Object Programming with CodeIgniter

Hey everybody,

I was wondering how to deal with plain PHP object and CodeIgniter framework, so here is what I did first :

I created a PHP Class in libraries folder for my object, "User" in that case, with accessors. So far everything was ok with my Class, I tested it in a separate test environement without CI. Then I tried to integrate it to my project so in my controller I included with a

PHP Code:

$this->load->library("User"); 


But then I was only able to have one instance of User at a time ! That's fine for a User I think but I will have to deal with a lot of instances of some objects and so I "tricked CI" by including in the controller  

PHP Code:

require(....); 


And that way I was able to have multiple User objects but then I realized that I wanted to use my simple CRUD overriding of CI_Model into my User Class, that way I would be able to make the code for a user authentication very small in controller and easy to understand and also to maintain (yes, it's becoming a huge crap in my controllers, also I splitted a lot my operations into small functions, it's harder and harder to make modifications and most of time it breaks something else when I add/mod something). So, I thinked about it and told myself

Ok, think about your classes, an Object here represents one or more entries in DB, so It must be between the Model and the Controller.

That way I ended with a User_model but had the same problem with the Loader Class because only one instance was "allowed"... So I made a User Class which extends a User_Model Class which extends MY_Model Class which extends CI_Model Class...............

I don't explain you what CI_Model does... MY_Model :

PHP Code:

<?php defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

    class MY_Model extends CI_Model {
        private $table;

        protected function create(__________) {
            ____________
            ____________
            ____________
        }

        protected function read(__________) {
            ____________
            ____________
            ____________
        }

        protected function update(__________) {
            ____________
            ____________
            ____________
        }

        protected function delete(__________) {
            ____________
            ____________
            ____________
        }

        protected function count(__________) {
            ____________
            ____________
            ____________
        }

        protected function getTable() {
            return $this->table;
        }

        protected function setTable($table) {
            $this->table = $table;

            return $this;
        }
    } 


User_model

PHP Code:

<?php defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

    class User_model extends MY_Model {
        public function __construct() {
            parent::__construct();

            if(!class_exists("User")) {
                require(APPPATH.'/models/User.php');
            }

            $this->setTable("users");
        }
    } 


User

PHP Code:

<?php

    class User extends User_model {
        /**
         * Fields
         */
        ________
        ________
        ________

        function __construct() {
            parent::__construct();
        }

        /**
         * Accessors
         */
        ________
        ________
        ________

        /**
         * Some usefull functions
         */
        public function doLogin($login, $password) {
            ______________
            ______________
        }

        private function authenticate($query, $password) {
            ______________
            ______________
        }

        public function getFromSession() {
            ______________
            ______________
        }

        { ......... }
    } 


By the way, I can use $this to call CI Classes like session, db, and others as well as MY_Model functions. I also can change the table while running with the protected accessors for $table field of MY_Model.

Then my login function is a lot easier to understand :

PHP Code:

public function login() {
    // Get POST data and check validity
    $login = $this->input->post("login");
    $password = $this->input->post("password");
    if(!empty($login) && !empty($password)) {
        try {
            $user = new User();
            $user->doLogin($login, $password);
            $this->layout->view("authentication", array(
                                "title" => "Logged in",
                                "message" => var_dump($user->getFromSession()),
                                "state" => ""
            ));
        } catch(Exception $e) {
            switch($e->getCode()) {
                case 0:
                case 1:
                    $this->layout->view("authentication", array(
                                        "title" => "Something went wrong...",
                                        "message" => "Please check your credentials",
                                        "state" => "error"
                    ));
                    break;
                case 2:
                    $this->layout->view("authentication", array(
                                        "title" => "Something went wrong...",
                                        "message" => "Contact data error",
                                        "state" => "error"
                    ));
                    break;
            }
        }
    } else {
        $this->layout->view("authentication", array("title" => "Credentials not provided", "message" => "Please provide both login and password", "state" => "error"));
    }
} 


SO !

Everything works very well now and I love to abstract a Web Application, objects are so cool  
I was just wondering if any of you works with your own-baked Objects. If you are, please share the stuff !

And also, if anyone has anything to say about my approach : tell me, I wan't to here your thoughts about this way of working !

