Creating Select form fields with currencies and countries using Babel and WTForms

By Christine Meranda on August 4th, 2010 in Python Comments (1)

A quick tutorial on how to create some nifty currency and country select fields using WTForms. This was sort of a headache to figure out, which is why I’m sharing it. If you have a cleaner way to do this (particularly the country list), please comment, because I’m highly dissatisfied with hardcoding the countries and would love to pull them out of Babel but couldn’t find a way to do it.

Let’s assume that you’ve already created your Form object in WTForms and that you have some kind of country and currency fields in the form. The fields should be SelectField objects, as in the sample form below:

from utils import get_countries, get_currencies
 
class CountryInfo(Form):
    name = SelectField('Name', choices=get_countries())
    currency = SelectField('Currency', choices=get_currencies())

So here we’ve defined two Select Fields with labels ‘Name’ and ‘Currency’, and we’re generating the choices in our utility methods. SelectField objects automatically use HTML Select boxes (go figure, right?), and so all we need to do now is create the methods that generate the list of tuples to populate those boxes.

from babel.core import Locale
 
def get_currencies():
    """
    Returns a list of tuples with a value (USD) and the key-value pair as the label.
    Taken from Babel's Locale.parse('en_US').currencies dictionary.
    """
    return [(k, '%s (%s)' % (v, k)) for k,v in Locale.parse('en_US').currencies.items()]
 
