unread %}
        <span class="badge">New</span>
      {% endif %}
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Notification Object

The Notification object represents notifications and feed items in a user’s dashboard.

Used as: messages (array), feed_item (single in dashboard context)

Properties

Example: Rendering a Notification Feed

<div class="notifications">
  {% for notification in messages %}
    <div class="notification {% if notification.unread %}unread{% endif %}">
      <a href="{{ notification.url }}">
        <div class="notification-icon">
          <img src="{{ notification.sender.photo.square_200 }}" alt="" />
        </div>
        <div class="notification-content">
          <p>{{ notification.message }}</p>
          <time>{{ notification.sent_at | date: "%b %d" }}</time>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Request Object

The Request object represents user requests (invitations, friend requests, group membership requests). It is a union type, meaning it can represent multiple types of requests. Only attributes common across all variants are listed.

Used as: requests (array of request objects)

Note: This is a union type representing Invitation, Friend Request, or Group Membership Request. Specific attributes for each variant may be available but are not guaranteed across all request types.

Common Attributes

Example: Rendering a Requests List

<div class="requests">
  <h2>Pending Requests</h2>
  {% for request in requests %}
    <div class="request-item">
      <div class="request-info">
        <img src="{{ request.sender.photo.square_200 }}" alt="" />
        <div>
          <strong>{{ request.sender.name }}</strong>
          <p>{{ request.type | replace: "_", " " | capitalize }}</p>
          {% if request.message %}
            <p class="message">{{ request.message }}</p>
          {% endif %}
          <small>{{ request.sent_at | date: "%b %d" }}</small>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="request-actions">
        <a href="{{ request.accept_url }}" class="btn btn-primary">Accept</a>
        <a href="{{ request.ignore_url }}" class="btn btn-secondary">Decline</a>
      </div>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Digest Object

The Digest object represents a calendar digest (email subscription) configuration.

Used as: digest (single), digest_summaries (array)

Settings

URLs

Example: Rendering a Digest Configuration Form

<form method="post" action="/digest/update">
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Digest Settings: {{ digest.title }}</legend>

    <label>
      Digest Title
      <input type="text" name="digest[title]" value="{{ digest.title }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Send Day
      <input type="text" name="digest[send_day]" value="{{ digest.send_day }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Date Range
      <input type="text" name="digest[date_range]" value="{{ digest.date_range }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Event Limit
      <input type="number" name="digest[limit]" value="{{ digest.limit }}" min="1" max="50" />
    </label>

    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="digest[enabled]" {% if digest.enabled %}checked{% endif %} />
      Enable this digest
    </label>

    <button type="submit">Save Digest</button>
    <a href="{{ digest.token_destroy_link }}">Delete Digest</a>
  </fieldset>
</form>

The Campaign Object

The Campaign object represents an email campaign or announcement.

Used as: campaign (single context)

Details

URLs

Common Form Patterns

Building a Custom Event Submission Form

<form method="post" action="/events" class="event-form">
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Event Information</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="title">Event Title *</label>
      <input 
        type="text" 
        id="title" 
        name="event[title]" 
        value="{{ event.title }}" 
        required
      />
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="description">Description</label>
      <textarea 
        id="description" 
        name="event[description]"
      >{{ event.description }}</textarea>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  {% if visible_sections.custom_fields %}
    <fieldset>
      <legend>Additional Details</legend>
      {% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
        {% if field.public_form %}
          <div class="form-group">
            <label for="cf_{{ field.key }}">
              {{ field.label }}
              {% if field.required %}<span class="required">*</span>{% endif %}
            </label>

            {% if field.field_type == 'text' %}
              <input 
                type="text" 
                id="cf_{{ field.key }}" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
                value="{{ event.custom_fields[field.key] }}"
                {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
              />
            {% elsif field.field_type == 'textarea' %}
              <textarea 
                id="cf_{{ field.key }}" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
                {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
              >{{ event.custom_fields[field.key] }}</textarea>
            {% endif %}
          </div>
        {% endif %}
      {% endfor %}
    </fieldset>
  {% endif %}

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Settings</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="status">Status</label>
      <select id="status" name="event[status]">
        {% for option in status_options %}
          <option 
            value="{{ option.value }}" 
            {% if event.status == option.value %}selected{% endif %}
          >
            {{ option.label }}
          </option>
        {% endfor %}
      </select>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="visibility">Visibility</label>
      <select id="visibility" name="event[visibility]">
        {% for option in visibility_options %}
          <option 
            value="{{ option.value }}" 
            {% if event.visibility == option.value %}selected{% endif %}
          >
            {{ option.label }}
          </option>
        {% endfor %}
      </select>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  <button type="submit">Save Event</button>
</form>

Rendering Custom Fields Dynamically

{% assign all_fields = site.public_event_custom_fields %}
<div class="custom-fields-section">
  {% for field in all_fields %}
    {% assign value = event.custom_fields[field.key] %}
    {% assign is_required = field.required %}
    {% assign is_visible = field.public_form %}

    {% if is_visible %}
      <div class="field-wrapper field-type-{{ field.field_type }}" data-field-id="{{ field.id }}">
        <label for="field_{{ field.key }}">
          {{ field.label }}
          {% if is_required %}<span class="field-required" title="Required">*</span>{% endif %}
        </label>

        {% case field.field_type %}
          {% when 'text' %}
            <input 
              type="text" 
              id="field_{{ field.key }}" 
              class="text-input"
              name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" 
              value="{{ value }}"
              {% if is_required %}required aria-required="true"{% endif %}
            />

          {% when 'textarea' %}
            <textarea 
              id="field_{{ field.key }}" 
              class="textarea-input"
              name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
              {% if is_required %}required aria-required="true"{% endif %}
            >{{ value }}</textarea>

          {% when 'checkbox' %}
            <label class="checkbox-label">
              <input 
                type="checkbox" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" 
                value="true"
                {% if value %}checked{% endif %}
              />
              {{ field.label }}
            </label>
        {% endcase %}

        {% if field.html %}
          <small>HTML allowed in this field</small>
        {% endif %}
      </div>
    {% endif %}
  {% endfor %}
</div>

Handling Form Visibility States

<form class="event-form" data-limited-edit="{{ limited_edit }}">
  {% if limited_edit %}
    <div class="alert alert-info">
      Some fields are read-only because this event has already been published.
    </div>
  {% endif %}

  <fieldset {% if limited_edit %}disabled{% endif %}>
    <legend>Basic Event Information</legend>
    <input type="text" name="event[title]" value="{{ event.title }}" />
  </fieldset>

  {% if visible_sections.description %}
    <fieldset>
      <legend>Description</legend>
      <textarea name="event[description]">{{ event.description }}</textarea>
    </fieldset>
  {% endif %}

  {% if visible_sections.zoom %}
    {% if has_zoom_integration == 'true' %}
      <fieldset>
        <legend>Zoom Integration</legend>
        <p>Current status: <strong>{{ zoom_status }}</strong></p>
      </fieldset>
    {% endif %}
  {% endif %}
</form>

Related Articles

This article is part of an 8-part series on Localist developer theming:

1. Introduction to Localist Developer Theming
2. Site Configuration and Global Objects
3. Events, Instances, and Related Objects
4. Places, Groups, Departments, and Channels
5. Custom Liquid Tags Reference
6. Custom Liquid Filters Reference
7. Template Variable Reference
8. Forms and User Management

More Information

For additional guidance on Liquid syntax, filters, and template tags, refer to the Liquid documentation and Article 5 (Form Tags and HTML Rendering).