Views

Sending information to the browser uses views, each dedicated to a type of information (web pages, pdf files, Ajax requests, binary files, etc.). They are available as services (described in ppci/Config/Services.php), and are physically stored in Ppci/Libraries/Views.

All views inherit from the Ppci\Libraries\Views\DefaultView class, which includes the following generic functions:

  • function set($value, $variable = ""): assigns a content (named or not, if variable is specified) to the view
  • function get($variable = ""): retrieves the content of a variable or the assigned content
  • function encodehtml($data): recursive function for encoding variables in HTML
  • function send($param = ""): triggers the sending of information. This function is systematically rewritten in each view.

Displaying pages

$view = service ("Smarty");

Web pages are generated with the Smarty templates engine. The templates are stored:

  • on the one hand in Ppci/Views/templates/ppci, which includes all the pages managed by Ppci, as well as the default page (main.html)
  • on the other hand in App/Views/templates, for the application’s specific pages.

When the display is triggered, the class will:

  • encode the variables in HTML, except those referenced in the $view->htmlVars table
  • generate the CSRF token
  • display the messages stored in the Message class
  • generate the application menu
  • add various generic contents, such as the application title.

Sending a binary file to the browser

$view = service ("BinaryView");

The class allows you to send the file either “inline” or as an “attachment”. It can either send a file from its address in the server, or an already opened file (handle). It will also look for the MIME type if it is not provided.

To work, it is necessary to indicate specific parameters:

$param = array(
"filename" => "", /* name of the file as it will appear in the browser */
"disposition" => "attachment", /* attachment: the file is downloaded, inline: the file is displayed */
"tmp_name" => "", /* location of the file in the server */
"content_type" => "", /* mime type */
"is_reference" => false, /* if true, tmp_name contains the handle of the opened file */
"handle" => 0);
setParam(?array $param);

Sending a file

$view = service ("FileView");

The operation is quite similar to BinaryView, except that it only works from an existing file. The MIME type can also be searched automatically if it is not not specified.

$param = array(
"filename" => "export.txt", /* name of the file as it will appear in the browser */
"disposition" => "attachment", /* attachment: the file is downloaded, inline: the file is displayed */
"content_type" => "", /* mime type */
"tmp_name" => "", /* Name of the file to send */
);

Ajax Request

$view = service ("AjaxView");

View used to respond to an Ajax request. The content, which is provided by default in the form of a table (Json content possible by setting the variable is_json to true), is encoded in html then transformed into a JSON string before being sent to the browser.

Sending a CSV file

$view = service ("CsvView");

This view will generate a CSV file from a table ($data[][]). The generation and sending of the file is done with the function:

function send($filename = "", $delimiter = "")

The name of the file can be generated automatically. The delimiter can be a semicolon, a comma or a tab (indicate ). The first header line is generated from the keys of the first record in the table.

Sending a JSON file

$view = service ("JsonFileView");

The view generates a file in the browser, with a functioning close to the Ajax view. If the data is provided to the class in the form of an array, it is encoded in html before transformation into Json.

Sending a PDF file

$view = service ("PdfView");

Transfers a PDF file, either directly to be displayed, or as an attached file. Same functioning as the FileView view.

Sending arbitrary content to the browser

$view = service ("DisplayView");

This is a view that transmits any content to the browser, without encoding or MIME type.