Extending Controller with masterpage template funtionality

Category:Library::Controller | Category:Library::Community [h3]Introduction[/h3] Since i started using the CI, I was searching a way to support master pages or master templates if you like to call it. When a view is loading, i would like the output to be displayed at a certain position of the master page. So i started building a library to do such a thing, when i realized that i had to write more code than before to load my template and all of its components. When i read about the _output method made me to think a more efficient way to add the functionality that i wanted. I have created a MY_Controller class that extends the common Controller class, so i have added the _output method into the MY_Controller class. My controllers now, that have to use this template system, just extends the MY_Controller class instead of extending the Controller class. With this way i was able to add even more common functionality for my controllers without have to write everytime a lot of code in each one of my controllers.

[h3]Requirements[/h3] CodeIgniter 1.6.x PHP 5

[h3]Installation[/h3] Create a MY_Controller.php, insert the class that follows and store it in [b]APPPATH/libraries/[/b] folder

[code] <?php /**

This library extends the default controller and adds some useful extra features.
Features:

    1. Enables the usage of master page/templates.

    2. Can add css and javascript files.

    3. Uses the _output method for controling the controllers output.

    4. Can load relative content with in the form of modules (views)

/ class MY_Controller extends Controller { / Output control constants */ const OUTPUT_TEMPLATE = 10; const OUTPUT_NORMAL = 11;

/* Private properties */

//the default template
private $template_view = 'default';

//the default public folder this means that content inside this folder will be accessed directly
//without using the routing.
//Note!!! This folder must be enabled in the .htaccess file.
private $public_folder = 'public/';

//the default location for the templates inside the views folder this means (views/templates/)
private $template_folder = 'templates/';

//the default css location for the css files inside the $public_folder("public/" by default) (public/css/)
private $css_folder = 'css/';

//the default js location for the css files inside the $public_folder("public/" by default) (public/js/)
private $js_folder = 'js/';

//Inline scripting (Javascript)
private $inline_scripting = '';

private $modules = array(); //An array that contains the modules output.

private $charset = ''; //The page charset

private $title = ''; //The page Title

//Media files and data
private $media = array('css'=>array(),
                        'js'=>array(),
                         //meta tags
                        'meta'=>array(),
                         //RDF are 3rd genreration meta tags
                        'rdf'=>array());

//The requested controller
protected $controller = '';
//The requested method to be called
protected $method        = '';

private $_output_data = array(); 

/**
 * The MY_Controller constructor method.
 */
function __construct(){
    parent::Controller();
            
    //Initializing the controller
    //Get the default charset from the config file.
    $this->charset = $this->config->item('charset');

    //Set the default mode to use a template view
    $this->_setOutputMode(self::OUTPUT_TEMPLATE);

    //Passing as properties the controller and the method that should be called.
    $this->controller = $this->uri->rsegment(1);
    $this->method      = $this->uri->rsegment(2);
}

/**
 * CodeIgniter magic method that controls the output of a controller.
 * You can't call it directly.
 *
 * @see http://codeigniter.com/user_guide/general/controllers.html#output
 * @final this method cannot be overloaded
 * @param string $output the controller output
 * @return void
 */
final function _output($output){
    $this->load->library('pathfinder');
    //$this->pathfinder->addTrail((string)$this->title, site_url($this->uri->uri_string()));

    switch($this->mode){
        //Use the template
        case self::OUTPUT_TEMPLATE:
            $data = array(    'meta'=>$this->media['meta'],
                            'rdf'=>$this->media['rdf'],
                            'js'=>$this->media['js'],
                            'css'=>$this->media['css'],
                            'title'=>$this->title,
                            'charset'=>$this->charset,
                            'output'=>$output,
                            'modules'=>(object)$this->modules,
                            'inline_scripting'=>"[removed]" . $this->inline_scripting . "[removed]");
            
            //Merge the data arrays
            $data = array_merge($data, $this->_output_data);
            
            //Load the final output
            $out = $this->load->view($this->template_folder . $this->template_view, $data, TRUE);
            
