I think ExtJS contributor animal is quite prescient when he writes:
The vertical, linear nature of Ext.layout.FormLayout baffles first time Ext users.
The depth and complexity of the nested structure required with the traditional form layout is simply insane when building a form up declaratively. It’s essentially an enormous, massively nested data structure that’s virtually impossible to pierce.
Ext.ux.layout.TableFormLayout instead uses a simplier and easier to render table based layout, even if it is a bit of an abuse of the HTML TABLE tag. I have been using Wufoo’s form stylesheets for ages and this ought to move form design with ExtJS a small step closer to that ideal. I wish I knew of a way to optionally inject labels under some INPUT fields, though.
While it seems to work, it no more easily allows for completion of my layout goals than the original form layout. I was hoping to find some sensible way of breaking out common fields, like for phone number or social security number, into the consituent parts for easy entry. (I know about masking, but it doesn’t work reliably between browsers.) So I’d like a three part field for SSN under a regular sized field for name. Something easily achieved with Wufoo’s form CSS, meaning I probably need to write my own layout somehow.