This articles is based on the first parts of the Star Rating series (which I still have to finish…), so it assumes you have managed to install ZF on your system, have your bootstrap.php up and running. Pls note: I changed the naming from „Mylib“ to „JD“… using my initials is easier because I can copy&paste my classes 😉 Just in case: here´s the bootstrap.php that you have to include, already with some new code:

<?php
// Define path to application directory
defined('APPLICATION_PATH')
 || define('APPLICATION_PATH', ($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']));

// Define application environment
defined('APPLICATION_ENV')
 || define('APPLICATION_ENV', (getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') ? getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') : 'development'));

// Ensure library/ is on include_path
set_include_path(implode(PATH_SEPARATOR, array(
 realpath(APPLICATION_PATH . '/../library'),
 get_include_path(),
)));

/**
 * General PHP settings
 */
error_reporting(E_ALL|E_STRICT);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
ini_set('default_charset', 'UTF-8');

/**
 * Autoloader
 */
require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
$autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
// Register folder library/JD/ for own classes
$autoloader->registerNamespace('JD_');

/**
 * Load Zend Config from application.ini
 */
$config = new Zend_Config_Ini($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/../library/JD/configs/application.ini', APPLICATION_ENV);
Zend_Registry::set('config', $config);

/**
 * Connect to default DB
 */
$db = Zend_Db::factory($config->database);
Zend_Db_Table::setDefaultAdapter($db);

/**
 * Get Zend View object (required for any view helpers, e.g. Form, Navigation)
 */
$view = new Zend_View;
$view->setEncoding('UTF-8');
$viewRenderer = new Zend_Controller_Action_Helper_ViewRenderer($view);
Zend_Controller_Action_HelperBroker::addHelper($viewRenderer);
// Doctype for Form Renderer
$doctypeHelper = new Zend_View_Helper_Doctype();
$doctypeHelper->doctype('XHTML1_TRANSITIONAL');

/**
 * Set default language for form errors etc
 */
$translate = new Zend_Translate('array', $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/../library/JD/Languages/de.php', $config->language->default);
Zend_Form::setDefaultTranslator($translate);

In order to be able to use Zend_Form, you need to set the Zend_View, else it would not render it. The language part is optional, it´s a simple file replacing English error messages with (in this case) German ones. Refer to the ZF manual for language details.

The next part is to set some rendering options, A.K.A decorators. With most websites, I use YAML as a CSS framework, and ZF renders form elements into dt/dd tags (didn´t know anyone uses those anymore…). Anyway, re-decorating a form is a piece of cake. Create a subfolder „Form“ in your own „library“ subfolder (mine is „JD“ was „Mylib“), and create a form controller, named „Controller.php“.  If you´ve read the previous articles, you can guess the name of the class… JD_Form_Controller. Replace the „JD“ part with anything you like, according to your directory structure (e.g. „library/somename/Form/Controller“ translates to class name „somename_Form_Controller… just basic autoloading knowledge). Here´s what the controller looks like:

class JD_Form_Controller extends Zend_Form
{
 // COLUMNAR YFORM decorators

 // standard input type=text & textareas
 protected $_standardTextDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-text')),
   // not used
   array('Description')
 );
 // standard input type=select
 protected $_standardSelectDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-select')),
   // not used
   array('Description')
 );
 // standard checkbox type=checkbox
 protected $_standardCheckboxDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-check')),
   // not used
   array('Description')
 );
 // special input type=captcha -> into type-text for styling
 protected $_standardCaptchaDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-text')),
   // not used
   array('Description')
 );
 // standard input type=hidden w/out tags
 protected $_standardHiddenDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper'
 );
 protected $_standardButtonDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('HtmlTag', array('class'=>'type-button'))
 );

 // Standard YFORM decorators
 protected $_leftTextDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-textleft'))
 );
 protected $_fullTextDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-textfull'))
 );
 protected $_leftCheckDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('Label', array('escape'=>false)),
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-checkleft'))
 );
 protected $_leftButtonDecorator = array(
   'ViewHelper',
   array('HtmlTag', array('tag'=>'div', 'class'=>'type-buttonleft'))
 );

 /**
 * Class constructor
 *
 * @param array $options
 */
 public function __construct($options = null)
 {        
   // path setting for custom classes MUST ALWAYS be first!
   $this->addElementPrefixPath('JD_Form_Decorator','JD/Form/Decorator','decorator');
   $this->addElementPrefixPath('JD_Form_Validator','JD/Form/Validator','validate');
   $this->addElementPrefixPath('JD_Filter','JD/Filter','filter');
   parent::__construct($options);
   $this->setAttrib('class', 'yform columnar');
   $this->setDecorators(array(
     'FormElements',
     'Form'
   ));
 }    
}

This is a lot at once, but I already set everything up for decorators (defining them and adding the prefix path), validators (still to be defined, but prefixed) and filters (also not defined yet, but prefixed). By default, I use columnar forms on the website (label next to form field: all $_standard* decorators), but also have an option to use labels above their fields ($_left or $_full). E.g. the $_standardTextDecorator wraps an INPUT element, inluding the label, into a DIV with the class „type-text“, and wraps the label into a new decorator – one that appends an * to each required input field.

Next up: Zend_Decorator and Zend_Validator

The post No-MVC Zend Framework: Zend_Forms, Decorator, Validator and Filters appeared first on Jörg Drzycimski.

