CakePHP Paginator Table Header Directional Icons - php

Question

I'm trying to implement a function to be able to add directional (up / down) icons next to each of the table headers for a pagination table within CakePHP.
My current code is as follows:
$sort_key = $this->Paginator->sortKey();
$type = $this->Paginator->sortDir() === 'asc' ? 'up' : 'down';
function sortArrows($key, $title, $sort_key, $type)
{
$type_opposite = ($type === 'asc' ? 'down' : 'up');
if($key == $sort_key)
{
$icon = " <i class='fa fa-angle-" . $type . "'></i>";
}
else
{
$icon = " <i class='fa fa-angle-" . $type_opposite . "'></i>";
}
return "'$key', '$title' " . "$icon";
}
Which I am calling on the page as (on each of the table header fields):
<?php echo $this->Paginator->sort(sortArrows('street_suburb', 'Suburb', $sort_key, $type), array('escape' => false)); ?>
This produces the following error:
Notice (8): Array to string conversion [CORE/Cake/View/Helper/HtmlHelper.php, line 372]
I think I am quite close to what I need, I just cannot figure out what I am returning incorrectly from the function to get this to work.
Thanks

Answer 1

Inspired by your solution I have created a Helper extending PaginatorHelper to solve the problem.
Here is the code of file name MyPaginatorHelper.php:
<?php
namespace App\View\Helper;
use Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper;
use Cake\Utility\Inflector;
class MyPaginatorHelper extends PaginatorHelper
{
public function sort($key, $title = null, array $options = [])
{
if (empty($title)) {
$title = $key;
if (strpos($title, '.') !== false) {
$title = str_replace('.', ' ', $title);
}
$title = __(Inflector::humanize(preg_replace('/_id$/', '', $title)));
}
$sortKey = $this->sortKey();
if (strpos($sortKey, '.') !== false) {
$sortKey = substr($sortKey, strpos($sortKey, '.')+1);
}
$sortDir = $this->sortDir() === 'asc' ? 'up' : 'down';
if($key == $sortKey)
{
$title .= " <i class='fa fa-angle-" . $sortDir . "'></i>";
$options['escape'] = false;
}
return parent::sort($key, $title, $options);
}
}
To use this helper you have to add this line in the AppView::initialize() method:
$this->loadHelper('Paginator', ['className' => 'MyPaginator']);
And then all the Paginator->sort() calls will have this feature by default.

Answer 2

I ended up coming up with a solution however I don't know if it is the best way around it. It does work however.
<?php
$sort_key = $this->Paginator->sortKey();
$type = $this->Paginator->sortDir() === 'asc' ? 'up' : 'down';
function sortArrows($key, $title, $sort_key, $type)
{
if($key == $sort_key)
{
$icon = " <i class='fa fa-angle-" . $type . "'></i>";
return $title . " " . $icon;
}
else
{
return $title;
}
}
?>
Called like:
<?php echo $this->Paginator->sort('street_suburb', sortArrows('street_suburb', 'Suburb', $sort_key, $type), array('escape' => false)); ?>