Yii - one controller multiple urls - yii

I'm trying to create two Yii models that are very similar and can share the same database table. One is a 'question' and one is an 'article'. They both share a title, body, and author. 'Question' has an additional field in the table that 'article' does not need to interact with called follow_up.
Most methods and validation is the same, but there are some tiny differences that could easily be done with if statements. The main problem I'm seeing is the URL, I want separate URLs like site.com/question and site.com/article but have them both interact with the same model, controller, and views.
How can this be done?

Use the urlManager component in the Yii config to set routes for /article and /question to go to the same controller, and then either use different actions or different parameters to differentiate between the two. Since you said they are almost identical, I would suggest different parameters and a single action as follows:
array(
...
'components' => array(
...
'urlManager' => array(
'question/<\d+:id>' => 'mycontroller/myaction/type/question/id/<id>',
'article/<\d+:id>' => 'mycontroller/myaction/type/article/id/<id>',
),
),
);
Of course you'll have to modify that for your needs, but that's the general setup. Look here for more information: http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/guide/1.1/en/topics.url

Related

How to pass a parameter to a scenario in Yii?

How to pass $id to search scenario? Maybe in model look like this, so I can call like in controller like:
$model = new job('search',$id);
I think that you are trying to do a search. Search is one thing, a "scenario" is something else.
Scenarios are used in validation rules in order to be able to validate the same model in multiple ways depending from where you're inserting/adding OR searching data.
There's also a scenario called 'search' that is used by the model's search() method, but I tell you why:
There are a couple of ways to search for something in your database using Yii, I will mention two:
1) By using ClassName::model()->findCommandHere
And there are a couple of them:
ClassName::model()->findByPk($id);
ClassName::model()->findAll("id=$id");
ClassName::model()->findByAttributes(array('id'=>$id));
And so on, more here: http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/guide/1.1/en/database.ar#reading-record
2) By using the model's search() method
This way of finding data is mostly used for easily creating search pages and in combination with data grids.
If you generate CRUD code with the GII code generation tool it will generate all the parts for you, but I will explain each part how it works.
This code is from the blog demo found in Yii files:
In controller it defines a $model using Post class and 'search' as scenario.
$model=new Post('search');
if(isset($_GET['Post'])) // <- checks if there are search params in the URL
$model->attributes=$_GET['Post']; // <- assigns all search params masively to the model (later you'll see why)
$this->render('admin',array(
'model'=>$model,
));
The 'search' scenario here tells Yii what validation rules to use when assigning search parameters directly from $_GET (URL).
You can see that the params are assigned massively to reduce code written but $model->attributes=$_GET['Post'] it is the same as doing:
$model->title=$_GET['Post']['title'];
$model->status=$_GET['Post']['status'];
In the Post model you can find the validation rules for the search scenario. Tells Yii that it is safe to assign title and status fields in order to later use them in the search.
public function rules()
{
return array(
// ... //
array('title, status', 'safe', 'on'=>'search'),
);
}
Then also in the Post model you can see the search() method that will actually be used to get the data:
public function search()
{
$criteria=new CDbCriteria;
$criteria->compare('title',$this->title,true);
$criteria->compare('status',$this->status);
return new CActiveDataProvider('Post', array(
'criteria'=>$criteria,
'sort'=>array(
'defaultOrder'=>'status, update_time DESC',
),
));
}
The search method creates a "criteria" and applies the desired way of filtering using the values you have previously assigned to this model. See the $this->title it comes from the $model->attributes=$_GET['Post'] you used in the controller.
The criteria can be used directly on the model, such as Post::model()->findAll($criteria), but in this case the search() method uses something different, a "data provider".
The data provider is a good thing because it provides you a lot of tools in one place, it returns you the data, but also the pagination, and the sorting, so you don't have to manually define more code for that purposes (CPagination, CSort).
Finally, in the view admin.php in this case it will display the results using a grid view:
$this->widget('zii.widgets.grid.CGridView', array(
'dataProvider'=>$model->search(),
'filter'=>$model,
'columns'=>array(
array(
'name'=>'title',
'type'=>'raw',
'value'=>'CHtml::link(CHtml::encode($data->title), $data->url)'
),
array(
'name'=>'status',
'value'=>'Lookup::item("PostStatus",$data->status)',
'filter'=>Lookup::items('PostStatus'),
),
),
));
Now you can see that in the configuration of the grid it passes $model->search() method as the dataProvider that the grid should use.
Now the grid can access the rest of the dataProvider elements such as sort, pagination and display them on the page.
If you did not want to use the CGridView because it's a very basic table and you want to create your own html markup, you can also retrieve the dataProvider and its components one by one and place them in your HTML code and display data as you want:
$dataProvider=$model->search(); // get the dataprovider from search method
$models=$dataProvider->getData(); // actually get the data (rows) and assign them to a $models variable that you can put in a foreach loop
// show pagination somewhere
$this->widget('CLinkPager', array(
'pages' => $dataProvider->pagination,
));
// create sort links
echo $dataProvider->sort->link('title', 'Title');
So I hope it solves some of your doubts on how to use Yii for displaying/searching data.
I suggest you read the official manual: http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/guide/1.1/en/index
I also suggest to look at the API and so search there all the Yii components to see what methods and params they have: http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/api/
Also exploring the framework codebase manually is quite a good way to learn. If you don't know how CActiveDataProvider works, then find the CActiveDataProvider class file in the code and you'll see all the methods and properties that it uses, so do this for everything you don't understand how it works.
Also for beginners I recommend using a good IDE that auto-completes code and allows you to Ctrl+Click a class name and it will locate the original file where it was defined. I use NetBeans for PHP and after creating a project I add Yii framework files to the project's include paths that way NetBeans knows how to find the framework files for auto-complete and for ctrl+click.
Yes you can define scenario with parameter but that is included within the class constructor of the model
$model = new Job('search'); // creating a model with scenario search
If you wish to include more parameters, then you need to use createComponent -remember, all is a component
$model = Yii::createComponent(array('class'=>'Job','scenario'=>'search'));
I think this will simply do the job without needing any scenario
$model = new job;
$model->search($id);
But If I have failed to understand your problem then you can also try this
$model = new job('search');
$model->search($id);
Think of scenarios as a special variable that you can use in the model.
$userModel = new User("register");
$userModel->setId = 10;
which is the same
$userModel = new User();
$userModel->scenario = 10
$userModel->setId = 10;
And in your model
class Manufacturer extends CActiveRecord
{
// :
if ($this->scenario == 'register') ...
// :
}

