User input into Visualforce Template

Question

I want to send a VF Email template but I also want to have User inputted data. Is this possible without creating an extra object to store this additional information on?

My Template will contain a parent object, but it will have a single child selected as well as specific grandchildren selected from that child.

I thought of 2 potential options if I cannot do this direct but I'd prefer not to use them.

1) Attach the item as a pdf that shares a controller with the page used to make the selections

2) Create an object to store all this information and run the template on this.

Answer 1

Well, VF email templates can bring in values from either or both

a) object field values available through the relatedTo and recipient merge fields (basically, the target object and any of its relationships; the email destination Contact/Lead/User). In effect, when the VF template is rendered, it has access to two controllers - one for relatedTo and one forrecipient.

b) through the use of custom VF components and hence access to the VF custom component's controller getter properties / get methods. The custom component can be passed attribute values from the enclosing template - but in effect, this becomes values referenceable to relatedTo or recipient like relatedTo.id

Hence, any user input needs to be saved somewhere such that either the VF standard controllers or any custom controllers can access.