Question

I have an interesting problem. I currently have a basic template library that renders out a bunch of modules for header and footer templates, then sandwiches a view I specify in between them.
Example:

$this->load->view('header.php', $headerstuff);
$this->load->view($contentView);
$this->load->view('footer.php', $footerstuff);

The problem is that I need to put some javascript (that is specific to each content view) into the header. I have been doing this with a switch statement containing the js inside the template library. But that makes no sense in the mvc model.

Example (of what I’ve been doing), (in template library, above previous code):

$headerstuff['js'] = '';
switch ($contentView)
{
    case 'main':
        $headerstuff['js'] = 'JAVASCRIPT INCLUDE CODE 1';
        break;
    case 'product':
        $headerstuff['js'] = 'JAVASCRIPT INCLUDE CODE 2';
        break;
}

I can’t think of another way to do this though. I would like to (ideally) store the js in a variable inside the content view file, and (somehow) load that into the header view. To be honest though, I don’t even think that is possible.

Does anybody have a better way of doing this then my current solution?

Thanks,
Max

Answer 1

I created a helper file to do this for my sites and I think we have a similar MVC template layout:

Asset Helper:

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

if ( ! function_exists('css'))
{
    function css($array) {
        // If the object passed is a string, convert it into an array
        if ( is_string($array) ) {
            $array = explode(" ", $array);
        }

        // Add additional CSS Files
        if ( isset($array) ) {
            foreach ( $array as $i => $file ) {
                // If it's not the first one add a tab character.
                if ( $i > 0 ) echo "\t";
                echo "<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\" href=\"". $file ."\">\n";
            }
        }
    }
}

if ( ! function_exists('js'))
{
    function js($array) {
        // If the object passed is a string, convert it into an array
        if ( is_string($array) ) {
            $array = explode(" ", $array);
        }

        // Add additional JavaScript Files
        if ( isset($array) ) {
            foreach ( $array as $i => $file ) {
                // If it's not the first one add a tab character.
                if ( $i > 0 ) echo "\t";
                echo "<script src=\"". $file ."\"></script>\n";
            }
        }
    }
}

This does one of two things. I will allow you to add files in the controller file which is nice. I do this by creating a data object:

$data['css'] = array('/path/to/styles.css', '/path/to/otherstuff.css');
$data['js'] = array('/path/to/javascript.js');

Then in your header include do the following:

<?
    $defaultCSS = array("/assets/css/global.css");
    $css = (isset($css)) ? array_merge($defaultCSS, $css) : $defaultCSS;        
    css($css);

    $defaultJS = array("/assets/js/global.js");
    $js = (isset($js)) ? array_merge($defaultJS, $js) : $defaultJS;
    js($js);
?>

I’m settings some defaults that will load on each page and then I can add in different files based on which controller I’m loading.

Hope this helps.