Building a menu system with a PHP class - php

Question

UPDATE 2 ::
This is the output I am getting from the function right now :
<nav>
<ul> //UL 1
<ul> //UL 2
menu link 1
<li>login</li>
<li>
<ul>sublink3</ul>
</li>
<li><a>menu link 3</a></li>
<li>
<ul>
sublink1
<li>sublink2</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>menu link 4</li>
<li>menu link 5</li>
<li>
<ul>
sublink5a
<li>sublink5b</li>
<li>sublink5c</li>
<li>sublink5d</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul> //End of UL 2
<ul></ul> //dont not why this is here?
</ul> //End of UL 1
</nav>
UPDATE
Ok I have re-move the construct, and this is how I am trying to display my menu :
<?php include('./includes/menu.php'); ?>
<h1>HEADER FILE TITLE TEST</h1>
<?php
$build = new Menu;
var_dump($build->DisplayMenu());
?>
I mainly only use CakePHP to build sites with, but I am trying to push my PHP skills up to the next level. So I am looking at other frameworks and OOP (which I have never used within PHP before). So I set myself a little task of building a menu system, controllable from a database e.g. titles and path links come form my db.
This works fine when I just built it has a function put all my menu system items within an array and then used a print call to display the menu, then I just called the function on the page I had required the file to.
But I thought that this was not the best way about doing it, so I wanted to make it a class, so I put a class call around my function, and then changed the print call to a return. What I got form the class/function was a NULL answer when I var dumped it. So I did some research, and re-read a lot about how to declare an array within the magic 'construct' function.
But now I am very confused, should this be inside my Menu function or outside? Just by adding the construct function, it started to display 'string(9)' - which I don't know why? Here is my code :
//Menu Include file
class Menu {
public $testforme = "dfdfdfdf"; //Just a test to see how to call somedata
public function DisplayMenu() {
$DBConn = getConnection(); //Set new database connection
$SQLMainMenu = "SELECT * FROM menu"; //Get Menu setting from database
//$MenuBuild[] = NULL; //Open array for menu to save data into
function __construct($MenuBuild = array()) {
//not sure what to put here???
}
try {
$MenuBuild[] = '<nav><ul>';
//Foreach loop for all main menu links
foreach ($DBConn->query($SQLMainMenu) as $MainMenu) {
$MainMenuID = $MainMenu['id'];
$MainMenuPath = $MainMenu['linkpath'];
$MainMenuSublinkCounts = $MainMenu['sublinks'];
$SQLSubMenu = "SELECT * FROM submenu WHERE menu_id = $MainMenuID";
if ($MainMenuPath == 'NULL') {
$MenuBuild[] = '<li><a>' .$MainMenu['name'] .'</a>';
} else {
$MenuBuild[] = '<li>' .$MainMenu['name'] .'';
}
if ($MainMenuSublinkCounts >=1) { $MenuBuild[] = '<ul>'; }
//Foreach loop to build all inner links for menu
foreach ($DBConn->query($SQLSubMenu) as $SubMenu) {
$SubLinkMenuIDs = $SubMenu['menu_id'];
$SubLinkTitles = $SubMenu['name'];
$SubLinkPaths = $SubMenu['linkpath'];
if ($SubLinkMenuIDs == $MainMenuID) {
$MenuBuild[] = '<li>'. $SubLinkTitles . '</li>'; }
} //End of inner foreach loop
if ($MainMenuSublinkCounts >=1) {
$MenuBuild[] = '</ul>';
}
$MenuBuild[] = '</li>';
} //End of foreach loop
$MenuBuild[] = '</ul></nav>';
//Print the Array that holds the menu.
foreach ($MenuBuild as $MenuKey => $MenuData) {
$MenuSystem = $MenuBuild[$MenuKey]; return $MenuSystem;
}
} catch(PDOException $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
} //End of function DisplayMenu
} //end of class
Now I am connection to my db using a PDO, which is working fine, it within a other file that both are included on.
Please let me know of any good help sites and I have read lots of the questions / answers on here.
Also please go easy on me? this is the 1st time I am using OOP PHP.
If of I am not doing something right, with the way I am building the menu please point at any issues with that :).
Thanks Glenn.

Answer 1

Ok, this is for you, but you really need to do some more research before putting something like this up
my approach encapsulates some functionality but it should seem pretty clear where it's headed just by looking at it. Please feel free to make any questions
(REREedited) includes/menu.php
<?php
class Menu {
private $db;
private $main;
public function __construct($db=null) {
$this->db = $db ? $db : getConnection();
$q = 'SELECT id,name,linkpath,sublinks FROM menu';
$this->main = $this->db->query($q);
}
public function displayMenu() {
$items = array();
foreach ($this->main as $row) {
$path = $row['linkpath'];
$link = self::link($row['name'],$path==='NULL'?null:$path);
// if there is a submenu, concatenate to with the "parent" into the same "item"
if ($row['sublinks'] > 0) $link .= $this->subMenu($row['id']);
$items[] = $link;
}
// returns the whole nav menu.
return '<nav>'.self::lists(array_filter($items)).'</nav>';
}
private function subMenu($id) {
$q = 'SELECT name,linkpath FROM submenu WHERE menu_id = ';
$sub = array();
foreach ($this->db->query($q.$id) as $row) {
$sub[] = self::link($row['name'],$row['linkpath']);
}
return self::lists(array_filter($sub));
}
static function link($content, $href) {
return '<a '.($href?'href="'.$href.'"':'').'>' .$content.'</a>';
}
static function lists(array $items) {
if (!$items) return null;
return '<ul><li>'.implode('</li><li>',$items).'</li></ul>';
}
}
test.php
<?php include('./includes/menu.php'); ?>
<h1>HEADER FILE TITLE TEST</h1>
<?php
try {
$build = new Menu;
echo $build->displayMenu();
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo $e->getMessage().PHP_EOL.$e->getTraceAsString();
}
?>