# Form methods
To retrieve the values of your form or to make changes to the form, Formisch provides you with several methods. These apply either to the entire form or to individual fields.
## Reading values
To retrieve values from your form, you can use:
- `getInput`: Get the current value
of a specific field
- `getErrors`: Get error messages
for a specific field
- `getAllErrors`: Get all error
messages across the entire form
Formisch uses Preact signals internally which means that reading values with these methods is reactive. When the form state changes, any component that uses these methods will automatically update to reflect the new state.
## Setting values
To manually update form values or errors, use:
- `setInput`: Manually update the
value of a specific field
- `setErrors`: Manually set error
messages for a specific field
> When you have access to a field store (from `useField` or `Field`), you can use `field.onInput(value)` to update the value directly. This is especially useful for custom inputs or component libraries that don't expose native HTML elements.
> If you need to update the form because the initial data has changed (e.g., remote data was refreshed), use `reset` with a new `initialInput` instead of `setInput`. The `reset` method properly reinitializes the form state, while `setInput` only changes the current input values without updating the initial state.
## Form control
To control the form programmatically, use:
- `handleSubmit`: Create a submit
event handler that validates the form and calls your handler on success
- `reset`: Reset the form to its initial
state or update initial values
- `validate`: Manually trigger
validation for the entire form or specific fields
- `submit`: Programmatically trigger
form submission
- `focus`: Focus on a specific field
## Array operations
For working with field arrays, Formisch provides:
- `insert`: Insert a new item into a
field array
- `remove`: Remove an item from a field
array
- `move`: Move an item to a different
position in a field array
- `swap`: Swap two items in a field array
- `replace`: Replace an item in a
field array
## API design
All methods in Formisch follow a consistent API pattern: the first parameter is always the form store, and the second parameter (if necessary) is always a config object. This design makes the API flexible and consistent across all methods. Once you understand this pattern, you basically understand the entire API design.
Here are some examples:
```tsx
// Get the value of a field
const emailInput = getInput(loginForm, { path: ['email'] });
// Reset the form with new initial values
reset(loginForm, { initialInput: { email: '', password: '' } });
// Move an item in a field array
move(loginForm, { path: ['items'], from: 0, to: 3 });
```
## API reference
You can find detailed documentation for each method in our API reference.