Angular ReactiveForms: Producing an array of checkbox values?

Question

With the help of silentsod answer, I wrote a solution to get values instead of states in my formBuilder.

I use a method to add or remove values in the formArray. It may be a bad approch, but it works !

component.html

<div *ngFor="let choice of checks; let i=index" class="col-md-2">
  <label>
    <input type="checkbox" [value]="choice.value" (change)="onCheckChange($event)">
    {{choice.description}}
  </label>
</div>

component.ts

// For example, an array of choices
public checks: Array<ChoiceClass> = [
  {description: 'descr1', value: 'value1'},
  {description: "descr2", value: 'value2'},
  {description: "descr3", value: 'value3'}
];

initModelForm(): FormGroup{
  return this._fb.group({
    otherControls: [''],
    // The formArray, empty 
    myChoices: new FormArray([]),
  }
}

onCheckChange(event) {
  const formArray: FormArray = this.myForm.get('myChoices') as FormArray;

  /* Selected */
  if(event.target.checked){
    // Add a new control in the arrayForm
    formArray.push(new FormControl(event.target.value));
  }
  /* unselected */
  else{
    // find the unselected element
    let i: number = 0;

    formArray.controls.forEach((ctrl: FormControl) => {
      if(ctrl.value == event.target.value) {
        // Remove the unselected element from the arrayForm
        formArray.removeAt(i);
        return;
      }

      i++;
    });
  }
}

When I submit my form, for example my model looks like:

  otherControls : "foo",
  myChoices : ['value1', 'value2']

Only one thing is missing, a function to fill the formArray if your model already has checked values.

Here's a good place to use the FormArray https://angular.io/docs/ts/latest/api/forms/index/FormArray-class.html

To start we'll build up our array of controls either with a FormBuilder or newing up a FormArray

FormBuilder

this.checkboxGroup = _fb.group({
  myValues: _fb.array([true, false, true])
});

new FormArray

let checkboxArray = new FormArray([
  new FormControl(true),
  new FormControl(false),
  new FormControl(true)]);

this.checkboxGroup = _fb.group({
  myValues: checkboxArray
});

Easy enough to do, but then we're going to change our template and let the templating engine handle how we bind to our controls:

template.html

<form [formGroup]="checkboxGroup">
    <input *ngFor="let control of checkboxGroup.controls['myValues'].controls"
    type="checkbox" id="checkbox-1" value="value-1" [formControl]="control" />     
  </form>

Here we're iterating over our set of FormControls in our myValues FormArray and for each control we're binding [formControl] to that control instead of to the FormArray control and <div>{{checkboxGroup.controls['myValues'].value}}</div> produces true,false,true while also making your template syntax a little less manual.

You can use this example: http://plnkr.co/edit/a9OdMAq2YIwQFo7gixbj?p=preview to poke around

It's significantly easier to do this in Angular 6 than it was in previous versions, even when the checkbox information is populated asynchronously from an API.

The first thing to realise is that thanks to Angular 6's keyvalue pipe we don't need to have to use FormArray anymore, and can instead nest a FormGroup.

First, pass FormBuilder into the constructor

constructor(
    private _formBuilder: FormBuilder,
) { }

Then initialise our form.

ngOnInit() {

    this.form = this._formBuilder.group({
        'checkboxes': this._formBuilder.group({}),
    });

}

When our checkbox options data is available, iterate it and we can push it directly into the nested FormGroup as a named FormControl, without having to rely on number indexed lookup arrays.

const checkboxes = <FormGroup>this.form.get('checkboxes');
options.forEach((option: any) => {
    checkboxes.addControl(option.title, new FormControl(true));
});

Finally, in the template we just need to iterate the keyvalue of the checkboxes: no additional let index = i, and the checkboxes will automatically be in alphabetical order: much cleaner.

<form [formGroup]="form">

    <h3>Options</h3>

    <div formGroupName="checkboxes">

        <ul>
            <li *ngFor="let item of form.get('checkboxes').value | keyvalue">
                <label>
                    <input type="checkbox" [formControlName]="item.key" [value]="item.value" /> {{ item.key }}
                </label>
            </li>
        </ul>

    </div>

</form>

I don't see a solution here that completely answers the question using reactive forms to its fullest extent so here's my solution for the same.

---

Summary

Here's the pith of the detailed explanation along with a StackBlitz example.

1. Use FormArray for the checkboxes and initialize the form.
2. The valueChanges observable is perfect for when you want the form to display something but store something else in the component. Map the true/false values to the desired values here.
3. Filter out the false values at the time of submission.
4. Unsubscribe from valueChanges observable.

StackBlitz example

---

Detailed explanation

Use FormArray to define the form

As already mentioned in the answer marked as correct. FormArray is the way to go in such cases where you would prefer to get the data in an array. So the first thing you need to do is create the form.

checkboxGroup: FormGroup;
checkboxes = [{
    name: 'Value 1',
    value: 'value-1'
}, {
    name: 'Value 2',
    value: 'value-2'
}];

this.checkboxGroup = this.fb.group({
    checkboxes: this.fb.array(this.checkboxes.map(x => false))
});

This will just set the initial value of all the checkboxes to false.