If you are familiar with Zend’s naming conventions, and check the name of the class called in Part IV, you should be able to make an educated guess as to the name of the controller file, and the folder to store it. If not, read the ZF manual on „autoloading“ 😉 The class name Mylib_Rating_Controller expects a file named „Controller.php“ in your „library/Mylib“ folder, subfolder „Rating“ (you already told Zend to check „library“ in your bootstrap). Create folders and file, and add the class as well as your first method:

class Mylib_Rating_Controller
{
 public function __construct($options = null)
 {
 }

 /**
 * Get rating view
 *
 * @params int page id
 * @return string
 */
 public function getRatingView($id)
 {
 $rating = $this->getRatingById($id);
 if (!empty($rating)) {
  $average = floor($rating->rating_total / $rating->rating_votes);
 } else {
  $average = 0;
 }
 ?>
 <select id="<?php echo $id ?>">
 <option value="1"<?php if ($average == "1") echo ' selected="selected"';?>>Bad</option>
 <option value="2"<?php if ($average == "2") echo ' selected="selected"';?>>Not too bad</option>
 <option value="3"<?php if ($average == "3") echo ' selected="selected"';?>>Ok</option>
 <option value="4"<?php if ($average == "4") echo ' selected="selected"';?>>Good</option>
 <option value="5"<?php if ($average == "5") echo ' selected="selected"';?>>Terrific</option>
 </select>
 <span id="rating_value_<?php echo $id ?>">&nbsp;</span>
 <?php
 }
}

The post No-MVC Zend Framework: Rating Controller / Part VI appeared first on Jörg Drzycimski.

If you don’t want to use ZF at all, but still need the Star Rating with PHP and Ajax, you can skip ahead to the model part.

Bootstraping Zend Framework

The bootstrap file is (simplified) the file where you set up your ZF environment. Bootstrapping ZF in a non-application environment is nothing more that to merely include the bootstrap file manually.

First step after installing ZF and the folder structure in the previous part is to create the „index.php“ file in your „public“ folder, and a second file in your „public/includes“ folder, named „bootstrap.php“. Open „index.php“ in your favorite PHP editor, and include your bootstrap:

require_once('includes/bootstrap.php');

Open your bootstrap and add the following lines:

<?php
// Define path to application directory
defined('APPLICATION_PATH')
 || define('APPLICATION_PATH', ($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/../application'));

// Define application environment
defined('APPLICATION_ENV')
 || define('APPLICATION_ENV', (getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') ? getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') : 'development'));

set_include_path(implode(PATH_SEPARATOR, array(
 realpath(APPLICATION_PATH . '/../library'),
 get_include_path(),
)));

require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
$autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
// Register folder library/Mylib/ for custom classes
$autoloader->registerNamespace('Mylib_');

Most lines are copied from the standard ZF bootstrap. We won’t need the APPLICATION_PATH constant for this… I just like to keep it there , in case I switch to application somewhen in the future 😉 Something to keep in mind is the APPLICATION_ENV. You need to change the „development“ to „production“ when you go live with your scripts – this will be explained in the configuration part.

The important part of the bootstrap is the Zend Autoloader, making sure all ZF components plus your own scripts are found. Nothing magical about it if you know the naming conventions. If not: the autoloader searches for a script by the parts of the class call. If you have a class named „Mylib_Rating_Controller“, Zend fetches it from „library/Mylib/Rating/Controller.php“. The class „Rating_Controller“ won’t be found, because it is not defined in your namespace… unless you put $autoloader->registerNamespace('Rating_') in your bootstrap, that is.

Configuration

Next up is the configuration file, where you configure your database (and cache and about a million other things beyond the scope of this tutorial). Create a folder „configs“ in your „Mylib“ folder, and there a „application.ini“ file. Add the following lines of code:

[production]
phpSettings.display_startup_errors = 0
phpSettings.display_errors = 0
includePaths.library = APPLICATION_PATH "/../library"
database.adapter = "pdo_mysql"
database.isDefaultTableAdapter = true
database.params.host = ""
database.params.username = ""
database.params.password =
database.params.dbname = ""

[staging : production]

[testing : production]
phpSettings.display_startup_errors = 1
phpSettings.display_errors = 1

[development : production]
phpSettings.display_startup_errors = 1
phpSettings.display_errors = 1
database.params.host = "localhost"
database.params.username = "root"
database.params.password =
database.params.dbname = "rating"

Each section inherits from the one before, so if you define your default DB adapter in the production section, your development section will use this default adapter as well. For more information on config files, pls. refer to the ZF manual.

Back to bootstraping

Now it’s time to tell ZF where to get the configuration and database options. Add the following lines to your „bootstrap.php“:

$config = new Zend_Config_Ini($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/../library/Mylib/configs/application.ini', APPLICATION_ENV);
$registry = Zend_Registry::getInstance();
$registry->set('config', $config);

$db = Zend_Db::factory($config->database);
Zend_Db_Table::setDefaultAdapter($db);

Now you are ready to do some coding for the actual task at hand… the rating controller 😉

Next up: jQuery Star Rating Rating HTML code

The post No-MVC Zend Framework: Bootstrapping ZF / Part III appeared first on Jörg Drzycimski.

Now, a couple of months and some 100 liters of coffee later, some parts of the structure of ZF, or even the need for the structure itself, is still a mystery to me. The separation of Model, View and Controller, IMHO, is not too bad in itself, but separating all those components into different directories, as well, only adds to the confusion. In other words, my attention span is just not long enough to figure where to change action, view and so on when those are spread across my whole server 😉

Anyway, somewhere along the line ZF introduced “ ZF Applications“… including my worst enemy – CLIs 😉 That´s the point where I started to think that it should be possible to use ZF like a „normal“ PHP library – the old „include“ way – with only those components needed to perform the task. And that’s the beauty of ZF: it is possible. You don’t have to bother with the ZF way of doing things, you can just simply utilize all of their classes to suit your own purpose, in your own way.

In this little series, I will share my experience doing exactly that, hoping you’ll be able to skip some of the pitfalls I came across.

The post Zend Framework Without MVC Part I appeared first on Jörg Drzycimski.