Pull mass name list from database or in script?

I need to fill an input box with a first name and last name. The user will press "Randomize" and it will pull a random first and last name and fill the inputs.
My question is I'm not sure if I should put the names in tables (firstNames, lastNames) or just store them in a javascript file and pull straight from that.
I'm trying to follow the Single Responsibility Principle so I'm inclined to choose the former, but then I have two more models, two more seeders, two more tables, and probably a class to pull all that together. And then do I fill from a CSV file or just from a manually populated seeder? It seems like a lot of work and extra files for a 1-time use.
I know I'll get crap for this being an opinion based question but there is no one or where else to ask.
Also if you know of a place to ask these kind of questions that won't get me ripped apart I'd appreciate that.
I would suggest using the Faker PHP library. That way you wouldn't have to create extra tables, models, or have to worry about finding yourself fake data.
To install it in your project, simply add the dependency in your composer.json file. and run a composer update.
"require-dev": {
"fzaninotto/faker": "1.3.*#dev"
},
Then you can use it to create fake first and last names for you (in your controller most likely)
$faker = Faker\Factory::create();
$firstName = $faker->firstName;
$lastName = $faker->lastName;
Edit:
To add your own names you can either edit or override the name provider file located here.
I would like to suggest Fakerino a new fake generator PHP library, with a modern approach, easy to extend with custom data, custom fake data class, or pre-configured groups of data.
https://github.com/niklongstone/Fakerino
<?php
include ('../Fakerino/vendor/autoload.php');
use Fakerino\Fakerino;
$fakerino = Fakerino::create();
echo $fakerino->fake('Surname')->toJson(); //["Donovan"]
echo $fakerino->fake('NameFemale'); //Alice
//with configuration
$fakerino = Fakerino::create('./conf.php');
print_r($fakerino->fake('fake1')->toArray());
/*
Array(
[0] => Arthur
[1] => Doyle
)
*/
//conf.php
<?php
$conf['fake'] = array(
'fake1' => array('NameMale', 'Surname' => null),
'fake2' => array('NameFemale', 'Surname' => null)
);

