View variable is not accessible in template - php

Question

in my PagesController::display() i have this code :
class PagesController extends AppController {
public function display(...$path) {
$count = count($path);
if (!$count) {
return $this->redirect('/');
}
if (in_array('..', $path, true) || in_array('.', $path, true)) {
throw new ForbiddenException();
}
$page = $subpage = null;
if (!empty($path[0])) {
$page = $path[0];
}
if (!empty($path[1])) {
$subpage = $path[1];
}
$this->set(compact('page', 'subpage'));
try {
$this->render(implode('/', $path));
} catch (MissingTemplateException $exception) {
if (Configure::read('debug')) {
throw $exception;
}
throw new NotFoundException();
}
$test = "abc";
$this->set(compact('test'));
}
}
That's almost the same as the standard pages controller, I added the last two lines.
My home.ctp template contains:
<?php
var_dump($test);
...
When I access the site, this outputs:
C:\wamp64\www\site\src\Template\Pages\home.ctp:322:null
Which is confusing because debug kit shows that this variable was set:
Why is the test variable not available in the home.ctp template?

Answer 1

Render is being called before set
try {
$this->render(implode('/', $path)); <----
} catch (MissingTemplateException $exception) {
if (Configure::read('debug')) {
throw $exception;
}
throw new NotFoundException();
}
$test = "abc";
$this->set(compact('test')); <-----
}
The call to set is simply too late - it is after the template has already been used.
To have any effect the set call must be before calling render i.e.:
$test = 'abc';
$this->set(compact('page', 'subpage', 'test')); <---
try {
$this->render(implode('/', $path)); <---
...
Why does the variable show up in DebugKit?
DebugKit interrogates the controller instance to obtain the view variables used - But this runs right at the end of the request. This is the reason it is found by debug kit even though it was not available in the template.