---
title: "SetDefaultValueEvent"
manual: "LIA Form"
version: "2.2"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/lia/lia_form:setdefaultvalueevent@2.2"
source: "Events/Finisher/SetDefaultValueEvent.rst"
rendered: "2026-09-29T13:27:41+00:00"
---

# SetDefaultValueEvent {#setdefaultvalueevent}

This Event allows you to set field with default values if needed.
This event is dispatched in the EmailFinisher in the `processView` function.

## Attributes {#attributes}

-   **formRuntime**

    -   *Type:* TYPO3CMSFormDomainRuntimeFormRuntime
    -   *Required:* true

    The send formRuntime.

-   **shortFinisherIdentifier**

    -   *Type:* string
    -   *Required:* true

    The identifier of the called EmailFinisher (EmailToReceiver or EmailToSender).

## Subscribe this event {#subscribe-this-event}

First create an EventListener class in your Extension. It may look like this.

**EXT:my_extension/Classes/EventListener/SetDefaultValueEventListener.php**

```php
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace MY\MyExtension\EventListener;

use LIA\LiaForm\Event\Finisher\SetDefaultValueEvent;

final class SetDefaultValueEventListener {

    /**
    * Fill empty form values with defaults before the email is rendered.
    *
    * @param SetDefaultValueEvent $event
    * @return void
    */
    public function __invoke(SetDefaultValueEvent $event): void
    {
        $formRuntime = $event->getFormRuntime();
        $formState = $formRuntime->getFormState();
        if ($formState === null) {
            return;
        }

        // Compare against null and '' explicitly: empty() would also match a
        // legitimately submitted '0', for example the first salutation option.
        $salutation = $formRuntime->getElementValue('salutation');
        if ($salutation === null || $salutation === '') {
            $formState->setFormValue('salutation', 'Sir or Madam');
        }
    }
}
```

> [!NOTE]
> The FormState is shared by all finishers of one submission. A default set
> here is visible to both mails (`EmailToReceiver` and `EmailToSender`) and
> to every following finisher such as `SaveToDatabase` — it cannot be scoped
> to a single mail. Use `shortFinisherIdentifier` to find out which mail is
> currently being rendered, not to limit a write.

> [!NOTE]
> Write through `$formRuntime->getFormState()->setFormValue()`. `FormRuntime`
> does implement `ArrayAccess`, but the core marks `offsetGet()` and
> `offsetSet()` as `@internal`, and `offsetGet()` falls back to the
> runtime's own `get<Identifier>()` methods: `$formRuntime['type']` returns
> the form type, not the value of an element identified `type`.

Now register this EventListener in your `Services.yaml`.

**EXT:my_extension/Configuration/Services.yaml**

```yaml
MY\MyExtension\EventListener\SetDefaultValueEventListener:
  tags:
    - name: event.listener
      identifier: 'my-extension/finisher-set-default-values-event'
      event: LIA\LiaForm\Event\Finisher\SetDefaultValueEvent
```