def get_countries():
    """
    Returns a a list of tuples with identical country string values to be used in option select boxes.
    """
    return [("Afganistan","Afganistan"),
                ("Albania","Albania"),
                ("Algeria","Algeria"),
                ("American Samoa","American Samoa"),
                ("Andorra","Andorra"),
                ("Angola","Angola"),
                ("Anguilla","Anguilla"),
                ("Antigua & Barbuda","Antigua & Barbuda"),
                ("Argentina","Argentina"),
                ("Armenia","Armenia"),
                ("Aruba","Aruba"),
                ("Australia","Australia"),
                ("Austria","Austria"),
                ("Azerbaijan","Azerbaijan"),
                ("Bahamas","Bahamas"),
                ("Bahrain","Bahrain"),
                ("Bangladesh","Bangladesh"),
                ("Barbados","Barbados"),
                ("Belarus","Belarus"),
                ("Belgium","Belgium"),
                ("Belize","Belize"),
                ("Benin","Benin"),
                ("Bermuda","Bermuda"),
                ("Bhutan","Bhutan"),
                ("Bolivia","Bolivia"),
                ("Bonaire","Bonaire"),
                ("Bosnia & Herzegovina","Bosnia & Herzegovina"),
                ("Botswana","Botswana"),
                ("Brazil","Brazil"),
                ("British Indian Ocean Ter","British Indian Ocean Ter"),
                ("Brunei","Brunei"),
                ("Bulgaria","Bulgaria"),
                ("Burkina Faso","Burkina Faso"),
                ("Burundi","Burundi"),
                ("Cambodia","Cambodia"),
                ("Cameroon","Cameroon"),
                ("Canada","Canada"),
                ("Canary Islands","Canary Islands"),
                ("Cape Verde","Cape Verde"),
                ("Cayman Islands","Cayman Islands"),
                ("Central African Republic","Central African Republic"),
                ("Chad","Chad"),
                ("Channel Islands","Channel Islands"),
                ("Chile","Chile"),
                ("China","China"),
                ("Christmas Island","Christmas Island"),
                ("Cocos Island","Cocos Island"),
                ("Colombia","Colombia"),
                ("Comoros","Comoros"),
                ("Congo","Congo"),
                ("Cook Islands","Cook Islands"),
                ("Costa Rica","Costa Rica"),
                ("Cote DIvoire","Cote DIvoire"),
                ("Croatia","Croatia"),
                ("Cuba","Cuba"),
                ("Curaco","Curaco"),
                ("Cyprus","Cyprus"),
                ("Czech Republic","Czech Republic"),
                ("Denmark","Denmark"),
                ("Djibouti","Djibouti"),
                ("Dominica","Dominica"),
                ("Dominican Republic","Dominican Republic"),
                ("East Timor","East Timor"),
                ("Ecuador","Ecuador"),
                ("Egypt","Egypt"),
                ("El Salvador","El Salvador"),
                ("Equatorial Guinea","Equatorial Guinea"),
                ("Eritrea","Eritrea"),
                ("Estonia","Estonia"),
                ("Ethiopia","Ethiopia"),
                ("Falkland Islands","Falkland Islands"),
                ("Faroe Islands","Faroe Islands"),
                ("Fiji","Fiji"),
                ("Finland","Finland"),
                ("France","France"),
                ("French Guiana","French Guiana"),
                ("French Polynesia","French Polynesia"),
                ("French Southern Ter","French Southern Ter"),
                ("Gabon","Gabon"),
                ("Gambia","Gambia"),
                ("Georgia","Georgia"),
                ("Germany","Germany"),
                ("Ghana","Ghana"),
                ("Gibraltar","Gibraltar"),
                ("Great Britain","Great Britain"),
                ("Greece","Greece"),
                ("Greenland","Greenland"),
                ("Grenada","Grenada"),
                ("Guadeloupe","Guadeloupe"),
                ("Guam","Guam"),
                ("Guatemala","Guatemala"),
                ("Guinea","Guinea"),
                ("Guyana","Guyana"),
                ("Haiti","Haiti"),
                ("Hawaii","Hawaii"),
                ("Honduras","Honduras"),
                ("Hong Kong","Hong Kong"),
                ("Hungary","Hungary"),
                ("Iceland","Iceland"),
                ("India","India"),
                ("Indonesia","Indonesia"),
                ("Iran","Iran"),
                ("Iraq","Iraq"),
                ("Ireland","Ireland"),
                ("Isle of Man","Isle of Man"),
                ("Israel","Israel"),
                ("Italy","Italy"),
                ("Jamaica","Jamaica"),
                ("Japan","Japan"),
                ("Jordan","Jordan"),
                ("Kazakhstan","Kazakhstan"),
                ("Kenya","Kenya"),
                ("Kiribati","Kiribati"),
                ("Korea North","Korea North"),
                ("Korea Sout","Korea Sout"),
                ("Kuwait","Kuwait"),
                ("Kyrgyzstan","Kyrgyzstan"),
                ("Laos","Laos"),
                ("Latvia","Latvia"),
                ("Lebanon","Lebanon"),
                ("Lesotho","Lesotho"),
                ("Liberia","Liberia"),
                ("Libya","Libya"),
                ("Liechtenstein","Liechtenstein"),
                ("Lithuania","Lithuania"),
                ("Luxembourg","Luxembourg"),
                ("Macau","Macau"),
                ("Macedonia","Macedonia"),
                ("Madagascar","Madagascar"),
                ("Malaysia","Malaysia"),
                ("Malawi","Malawi"),
                ("Maldives","Maldives"),
                ("Mali","Mali"),
                ("Malta","Malta"),
                ("Marshall Islands","Marshall Islands"),
                ("Martinique","Martinique"),
                ("Mauritania","Mauritania"),
                ("Mauritius","Mauritius"),
                ("Mayotte","Mayotte"),
                ("Mexico","Mexico"),
                ("Midway Islands","Midway Islands"),
