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Display helper
Introduction
I noticed my view files get confusing because of all the little checks that have to be made when displaying values. For example
// data
array(
array('start_date'=>'2008-01-01','total'=>'10'),
array('start_date'=>'0000-00-00','total'=>'0')
);
// view
<?php foreach($rows as $row): ?>
<?php if($row['start_date'] != '0000-00-00') echo $row['start_date'] ?>
<?php if($row['total'] != '0') echo $row['start_date'] ?>
<?php endforeach ?>This is why i created the display helper.
Code The code is split up in two parts. There are constants and there is the display_helper.php file
The constants are added to the config/constants.php files and make it easier for you to change the default value where ever you used it.
/*
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Defaults
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
define('DEFAULT_DATETIME', '0000-00-00 00:00:00');
define('DEFAULT_DATETIME_NO_SEC', '0000-00-00 00:00');
define('DEFAULT_DATE', '0000-00-00');
define('DEFAULT_TIME', '00:00:00');
define('DEFAULT_NUMBER', '0');Add as many constants as you need.
The display_helper.php file contains the functions used in the view file
/*
| ----------------------------
| show value if it's not the same as the default value
| ----------------------------
*/
function display($value,$default,$replacement = NULL)
{
return ($value == $default)?(( ! is_null($replacement))?$replacement:''):$value;
}
/*
| ----------------------------
| check if value is (not) the same as the default value
| ----------------------------
*/
function is_default($value,$default)
{
return ($value == $default)?TRUE:FALSE;
}
/*
| ----------------------------
| show value or a formatted string with the value in it when the value exists
| ----------------------------
*/
function display_isset($value,$str='')
{
if( ! isset($value))
{
return '';
}
if($str != '')
{
return sprintf($str,$value);
}
return $value;
}It are only a few functions but they make view files a lot easier to read.
Usage The example view code with the helper is
<?php foreach($rows as $row): ?>
<?php echo display($row['start_date'],'0000-00-00') ?>
<?php echo display($row['total'],'0') ?>
<?php endforeach ?>
// or with the constants
<?php foreach($rows as $row): ?>
<?php echo display($row['start_date'],DEFAULT_DATE) ?>
<?php echo display($row['total'],DEFAULT_NUMBER) ?>
<?php endforeach ?>An example of the display_isset function
// without helper
if(isset($class)): ' class="'.$class.'"'; endif ?>>hello world
// with helper
echo display_isset($class,' class="%s"') ?>>hello world Updates 29-08-2008 : added replacement parameter to display function. Usage ;
display($row['start_date'],DEFAULT_DATE,date('Y-m-d'))