Add functions to Zend_Form_Element

Hello,

I've tried to extend Zend_Form_Element without success. I want to add some functions like

class Form_Element extends Zend_Form_Element
{
        protected $_unit = '';
       
        protected $_elementId;
       
    /**
     * Set element unit
     *
     * @param  string $unit
     * @return void
     */
    public function setUnit($unit)
    {
        $this->_unit = (string) $unit;
    }

    /**
     * Retrieve element unit
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getUnit()
    {
        return $this->_unit;
    }
   
    /**
     * Set element id
     *
     * @param  integer $elementId
     * @return void
     */
    public function setElementId($elementId)
    {
        $this->_elementId = (string) $elementId;
    }

    /**
     * Retrieve element id
     *
     * @return integer
     */
    public function getElementId()
    {
        return $this->_elementId;
    }
   
}

With those functions I can access the given unit in the decorator with $this->element->getUnit(), that's what I'm trying to achiv. But unfortunately I just can't find a smooth way to do it properly. When I use $form->addPrefixPath it would work, but only if I redefine all Zend_Form_Element_* elements.

By the way: My current quick and dirty solutions is to extend Zend_Form_Element:


class Zend_Form_Element extends Form_Element implements Zend_Validate_Interface
{}


But this way I would have to update this file every time I'll do a SVN Update of the framework...

Any solutions or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.