                ("Moldova","Moldova"),
                ("Monaco","Monaco"),
                ("Mongolia","Mongolia"),
                ("Montserrat","Montserrat"),
                ("Morocco","Morocco"),
                ("Mozambique","Mozambique"),
                ("Myanmar","Myanmar"),
                ("Nambia","Nambia"),
                ("Nauru","Nauru"),
                ("Nepal","Nepal"),
                ("Netherland Antilles","Netherland Antilles"),
                ("Netherlands","Netherlands"),
                ("Nevis","Nevis"),
                ("New Caledonia","New Caledonia"),
                ("New Zealand","New Zealand"),
                ("Nicaragua","Nicaragua"),
                ("Niger","Niger"),
                ("Nigeria","Nigeria"),
                ("Niue","Niue"),
                ("Norfolk Island","Norfolk Island"),
                ("Norway","Norway"),
                ("Oman","Oman"),
                ("Pakistan","Pakistan"),
                ("Palau Island","Palau Island"),
                ("Palestine","Palestine"),
                ("Panama","Panama"),
                ("Papua New Guinea","Papua New Guinea"),
                ("Paraguay","Paraguay"),
                ("Peru","Peru"),
                ("Phillipines","Phillipines"),
                ("Pitcairn Island","Pitcairn Island"),
                ("Poland","Poland"),
                ("Portugal","Portugal"),
                ("Puerto Rico","Puerto Rico"),
                ("Qatar","Qatar"),
                ("Republic of Montenegro","Republic of Montenegro"),
                ("Republic of Serbia","Republic of Serbia"),
                ("Reunion","Reunion"),
                ("Romania","Romania"),
                ("Russia","Russia"),
                ("Rwanda","Rwanda"),
                ("St Barthelemy","St Barthelemy"),
                ("St Eustatius","St Eustatius"),
                ("St Helena","St Helena"),
                ("St Kitts-Nevis","St Kitts-Nevis"),
                ("St Lucia","St Lucia"),
                ("St Maarten","St Maarten"),
                ("St Pierre & Miquelon","St Pierre & Miquelon"),
                ("St Vincent & Grenadines","St Vincent & Grenadines"),
                ("Saipan","Saipan"),
                ("Samoa","Samoa"),
                ("Samoa American","Samoa American"),
                ("San Marino","San Marino"),
                ("Sao Tome & Principe","Sao Tome & Principe"),
                ("Saudi Arabia","Saudi Arabia"),
                ("Senegal","Senegal"),
                ("Seychelles","Seychelles"),
                ("Sierra Leone","Sierra Leone"),
                ("Singapore","Singapore"),
                ("Slovakia","Slovakia"),
                ("Slovenia","Slovenia"),
                ("Solomon Islands","Solomon Islands"),
                ("Somalia","Somalia"),
                ("South Africa","South Africa"),
                ("Spain","Spain"),
                ("Sri Lanka","Sri Lanka"),
                ("Sudan","Sudan"),
                ("Suriname","Suriname"),
                ("Swaziland","Swaziland"),
                ("Sweden","Sweden"),
                ("Switzerland","Switzerland"),
                ("Syria","Syria"),
                ("Tahiti","Tahiti"),
                ("Taiwan","Taiwan"),
                ("Tajikistan","Tajikistan"),
                ("Tanzania","Tanzania"),
                ("Thailand","Thailand"),
                ("Togo","Togo"),
                ("Tokelau","Tokelau"),
                ("Tonga","Tonga"),
                ("Trinidad & Tobago","Trinidad & Tobago"),
                ("Tunisia","Tunisia"),
                ("Turkey","Turkey"),
                ("Turkmenistan","Turkmenistan"),
                ("Turks & Caicos Is","Turks & Caicos Is"),
                ("Tuvalu","Tuvalu"),
                ("Uganda","Uganda"),
                ("Ukraine","Ukraine"),
                ("United Arab Erimates","United Arab Erimates"),
                ("United Kingdom","United Kingdom"),
                ("United States of America","United States of America"),
                ("Uraguay","Uraguay"),
                ("Uzbekistan","Uzbekistan"),
                ("Vanuatu","Vanuatu"),
                ("Vatican City State","Vatican City State"),
                ("Venezuela","Venezuela"),
                ("Vietnam","Vietnam"),
                ("Virgin Islands (Brit)","Virgin Islands (Brit)"),
                ("Virgin Islands (USA)","Virgin Islands (USA)"),
                ("Wake Island","Wake Island"),
                ("Wallis & Futana Is","Wallis & Futana Is"),
                ("Yemen","Yemen"),
                ("Zaire","Zaire"),
                ("Zambia","Zambia"),
                ("Zimbabwe","Zimbabwe")]

The first function makes use of Babel’s Locale object, which has a currencies dictionary from which we can pull the key-value pairs currency symbol and currency name, and put them into a list of tuples, which is the format our WTForms SelectField is expecting. The first string in each tuple is the option value, the second is the option label.

Our second function is very self-explanatory, returning a static list of identical country names tuples (you could obviously change this to make the values country codes instead, if that’s what your application requires). I scraped the list of countries from this site (can’t really remember, there are tons of country lists available), but I would have loved to pull it from Babel or an API call instead but couldn’t figure out how. Would welcome suggestions

One last thing: to assign a default value, simply use WTForms default named keyword, as in: default=”United States of America”. A caution, though: it seems to use the label, not the value. We skipped this entirely, though, because model object values override any default you may set, so we put our defaults in the model objects (we’re using SQLAlchemy, which has a default keyword for the column as well).

Hope this helped anyone confronting the same task!

Aguy

thanks for the article!

Creating Select form fields with currencies and countries using Babel and WTForms

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