Creating extensions for Joomla! 1.5 - Managing the Back End - Part 2 edit records

Writing extensions with Marco's Component Maker for Joomla! is quite easy since it is the program that takes care to write the skeleton for models, views and templates for editing. You have only to define the business logic for data managing, but this is your own task.

You need to install the example component created in previous article.

Back - End - Part 2 edit records

Versions 1.5+ generate full functional edit, but, of course, this is only a basic editing. You have to modify code for:

• add javaScript validation
• add JTable validation php code
• check data filtering validation in model
• manage 'Select List' values
• manage related table fields (foreign keys)

We will modify only the 'content' section of our test component, we don't care about the other (sections and categories) because modification are quite identical.

Add javaScript validation

The file generated by Marco's Component Maker for Joomla! includes java script skeleton for input validation :

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/views/content/tpl/default.php

<script type="text/javascript">
 function submitbutton(pressbutton) {
 var form = document.adminForm;
 if (pressbutton == 'cancel') {
 submitform( pressbutton );
 return;
 }
 // remove this code
 alert ('<?php echo 'Remember to add js check in ' . __FILE__ . ' after line n. ' . __LINE__; ?>');
 submitform( pressbutton );
 return;
 // end remove this code
 // do field validation
 if (form.My_Field_Name.value == "") {
 alert( "<?php echo JText::_( 'Field must have a name', true ); ?>" );
 } else if (form.My_Field_Name.value.match(/[a-zA-Z0-9]*/) != form.My_Field_Name.value) {
 alert( "<?php echo JText::_( 'Field name contains bad caracters', true ); ?>" );
 } else if (form.My_Field_Name_typefield.options[form.My_Field_Name_typefield.selectedIndex].value == "0") {
 alert( "<?php echo JText::_( 'You must select a field type', true ); ?>" ); 
 } else {
 submitform( pressbutton );
 }
 }
</script>

You have to complete it with the needed validation code. Remember to remove the alert between //remove this code markers.

Add JTable validation php code

You can add server side data consistency test modifying the php code generate for JTable derived class:

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/tables/content.php

Add the validation code in the TableContent->check(); return false on fault,

function check(){
 // write here data validation code
 if(!$this->fulltext){
 $this->setError( 'Articles must have text!' );
 return false;
 }

 return parent::check();
 }

The check() method is called by the store() method in model, invoked by the save() method in controller.

Check data filtering in model

Data submitted from editing form are collected and filtered in McmModelContent->store() method in file:
/administrator/components/com_mcm/models/content.php

// mcm code 
 $data['id'] = JRequest::getVar('id', '', 'post', 'int');
 $data['introtext'] = JRequest::getVar('introtext', '', 'post', 'string', JREQUEST_ALLOWRAW);
 $data['fulltext'] = JRequest::getVar('fulltext', '', 'post', 'string', JREQUEST_ALLOWRAW);
 // ... omissis ...
// mcm code 

Usually you do not have to change this code, but remember to update it if you add input fields to the form. Please note also the needed validation to accept HTML code.

Manage 'Select List' values

When you set the 'Render As' field configuration to 'Select List' additional code is written into model and view entry point. This is useful for 'set'and 'enum' fields or when list values is not store in a DBase table.

Model File

Methods are written for every selected fields with Joomla! naming convention as getFiedname().

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/models/content.php

We will modify only the getAccess() method, because methods to get category and section (getSectionid(), getCatid()) will not be used: are related tables, not fixed list values.

public function &getAccess(){
 $options = array(
 JHTML::_('select.option', '0', 'Free for All' ),
 JHTML::_('select.option', '1', 'Registered users' ),
 JHTML::_('select.option', '2', 'Administrative users' )
 );
 return $options;
}

View entry point

Method declared in model are invoked in view and data are stored in the $dataOptions associative array.
see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/views/content/view.html.php

// create options for 'select' used in template

$dataOptions = array();
foreach(explode(',', 'sectionid,catid,access') as $field){
 if (!$field) continue;
 //options array are generated in the model...
 $dataOptions[$field] =& $this->get( ucfirst($field) );
}

You can remove sectionid and catid from filed list or rewrite the code as

 $dataOptions['access'] =& $this->getAccess;

$dataOptions is stored as reference and values are retrieved in the template to populate select.

Manage related table fields (foreign keys)

To manage foreign keys you have to:

• check the option 'Get Field Data' in the table from which you want to get the data
• select 'Select List' in the 'Render As' for the foreign key

We selected the 'Get Field Data' for the 'title' field in jos_sections and jos_categories then 'Select List' for 'sectionid' and 'catid' in jos_content table.

'Get Field Data' generates method for obtaining the key-value pair (primary key - field) from the table. Methods are written in models for recordset listing:

Please pay attention!
'Get Field Data' doesn't check if method name is valid. so if you select the field 'name' will be generated the getName() method overriding the JModel->getName(). In doubt add a suffix to auto-generated method!

Getting data from models

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/models/sectionslist.php
see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/models/`categorieslist.php

Methods are identical, because field names are identical too.

public function &getTitle(){
 $db =& JFactory::getDBO();
 $db->setQuery( 'SELECT `id` AS value, `title` AS text FROM `#__categories` ORDER BY name');

 $options = array();
 foreach( $db->loadObjectList() as $r){
 $options[] = JHTML::_('select.option', $r->value, $r->text );
 }
 return $options;
}

Method returns an array of options for populating select box.

Add models to controller

Now we have to include the two models into controller before to call methods.
Please pay attention tho modify the right controller: is the controller for managing the recordset list NON the single record.

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/controllers/contentlist.php

modify the edit() method adding before parent::display();

// Related table model include [NB: include recordset list model]
$altModel1 =& $this->getModel('sectionslist');
$altModel2 =& $this->getModel('categorieslist');

$view =& $this->getView('content', 'html');
$view->setModel($altModel1);
$view->setModel($altModel2);

Example code is present (commented).

Show related data in view

Last step: invoking the methods from view:

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/views/content/view.html.php

modify the example code:

$rmodel =& $this->getModel('sectionslist');
$dataOptions['sectionid'] =& $rmodel->getTitle();
$rmodel =& $this->getModel('categorieslist');
$dataOptions['catid'] =& $rmodel->getTitle();

Now when you go in editing mode you will see sections and categories names instead of their id (foreign key), but on submit the id will be sent.

Manage related table fields (the wrong way)

I'm a old C developer and I know there is a 'long & good' way and a 'quick & dirty' one to do a work.

Alternative step: do it dirty:

see: /administrator/components/com_mcm/views/content/view.html.php

modify the example code:

$dataOptions['sectionid'] =& JHTML::_('list.genericordering', 'SELECT id AS value, title AS text FROM #__sections ORDER BY title');
$dataOptions['catid'] =& JHTML::_('list.genericordering', 'SELECT id AS value, title AS text FROM #__categories ORDER BY title');

Quick but wrong... It's not a best practices to:

• put SQL code in the view
• do not get data from the right model/table object (we are in content, not in categories/sections).
• and so on...

The end

Ok, now I think you are able to write your own more useful components.

bye,
marco