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<sect1 id="learning.form.decorators.intro">
    <title>Introduction</title>

    <para>
        <link linkend="zend.form">Zend_Form</link> utilizes the <emphasis>decorator</emphasis>
        pattern in order to render elements and forms. Unlike the classic <ulink
            url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorator_pattern">decorator pattern</ulink>, in
        which you pass an object to a wrapping class, decorators in <classname>Zend_Form</classname>
        implement a <ulink url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_pattern">strategy
            pattern</ulink>, and utilize the metadata contained in an element or form in order to
        create a representation of it
    </para>

    <para>
        Don't let the terminology scare you away, however; at heart, decorators in
        <classname>Zend_Form</classname> are not terribly difficult, and the mini-tutorials that
        follow should help you along the way. They will guide you through the basics of decoration,
        all the way to creating decorators for composite elements.
    </para>
</sect1>