            //The End
            echo $out;
        break;
        //or just echo output.
        case self::OUTPUT_NORMAL:
        default:
            echo $output;
        break;
    }
}

/**
 * Pass extra data on the final output.
 *
 * @param string $paramName the parameter name.
 * @param mixed $value $the value of the parameter
 */

protected function _setOutputData($paramName, $value){
    $this->_output_data[$paramName] = $value;
}

/**
 * This method sets the output mode. That the controller should use to display the content
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param int $mode One of the constants self::OUTPUT_TEMPLATE, self::OUTPUT_NORMAL
 * @return void
 */
protected function _setOutputMode($mode){
    $this->mode = $mode;
}

/**
 * Sets the template that will be used at the final output.
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $template
 * @return bool
 */
public function _template_to_use($template){
    $filepath = APPPATH . "views/"  . $this->template_folder . str_replace('.php','',$template) . ".php";
            
    if(!$this->_is_file_exists($filepath)){
        show_error("Cannot locate template file <tt>$template</tt>");
        return false;
    }

    $this->template_view = $template;
    
    return true;
}

/**
 * Adds a Javascript file into the template.
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $file a js file located inside the public/js/ folder or an url.
 * @param boolean $custom_url Default FALSE. A flag to determine if the given $file is an url or just a file inside the public/js/ folder.
 * @return bool
 */
public function _add_js_file&#40;$file, $custom_url=false&#41;{
    
    if($custom_url===false){
        $filepath = $this->public_folder . $this->js_folder . str_replace('.js','',$file) . ".js";
                
        if(!$this->_is_file_exists($filepath)){
            show_error('Cannot locate javascript file <tt><a href="'.$filepath.'">'.$filepath.'</a></tt>');
            return false;
        }
        
        $filepath = base_url() . $filepath;
        
    }else{
        $filepath = $file;
    }
    
    if (array_search($filepath, $this->media['js']) === false)
        $this->media['js'][] = $filepath;
    else
        return false;
        
    return true;
}

/**
 * Adds a CSS file into the template.
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $file a css file located inside the public/js/ folder or an url.
 * @param boolean $custom_url Default FALSE. A flag to determine if the given $file is an url or just a file insite the public/js/ folder.
 * @return bool
 */
public function _add_css_file&#40;$file, $custom_url=false&#41;{
    if(!$custom_url){
        
        $filepath = $this->public_folder . $this->css_folder . str_replace('.css','',$file) . ".css";
        
        if(!$this->_is_file_exists($filepath)){
            show_error('Cannot locate css file: <tt><a href="'.$filepath.'">'.$filepath.'</a></tt>');
            return false;
        }
        
        $filepath = base_url() . $filepath;
    }else{
        $filepath = $file;
    }

    if(array_search($filepath, $this->media['css']) === false)
        $this->media['css'][] = $filepath;
    else return false;
    
    return true;
}

/**
 * Sets the default charset
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $charset
 * @return void
 */
public function _set_chartset($charset){
    $this->charset = $charset;
}

/**
 * Sets the page title
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $new_title
 * @return void
 */
public function _set_title($new_title){
    $this->title = $new_title;
}

/**
 * Appends a string at the title text
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $title
 * @return void
 */
public function _append_title($title){
    $this->title .= " - $title";
}

/**
 * Adds meta tags.
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $name the name of the meta tag
 * @param string $content the content of the mneta tag
 * @return bool
 */
public function _add_meta($name, $content){
    if(array_key_exists($name, $this->media['meta']))
        show_error("Duplicate usage of meta tag file <tt>$name</tt>.");

    $this->media['meta'][$name] = $content;
    return true;
}

/**
 * Adds RDF meta tags (3rd generation meta tags).
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $name the name of the meta tag
 * @param string $content the content of the mneta tag
 * @return bool
 */
public function _add_RDF($name, $content){
    if(array_key_exists($name, $this->media['rdf']))
        show_error("Duplicate usage of meta tag file <tt>$name</tt>.");