can't get relation's name via listdata

I am not sure why I can't get the columns from my other tables via my relations. I was thinking is it because of my scope? After i had a default scope in my models, everything seems to be out of place, even if i use resetscope() at some places. Some sections I can't get to my relation columns; when that happens, I'd have to use Model::model->findbypk(n)->name.. that doesn't look pretty.
the id shows if i don't have the relations, but the name is blank when i put the relation name.
CHtml::listData(Model::model()->findAll(),'product_id','main.product_name'),
my model defaultscope is pretty basic:
return array(
'condition'=>'store_id1=:store_id OR store_id2=:store_id' ,
'params' => array(':store_id' => $store_id)
);
You can change the way you use your model like below:
Model::model()->with('main')->findAll();

Yii. Change URL based on model parameter value

I would like to use the same model "Work" for handling similar CRUD operations for "Services" and "Markets" pages. There is a column in the Work mysql table called "category". If category is "service", then I would like the Index to show list of Services that are stored in the Work table. Similarly for the "Markets" page.
I would need two urls for the same Model (in the menu and create/ update operations etc.). How can I set this up in the URL Manager?
'services/create/' => 'work/create?&category="services"',
You would do it like this:
array(
//put it first so it has highest priority
'services/create' => 'work/create/category/services',
//other rules follow
)
Then your function in your controller would look like this:
public function actionCreate($category) {
//your code
}

Yii recognise timestamp column

I'm using giix to extend model (and crud) behavior. In this I would like to handle columns of type timestamp (that already exist in my model) specifically, rather like autoincrement fields are handled. (Ignored and not shown, that is.) However, there is no property $column->isTimestamp. I would like to add this somewhere, but I'm rather at loss what the best place for this would be. Do I put it in giix somewhere, or do I have to extend the column-baseclass?
Edit: I want to ignore them from every view, for every table. Since this is a lot of work, and it's something I always want, I'd like to automate it. Adapting the generators seems to make most sense, but I'm not sure what the best way to do it would be.
Here is the process:
Extend your database schema, if you are on MySQL it is CMysqlSchema.
Extend CMysqlColumnSchema and add a "isTimestamp" attribute.
In your CMysqlSchema sub-class extend createColumn and test for a timestamp, you'll see that Yii makes simple string comparisons here to set it's own flags. Set "isTimestamp" in your CMysqlColumnSchema here.
Tell Yii to use your schema driver like this in your components section in the config:
'db' => array(
'connectionString' => 'mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database',
'username' => '',
'password' => '',
'driverMap' => array('mysql' => 'CustomMysqlSchema'),
),
You will need to query the column schema, I've not used giix but find where it is generating the views, it should be looping through either the model attributes or the underlying table schema.
If it is looping through the schema:
//you can also ask Yii for the table schema with Yii::app()->db->schema->getTable[$tableName];
if ('timestamp' === $tableSchema->columns[$columnName]->dbType)
continue; //skip this loop iteration
If it loops over the attributes:
$dbType = Yii::app()->db->schema->getTable[$model->tableName]->columns[$modelAttribute]->dbType;
if ('timestamp' === $dbType)
continue; //skip this loop iteration