php - Zend Framework: Setting decorators and labels - should this be done in the view or the form class? -

i notice many (most?) people when working zend framework add decorators , labels in form class itself.

class user_form_add extends zend_form {     public function init()     {         parent::init();         $username = new zend_form_element_text('username');         $username->setlabel('username:')                  ->setrequired(true)                  ->addfilter('stringtrim')                  ->addvalidator('stringlength', $breakchainonfailure = false, $options = array(1, 30))                  ->setdecorators(array(                      'viewhelper',                      array('description', array('tag' => 'p', 'class' => 'description')),                      array('label',       array('requiredprefix'      => '<span class="asterisk">*</span>&nbsp;', 'escape' => false)),                      array('htmltag',     array('tag' => 'p', 'class' => 'element'))                  ));     } } 

but surely not practice? have thought decorators , labels part of view layer in mvc application. when @ form class, looks "poluted" sorts of markup, tags , text should in view layer.

this approach means if need fiddle markup of form, need work both form class and viewscript.

i don't concept, , have been separating forms , decorators actual view scripts when rendering forms. want keep these conflicting "concerns" of application separate.

class user_form_add extends zend_form {     public function init()     {         parent::init();         $username = new zend_form_element_text('username');         $username->setrequired(true)                  ->addfilter('stringtrim')                  ->addvalidator('stringlength', $breakchainonfailure = false, $options = array(1, 30));     } } 

//add.phtml:

$this->form->username->setlabel('username:'); $this->form->username->setdecorators(array(     'viewhelper',     array('description', array('tag' => 'p', 'class' => 'description')),     array('label',       array('requiredprefix'      => '<span class="asterisk">*</span>&nbsp;', 'escape' => false)),     array('htmltag',     array('tag' => 'p', 'class' => 'element')) ));  echo $this->form->render(); 

this leaves form class clean, , quite analogous model class - that's how percieve form class be; contains filters, validators etc, business-logic related.

if follow approach, makes easier integrate forms models, such can reuse/access form validators , filters directly within models - without overhead of having created decorators , whatnot unnessesarily.

http://weierophinney.net/matthew/archives/200-using-zend_form-in-your-models.html

as far keeping view scripts dry, such you're not repeating same labels , decorators in multiple views (i.e. when need render same form multiple times, in different view scripts), find can separate re-usable parts of form out using viewscript decorator keep things dry.

edit: well, can override default decorators ones appropriate our project avoid having unnessesarily declare decorators in first place.

so actual question this:

why isn't else working forms this? drawbacks see approach?

why should decorators , form labels created in form class, if can add them in view layer?

i don't why every usage of zend_form see includes adding decorators/labels in form class itself.

why isn't else working forms this?

i never thought of. approach.