Next, we need to register these form variables in the template and iterate over the checkboxes array (NOT the FormArray but the checkbox data) to display them in the template.

<form [formGroup]="checkboxGroup">
    <ng-container *ngFor="let checkbox of checkboxes; let i = index" formArrayName="checkboxes">
        <input type="checkbox" [formControlName]="i" />{{checkbox.name}}
    </ng-container>
</form>

Make use of the valueChanges observable

Here's the part I don't see mentioned in any answer given here. In situations such as this, where we would like to display said data but store it as something else, the valueChanges observable is very helpful. Using valueChanges, we can observe the changes in the checkboxes and then map the true/false values received from the FormArray to the desired data. Note that this will not change the selection of the checkboxes as any truthy value passed to the checkbox will mark it as checked and vice-versa.

subscription: Subscription;

const checkboxControl = (this.checkboxGroup.controls.checkboxes as FormArray);
this.subscription = checkboxControl.valueChanges.subscribe(checkbox => {
    checkboxControl.setValue(
        checkboxControl.value.map((value, i) => value ? this.checkboxes[i].value : false),
        { emitEvent: false }
    );
});

This basically maps the FormArray values to the original checkboxes array and returns the value in case the checkbox is marked as true, else it returns false. The emitEvent: false is important here since setting the FormArray value without it will cause valueChanges to emit an event creating an endless loop. By setting emitEvent to false, we are making sure the valueChanges observable does not emit when we set the value here.

Filter out the false values

We cannot directly filter the false values in the FormArray because doing so will mess up the template since they are bound to the checkboxes. So the best possible solution is to filter out the false values during submission. Use the spread operator to do this.

submit() {
    const checkboxControl = (this.checkboxGroup.controls.checkboxes as FormArray);
    const formValue = {
        ...this.checkboxGroup.value,
        checkboxes: checkboxControl.value.filter(value => !!value)
    }
    // Submit formValue here instead of this.checkboxGroup.value as it contains the filtered data
}

This basically filters out the falsy values from the checkboxes.

Unsubscribe from valueChanges

Lastly, don't forget to unsubscribe from valueChanges

ngOnDestroy() {
    this.subscription.unsubscribe();
}

Note: There is a special case where a value cannot be set to the FormArray in valueChanges, i.e if the checkbox value is set to the number 0. This will make it look like the checkbox cannot be selected since selecting the checkbox will set the FormControl as the number 0 (a falsy value) and hence keep it unchecked. It would be preferred not to use the number 0 as a value but if it is required, you have to conditionally set 0 to some truthy value, say string '0' or just plain true and then on submitting, convert it back to the number 0.

StackBlitz example

The StackBlitz also has code for when you want to pass default values to the checkboxes so they get marked as checked in the UI.

If you are looking for checkbox values in JSON format

{ "name": "", "countries": [ { "US": true }, { "Germany": true }, { "France": true } ] }

Full example here.

I apologise for using Country Names as checkbox values instead of those in the question. Further explannation -

Create a FormGroup for the form

 createForm() {

    //Form Group for a Hero Form
    this.heroForm = this.fb.group({
      name: '',
      countries: this.fb.array([])
    });

    let countries=['US','Germany','France'];

    this.setCountries(countries);}
 }

Let each checkbox be a FormGroup built from an object whose only property is the checkbox's value.

 setCountries(countries:string[]) {

    //One Form Group for one country
    const countriesFGs = countries.map(country =>{
            let obj={};obj[country]=true;
            return this.fb.group(obj)
    });

    const countryFormArray = this.fb.array(countriesFGs);
    this.heroForm.setControl('countries', countryFormArray);
  }

The array of FormGroups for the checkboxes is used to set the control for the 'countries' in the parent Form.

  get countries(): FormArray {
      return this.heroForm.get('countries') as FormArray;
  };

In the template, use a pipe to get the name for the checkbox control

  <div formArrayName="countries" class="well well-lg">
      <div *ngFor="let country of countries.controls; let i=index" [formGroupName]="i" >
          <div *ngFor="let key of country.controls | mapToKeys" >
              <input type="checkbox" formControlName="{{key.key}}">{{key.key}}
          </div>
      </div>
  </div>

TL;DR

1. I prefer to use FormGroup to populate the list of checkbox
2. Write a custom validator for check at least one checkbox was selected
3. Working example https://stackblitz.com/edit/angular-validate-at-least-one-checkbox-was-selected

---

This also struck me for sometimes so I did try both FormArray and FormGroup approaches.

Most of the time, the list of checkbox was populated on the server and I received it through API. But sometimes you will have a static set of checkbox with your predefined value. With each use case, the corresponding FormArray or FormGroup will be used.

Basically FormArray is a variant of FormGroup. The key difference is that its data gets serialized as an array (as opposed to being serialized as an object in case of FormGroup). This might be especially useful when you don’t know how many controls will be present within the group, like dynamic forms.

For the sake of simplicity, imagine you have a simple create product form with

• One required product name textbox.
• A list of category to select from, required at least one to be checked. Assume the list will be retrieved from the server.