Thanks to read

Greate tell me more.. And what is the library you used in $this->layout ???? I am searching template library

Greate tell me more.. And what is the library you used in $this->layout ???? I am searching template library

Concerning the Layout it's a library which is auto-loaded and working with an asset helper (also auto-loaded) and layout views.

Layout Class (in application/libraries folder)

PHP Code:

<?php defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

    class Layout {
        private $CI;
        private $data = array();
        private $layout = "default";

        public function __construct() {
            $this->CI =& get_instance();
            $this->data["output"] = "";
            $this->data["title"] = "Your title here";
            $this->data["charset"] = $this->CI->config->item("charset");
            $this->data["css"] = array("font-awesome.css", "foundation.css", "toast.css");
            $this->data["js"] = array("modernizr.js", "jquery-1.11.2.js", "foundation.min.js", "toast.js", "launchFoundation.js");
        }

        public function view($name, $data = array()) {
            $this->data["output"] .= $this->CI->load->view($name, $data, true);
            $this->CI->load->view("layouts/".$this->layout, $this->data);
        }

        public function setTitle($title) {
            if(!empty($title) && is_string($title)) {
                $this->data["title"] = $title." - OGMA";

                return true;
            }

            return false;
        }

        public function setLayout($layout) {
            if(!empty($layout) && file_exists(APPPATH.'views/layouts/'.$layout.'.php')) {
                $this->layout = $layout;

                return true;
            }

            return false;
        }

        public function setMenu($menu) {
            if(!empty($menu) && is_string($menu)) {
                $this->data["menu"] = $menu;

                return true;
            }

            return false;
        }

        public function addCSS($name) {
            if(!empty($name) && file_exists(css_path().$name.".css")) {
                $this->data["css"][] = $name.".css";

                return true;
            }

            return false;
        }

        public function addJS($name) {
            if(!empty($name) && is_string($name) && file_exists(js_path().$name.".js")) {
                $this->data["js"][] = $name.".js";

                return true;
            }

            return false;
        }
    } 


Asset Helper

Default Layout View (in application/views/layouts folder, you have to create the layouts one)

PHP Code:

<!doctype html>
<html class="no-js" lang="en">
    <head>
        <meta charset="<?= $charset; ?>" />
        <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
        <title><?= $title; ?></title>
        <?php
            foreach($css as $stylesheet) {
                echo css($stylesheet);
            }
        ?>
    </head>
    <body>
        <nav>
            <menu>
                <?= img("logo-small.png", array("alt" => "Logo", "class" => "logo")); ?>
                <span class="brand">Brand <small>v1</small></span>
                <?= $menu; ?>
            </menu>
        </nav>
        <main>
            <?= $output ?>
        </main>
        <?php
            foreach($js as $script) {
                echo js($script);
            }
        ?>
    </body>
</html> 


Then you are free to add for example a menuMaker like I did (it simply use a config array and build all links with the makeMenu() function) or whatever you think would be useful !

I took the Layout Class from the internet but can't manage to find it again so sorry for no credits...

Sounds like you came up with a pretty good solution in the end.

I have become a huge fan of Composer. To handle the situations like yours, I would enable Composer in CodeIgniter's config file

Code:

$config['composer_autoload'] = TRUE;[/url]

Then, I would edit the composer.json file to create autoloading for my application as a whole. Sometimes, I will point this to the default 'application' folder. Other times, I would point this a separate folder. I guess it depends on what I think the app will need and my mood that day :) Assuming we're using the default application folder, I would modify the composer.json file like this:

[code]
"autoload": {
       "psr-4": {
           "App\\": "application/"
       }
   },

Then, I would make that User class, still located in application/libraries, to have a namespace of App\Libraries.

Code:

<?php namespace App\Libraries;

class User  {
   protected $model;

   public function __construct( App\Models\User_model $model)
   {
       $this->model = $model;
   }
}

Then, in your other classes all you have to do is create a new User object.

Code:

$user = new App\Libraries\User( $this->user_model );

Something like that anyway. I'm still revising my tasks to be easier for testing, but I believe that would all work. While I probably went overboard there, hopefully you see the main point of using Composer as an autoloader. [/code]

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Excellent Idea about layout.. Let me think about it.. Thanks bro..