Create entirely new Controller

CnControllER

Hello, I'm newbie to vanilla forums

but I'm trying to understand the concept of the controllers. For example: http://vanillaforums/ajax/ ...

Is it possible to create a new one? If yes, how?

I'm having a custom theme. I have to create a folder: controllers in it? And add the new controller .php file in it?

Or I have to create a "virtual controller", using magic methods in a custom plugin, as described here: http://docs.vanillaforums.com/developers/plugins/

Thanks in advance!

R_J

Basically, when you create a public function PluginController_Something_Create($Sender, $Args) {}, that method can be reached as "yourforum.com/plugin/something/argument1/argument2" and $Args holds array(argument1, argument2).

If you like to access that method under yourforum.com/fancyname you have to create a custom route.

You can see how all this is done here: http://vanillaforums.org/addon/howtovanillapage-plugin

x00

personally I prefer to extend the vanillaController

you wouldn't typically have a controller just for ajax, the concept of controller method is they could return a range of deliver type and methods.

If you set ->Data that could be used for json. Having said that I have implemented these methods a number of ways.

hgtonight

I want to tack on and say you could extend the rootController and dispatch from there.

public function rootController_sweetNothing_handler($sender, $args) {
    return $this->Dispatch($sender, $args);
}

public function controller_index($sender, $args) {
    $sender->SetData('Success', true);
    $sender->SetData('Args', $args);
    $sender->RenderData();
}

This has the added benefit of not requiring a custom route to be at the "top level".

R_J

@CnControllER said:
I'm having a custom theme. I have to create a folder: controllers in it? And add the new controller .php file in it?

That part of the question hasn't been answered yet...

Create a file called class.yourthemenamethemehooks.php like that:

<?php defined('APPLICATION') or die;

class YourThemeNameThemeHooks implements Gdn_IPlugin {
    public function setup() {
    }

    // put here hgtonights code
    // ...
}

hgtonight

@R_J said:

Create a file called class.yourthemenamethemehooks.php like that:

<?php defined('APPLICATION') or die;

class YourThemeNameThemeHooks implements Gdn_IPlugin {
    public function setup() {
    }

    // put here hgtonights code
    // ...
}

For my code to work, you would have to use:

class YourThemeNameThemeHooks extends Gdn_Plugin {

Or write your own dispatch method.

Bleistivt

Note that you need to initialize the HeadModule yourself when using the rootController:

$sender->Head = new HeadModule($sender);

donshakespeare

Oh, how many have become bald due to scratching their head about sweetNothing

public function rootController_sweetNothing_handler($sender, $args) {
    return $this->Dispatch($sender, $args);
}

Surely there is something to be put in its place, no?

R_J

You will need "create" instead of "handler"

donshakespeare

I have this but no dice, I suspect it is because it is a themehook ...

I am missing something basic.

Not sure how to really test if it is working

class MyThemeHooks extends Gdn_Plugin {
  public function rootController_MyTheme_create($sender, $args) {
    //die('ppp');
    //$sender->Head = new HeadModule($sender);
    return $this->Dispatch($sender, $args);
  }


  public function controller_index($sender, $args) {
    $sender->SetData('Success', true);
    $sender->SetData('Args', $args);
    $sender->RenderData();
  }

donshakespeare

Aha, I found some info that is very promising that I am going to play with.

\vanilla-3.2\applications\dashboard\controllers\class.rootcontroller.php

 * This is a placeholder controller that allows plugins to have methods off of the root of the site.
 *
 * If you want to take advantage of this then do the following:
 *  1. Create a method named <code>public function rootController_MyMethod_Create($Sender, $Args)</code>.
 *  2. Program your method just like any other created controller method.
 *  3. When you browse to <code>/mymethod</code> your method will be called.

donshakespeare

Confirmed!

Does not work from a themehook, for a strange reason. But works in a plugin nicely.

For another person, my code is

class MyPlugin extends Gdn_Plugin {
  public function rootController_NewBoss_create($sender, $args) {
     return $this->Dispatch($sender, $args);
  }

  public function controller_index($sender, $args) {
    // die('debug');
    //$sender->Head = new HeadModule($sender);
    $sender->SetData('Success', true);
    $sender->SetData('Args', $args);
    $sender->RenderData();
  }

Accessed via example.com/forum/newboss

My plan is to set this as route destination for specified Discussions and do some imaginative rerouting for some super efficient clean urls