This is not a special key, and no specific support is provided for it in the Form API. By tradition it was the location where application-specific data was stored for communication between the submit, validation, and form builder functions, especially in a multi-step-style form. Form implementations may use any key(s) within $form_state (other than the keys listed here and other reserved ones used by Form API internals) for this kind of storage. The recommended way to ensure that the chosen key doesn't conflict with ones used by the Form API or other modules is to use the module name as the key name or a prefix for the key name. For example, the entity form classes use $this->entity in entity forms, or $form_state->getFormObject()->getEntity() outside the controller, to store information about the entity being edited, and this information stays available across successive clicks of the "Preview" button (if available) as well as when the "Save" button is finally clicked.
Type: array
File
- core/lib/Drupal/Core/Form/FormState.php, line 371
Class
- FormState
- Stores information about the state of a form.
Namespace
Drupal\Core\Form
Code
protected $storage = array();
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