What is app?

phpFox separates application structure to App, App provides new functions, gives new blocks that administrators put into template,
integrate phpFox with external platforms etc Amazon S3, and even modify the way phpFox platform works.

Creating a New App

The best way to get things started is to create a small app showing the most common API functions we use.
Our example is creating a TodoList, it's a simple todolist application, allow members share to do lists.

To create an app, go to AdminCP -> Apps -> New App -> put YOUR_APP_ID on the popup -> Click submit.
Then check the folder /PF.Site/Apps/YOUR_APP_ID/, you will see some default files and folders there.

APP_ID is the name of your application

 

Describe App Structure

In some cases, you will have to modify permissions of these folder to be able to put your code in them.

 

Write Your First Controller

Add new php class IndexController under directory ./PF.Site/Apps/TodoList/Controller/
paste example code.

<?php

namespace Apps\TodoList\Controller;

// Index controller must be child of \Phpfox_Component class.

class IndexController extends \Phpfox_Component
{
    public function process()
    {
        // Get phpFox core template service
        $template = $this->template();

        // set view title
        $template->setTitle('To Do List');

        // set view breadcrumb

        // get url
        $url = $this->url()->makeUrl('to-do-list');

        $template->setBreadCrumb('To Do List',$url);

        // add your section menus
        $template->buildSectionMenu('to-do-list', [
            'Browse' => $this->url()->makeUrl('/to-do-list'),
            'Create' => $this->url()->makeUrl('/to-do-list/add'),
        ]);
    }
}

Add new template file index.html.php under /PF.Site/Apps/TodoList/views/controller,
paste following code

<p>Hello, to do list home page</p>

Now we define route to define configurations, edit start.php, paste following code.


<?php

namespace Apps\TodoList;

// Load phpFox module service instance, this is core of phpFox service,
// module service contains your app configuration. 
$module =\Phpfox_Module::instance();

// Instead of \Apps\FirstApp every where. Let register an alias **first_app** that map to our app.
$module->addAliasNames('todo', 'TodoList');

// Register your controller here
$module->addComponentNames('controller', [
        'todo.index' => Controller\IndexController::class,
    ]);

// Register template directory
$module->addTemplateDirs([
        'todo' => PHPFOX_DIR_SITE_APPS . 'TodoList/views',
    ]);


route('to-do-list',function (){
    \Phpfox_Module::instance()->dispatch('todo.index');
    return 'controller';    
});

All your php classes must have namespace Apps\TodoList, This help the autoloader knows where to load scripts.

There is a rule of naming things: if you want to create a controller named Index, you should name the php file as IndexController.php in Start.php, the route should be book.index" the template file should be index.html.php (the first part of template file's name must be the same as the last part of the route - index)

Open browse, in address bar append /index.php/to-do-list/, then see the result.

Add Main Menu

Main menu will be added automatically by phpFox, edit Install.php,

update function setAlias

<?php
    protected function setAlias()
    {
        $this->alias = 'todo';
    }

update function setOthers

<?php
    protected function setOthers()
    {
        //add the menu for your app
        $this->menu = [
            "name" => "To Do List",  // Menu label
            "url"  => "/to-do-list", // Menu Url
            "icon" => "tasks"      // Menu icons, see http://fontawesome.io/icons/
        ];
    }

In case you want to use a defined phrase for menu label, you can use the below script:

<?php
    $this->menu = [
        "phrase_var_name" => "menu_to_do_list",  // Var name for the phrease of menu
        "url"  => "/to-do-list", // Menu Url
        "icon" => "tasks"      // Menu icons, see http://fontawesome.io/icons/
    ];

Another way to use defined phrases is using phrase.json file, see detailed document here

Then update your app to apply your modification. (how to update app configurations)
Open browser again, see result:

Add Buttons

Buttons menu is handled by Template service, you can get template service from anywhere by using
Phpfox::getLib('template'), within controller, service you can invoke method template() to get the Template service.

pasted code into IndexController.php

 $template->menu('Add To Do', $this->url()->makeUrl('/to-do-list/add'));

Click on ADD TO DO, a not found page will be shown, The next chapter will guide you how to
create new controller to handle Add process, show input form about to do list task, store item to database.

 

Next Chapter