    $this->media['rdf'][$name] = $content;
    return true;
}

/**
 * Registers module positions
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $position_name the name of the position (no special chars or spaces are allowed)
 * @return bool
 */
public function _register_module_position($position_name){
    if(array_key_exists($position_name, $this->modules))
        show_error("Module position failed because position <tt>$position_name</tt> has already been registered.");

    //Check for illegal characters.
    if(!preg_match("/[a-zA-Z0-9]*/", $position_name))
        show_error("Position name <tt>$position_name</tt> contains some illegal characters. Only letters or numbers are allowed.");

    $this->modules[$position_name] = array();

    return true;
}

/**
 *    Loads a view file &#40;module&#41; in a certain position.
 *
 * @access protected
 * @param string $position the module position
 * @param string $view_file the view file path.
 * @param array $params    the parameter to be passed in the view file.
 * @return bool
 */
public function _load_module($position, $view_file, $params = array()){
    if(!array_key_exists($position, $this->modules))
        show_error("Module position <tt>$position</tt> hasn't ever been registered.");
    
    $this->modules[$position][] = $this->load->view($view_file, $params, TRUE);
    
    return true;
}

/**
 * Marks the begining of inline scripting.
 * Example:
 *     &lt;?php ....
 *
 *             $this->_start_inline_scripting();
 *     ?&gt;
 *     [removed] .... [removed]
 *  &lt;?php
 *         $this->_end_inline_scripting();
 *     .....
 *!!!Note that the <scrpt*>[removed] tags will be removed!!!
 *
 */
public function _start_inline_scripting(){
    ob_start();
}

/**
 * Marks the end of the inline scripting.
 */
public function _end_inline_scripting(){
     $s = ob_get_clean();
     
     $s = preg_replace("/[removed]]*>/", '', $s);
     $s = preg_replace("/<\/script>/", '', $s);
          
     $this->inline_scripting .= $s;
}


/**
 * Checks if the given file exists in the filesystem.
 *
 * @access private
 * @param string $filepath The file path, using a physical relative path
 * @return bool
 */
private function _is_file_exists($filepath){
    return file_exists($filepath);
}

} ?> [/code]

Create a file default.php insert the foolowing code and store it in [b]APPPATH/views/templates/[/b] folder: [code]

<html > <head> <title><?php echo $title; ?></title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="<?php echo isset($lang) ? $lang : 'en';?>" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=<?php echo $charset; ?>" /> <?php foreach($meta as $name=>$content): ?> <meta name="<?php echo $name; ?>" content="<?php echo $content; ?>" /> <?php endforeach; ?> <?php if(count($rdf) > 0): ?>  <?php endif;?> <?php foreach($js as $js_file): ?> [removed][removed] <?php endforeach; ?> <?php foreach ($css as $css_file): ?> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<?php echo base_url() . $css_file; ?>" /> <?php endforeach; ?> <?php if (isset($fav_icon)) :?> <link rel='shortcut icon' type="image/x-icon" href='<?php echo base_url() . $fav_icon; ?>' /> <?php endif; ?>

<?php echo $inline_scripting ?>

</head> <body>

<?php echo $output; ?>

<?php //If we had to display some extra modules (views). This will display all the modules that have //loaded at the "bottom" position. But first we should propably register the postion inside //the MY_Controller construct (or whatever) using the $this->_register_module_potion() method. //eg: $this->_load_module("bottom", "modules/my_module_view", $data);

// foreach ($modules->bottom as $mod ){ // echo $mod; // } ?>

</body> </html> [/code]

[h3]Example[/h3]

A controller should look like this: [code] <?php class SomeController extends MY_Controller{

  function __construct(){
     parent::__construct();
     $this->_template_to_use("my_template_file");

  }

  function index(){
     $this->load->view("some_view_file");
  }

} ?> [/code]

As you can see here it shouldn't change the structure or the way that you are usually writing a controller. For more portability you can use a config file to configure the MY_Controller class in which default template will be using, or which position should register an more. it's up to you.

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Extending Controller with masterpage template funtionality

Clone this wiki locally