Extend a controller from controller in another module? - php

Question

I have this module called 'olo' which handles all our online ordering stuff.
Now I have made a new module called 'olosec' because I wish make a different version with a slight changed flow, and some other changes in some of the controllers.
Is it possible for me to extend a controller in 'olosec' with a controller in 'olo'?
As of now I have tried
class Olosec_CartController extends Olo_CartController
Which throws an error like
Warning: include_once(Olo/CartController.php): failed to open stream:
No such file or directory in /httpdocs/library/Zend/Loader.php on line 146 Warning:
include_once(): Failed opening 'Olo/CartController.php' for inclusion.
bla bla bla (include path) bla bla bla
My directory structure is something like this (thanks tree \F \A and EditPlus++)
+---application
| +---views
| | +---scripts
| | +---layouts
| | | +---default
| | | +---admin
| | +---languages
| | +---helpers
| +---modules
| | +---admin
| | +---mobile
| | +---olo
| | | +---controllers
| | | IndexController.php
| | | MenuController.php
| | | CartController.php
| | | OrderlistController.php
| | | |
| | | +---models
| | | \---views
| | | +---helpers
| | | \---scripts
| | | +---index
| | | +---menu
| | | +---cart
| | | \---orderlist
| | \---olosec
| | +---controllers
| | | IndexController.php
| | | MenuController.php
| | | CartController.php
| | | OrderlistController.php
| | |
| | +---models
| | \---views
| | +---helpers
| | \---scripts
| | +---index
| | +---menu
| | +---cart
| | \---orderlist
| +---models
| +---controllers
| \---configs
+---library
+---public
| +---cli
| \---default
+---tests
\---data
Update
I have used this "nasty" hack which works
require_once( APPLICATION_PATH . '/modules/olo/controllers/CartController.php');
Update # Rakesh
I have this in my bootstrap..
function _initAutoloader() {
$autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
$autoloader->setFallbackAutoloader(true);
return $autoloader;
}
In my application.ini
autoloadernamespaces.0 = "Zend"
autoloadernamespaces.1 = "My"
autoloadernamespaces.2 = "Something"

Answer 1

Why not have a custom library folder for common classes
application/
library/ < for common classes
If you are using some classes not only in one controller but at many places in your project this is a good approach.
You just have to add this new application/library/ folder to your include path in your boostrap file.
Another approach is to have an action helper. But as I described the common classes folder should be a good solution. However I found some interesting resources, most of them are about cross module coding but they might help you anyway http://zend-framework-community.634137.n4.nabble.com/Code-re-use-across-modules-td668554.html and How to Use Same Models in Different Modules in Zend Framework?
Let me describe another approach
class BasicController extends Zend_Controller_Action
{
public static $variable = '';
public function init()
{
self::$variable = 'assign value';
}
}
class HomeController extends BasicController
{
public function indexAction()
{
$bioVar = parrent::$variable;
}
}
This is better than simply extending controllers because they represent actions and each action has a corresponding view script. However all your classes should be registered in autoloader.

Answer 2

If you have instantiate the class from Zend Autoloader, the error should go away.
You should have the following code in your bootstrap.php file:
protected function _initAutoloader()
{
$autoloader = new Zend_Application_Module_Autoloader(array(
'namespace' => '',
'basePath' => APPLICATION_PATH . '/modules',
));
return $autoloader;
}
In general, the controllers are loaded via Zend_Controller_Dispatcher, you should use Zend_Application_Module_Autoloader to instantiate the class from other controllers.