First, I set up a form with only product name formControl. It is a required field.

this.form = this.formBuilder.group({
    name: ["", Validators.required]
});

Since the category is dynamically rendering, I will have to add these data into the form later after the data was ready.

this.getCategories().subscribe(categories => {
    this.form.addControl("categoriesFormArr", this.buildCategoryFormArr(categories));
    this.form.addControl("categoriesFormGroup", this.buildCategoryFormGroup(categories));
})

There are two approaches to build up the category list.

1. Form Array

  buildCategoryFormArr(categories: ProductCategory[], selectedCategoryIds: string[] = []): FormArray {
    const controlArr = categories.map(category => {
      let isSelected = selectedCategoryIds.some(id => id === category.id);
      return this.formBuilder.control(isSelected);
    })
    return this.formBuilder.array(controlArr, atLeastOneCheckboxCheckedValidator())
  }

<div *ngFor="let control of categoriesFormArr?.controls; let i = index" class="checkbox">
  <label><input type="checkbox" [formControl]="control" />
    {{ categories[i]?.title }}
  </label>
</div>

This buildCategoryFormGroup will return me a FormArray. It also take a list of selected value as an argument so If you want to reuse the form for edit data, it could be helpful. For the purpose of create a new product form, it is not be applicable yet.

Noted that when you try to access the formArray values. It will looks like [false, true, true]. To get a list of selected id, it required a bit more work to check from the list but based on the array index. Doesn't sound good to me but it works.

get categoriesFormArraySelectedIds(): string[] {
  return this.categories
  .filter((cat, catIdx) => this.categoriesFormArr.controls.some((control, controlIdx) => catIdx === controlIdx && control.value))
  .map(cat => cat.id);
}

That's why I came up using FormGroup for that matter

2. Form Group

The different of the formGroup is it will store the form data as the object, which required a key and a form control. So it is the good idea to set the key as the categoryId and then we can retrieve it later.

buildCategoryFormGroup(categories: ProductCategory[], selectedCategoryIds: string[] = []): FormGroup {
  let group = this.formBuilder.group({}, {
    validators: atLeastOneCheckboxCheckedValidator()
  });
  categories.forEach(category => {
    let isSelected = selectedCategoryIds.some(id => id === category.id);
    group.addControl(category.id, this.formBuilder.control(isSelected));
  })
  return group;
}

<div *ngFor="let item of categories; let i = index" class="checkbox">
  <label><input type="checkbox" [formControl]="categoriesFormGroup?.controls[item.id]" /> {{ categories[i]?.title }}
  </label>
</div>

The value of the form group will look like:

{
    "category1": false,
    "category2": true,
    "category3": true,
}

But most often we want to get only the list of categoryIds as ["category2", "category3"]. I also have to write a get to take these data. I like this approach better comparing to the formArray, because I could actually take the value from the form itself.

  get categoriesFormGroupSelectedIds(): string[] {
    let ids: string[] = [];
    for (var key in this.categoriesFormGroup.controls) {
      if (this.categoriesFormGroup.controls[key].value) {
        ids.push(key);
      }
      else {
        ids = ids.filter(id => id !== key);
      }
    }
    return ids;
  }

3. Custom validator to check at least one checkbox was selected

I made the validator to check at least X checkbox was selected, by default it will check against one checkbox only.

export function atLeastOneCheckboxCheckedValidator(minRequired = 1): ValidatorFn {
  return function validate(formGroup: FormGroup) {
    let checked = 0;

    Object.keys(formGroup.controls).forEach(key => {
      const control = formGroup.controls[key];

      if (control.value === true) {
        checked++;
      }
    });

    if (checked < minRequired) {
      return {
        requireCheckboxToBeChecked: true,
      };
    }

    return null;
  };
}

Make an event when it's clicked and then manually change the value of true to the name of what the check box represents, then the name or true will evaluate the same and you can get all the values instead of a list of true/false. Ex:

component.html

<form [formGroup]="customForm" (ngSubmit)="onSubmit()">
    <div class="form-group" *ngFor="let parameter of parameters"> <!--I iterate here to list all my checkboxes -->
        <label class="control-label" for="{{parameter.Title}}"> {{parameter.Title}} </label>
            <div class="checkbox">
              <input
                  type="checkbox"
                  id="{{parameter.Title}}"
                  formControlName="{{parameter.Title}}"
                  (change)="onCheckboxChange($event)"
                  > <!-- ^^THIS^^ is the important part -->
             </div>
      </div>
 </form>

component.ts

onCheckboxChange(event) {
    //We want to get back what the name of the checkbox represents, so I'm intercepting the event and
    //manually changing the value from true to the name of what is being checked.

    //check if the value is true first, if it is then change it to the name of the value
    //this way when it's set to false it will skip over this and make it false, thus unchecking
    //the box
    if(this.customForm.get(event.target.id).value) {
        this.customForm.patchValue({[event.target.id] : event.target.id}); //make sure to have the square brackets
    }
}

This catches the event after it was already changed to true or false by Angular Forms, if it's true I change the name to the name of what the checkbox represents, which if needed will also evaluate to true if it's being checked for true/false as well.