Accessing SilverStripe custom config variable from controller that extends page - php

Question

Basically everything works if I hard code the URL in my Ajax_Controller, but I want it to access the URL from the CMS field I created.
Thanks in advance. (please ignore when I don't close my braces - just trying to copy / paste efficiently)
In /mysite/_config.php I created a custom config:
Object::add_extension('SiteConfig', 'CustomSiteConfig');
In /mysite/code/CustomSiteConfig.php I added a field where I'll store a URL:
class CustomSiteConfig extends DataObjectDecorator {
function extraStatics() {
return array(
'db' => array(
'COJsonPath' => 'Text'
)
);
}
public function updateCMSFields(FieldSet &$fields) {
$fields->addFieldToTab("Root.CO", new TextField("COJsonPath", "CO JSON URL"));
}
public function getCOJsonPath(){
return $SiteConfig.COJsonPath;
}
This successfully creates a tab in the main parent in the CMS called "CO" and a field named "CO JSON URL". I logged into my CMS and saved http://api.localhost/mymethod/ to that field.
Now I have created an Ajax page type to facilitate running Ajax commands without letting the web site user find where my APIs are, and because jQuery Ajax no likey XSS (cross site scripting).
In /mysite/code/Ajax.php:
class Ajax extends Page {
static $db = array(
);
static $has_one = array(
);
function getCMSFields()
{
$fields = parent::getCMSFields();
return $fields;
}
}
class Ajax_Controller extends Page_Controller {
public function getCO()
{
$buffer = self::createHttpRequest("http://api.localhost/mymethod/");
//$buffer = self::createHttpRequest($CustomSiteConfig::getCOJsonPath());
return $buffer;
}
This code works, but when I try to execute my createHttpRequest() with the line you see commented out, it fails. I know my syntax is wrong, I just can't figure out what it should be. Thanks for helping - I've done this before I just can't figure it out - its Friday.

Answer 1

I spotted several syntax errors in your code:
public function getCOJsonPath(){
return $SiteConfig.COJsonPath;
}
should be:
public function getCOJsonPath(){
return $this->owner->COJsonPath;
}
1) $SiteConfig is never defined at that point.
2) usually you would use $this, but in your case you are inside a DataObjectDecorator, so you have to use $this->owner
3) you can not use . to access properties of an object, in php you have to use ->
moving on to class Ajax_Controller, inside getCO there are the following errors:
1) $CustomSiteConfig is not defined, therefore can not be used
2) getCOJsonPath is not a static function, but you try to call it as static (again you have to use ->
so, the code should look something like this:
public function getCO() {
$siteConfig = SiteConfig::current_site_config();
$buffer = self::createHttpRequest($siteConfig->getCOJsonPath());
return $buffer;
}
that should work, but there is another think that could be improved.
As I understand it, you are creating an ajax page, which you then create once in the CMS and tell your website content authors never to touch the ajax page?
This is quiet ugly, and there are several nice ways to do what you want to do.
Here is how I would create an Ajax controller:
_config.php
// tell SilverStripe what URL your AjaxController should have,
// here we set it to AjaxController::$URLSegment which is 'myAjaxController'
// so the url to the controller is mysite.com/myAjaxController
Director::addRules(100, array(
AjaxController::$URLSegment => 'AjaxController',
));
AjaxController.php
<?php
class EventAssetsController extends Controller {
public static $URLSegment = 'myAjaxController';
// tell SilverStripe what URL should call what function (action)
// for example, mysite.com/myAjaxController/foo should call the function foo
public static $url_handlers = array(
'foo' => 'foo',
'bar/$ID/$OtherID' => 'bar',
'co' => 'getCO'
);
public function Link($action = null) {
// this function is just a helper, in case you evern need $this->Link()
return Controller::join_links(self::$URLSegment, $action);
}
public function AbsoluteLink($action = null) {
return Director::absoluteURL($this->Link($action));
}
public function foo(SS_HTTPRequest $request) {
// do something here
// this method is an action, the url to this action is:
// mysite.com/myAjaxController/foo
}
public function bar(SS_HTTPRequest $request) {
// do something here
// this method is an action, the url to this action is:
// mysite.com/myAjaxController/bar
// you notice that the $url_handlers has "bar/$ID/$OtherID",
// that means you cann call mysite.com/myAjaxController/bar/21/42
// and silverstripe will make 21 the ID, and 42 the OtherID
// you can access ID and OtherID like this:
// $ID = $request->param('ID'); // which is 21
// $OtherID = $request->param('OtherID'); // which is 42
}
public function getCO() {
// this method is an action, the url to this action is:
// mysite.com/myAjaxController/co
$siteConfig = SiteConfig::current_site_config();
$buffer = self::createHttpRequest($siteConfig->getCOJsonPath());
return $buffer;
}
}