Routes
Routing lets you create your own URL paths, based on the path you can load a closure or a controller.
Routing Set-up
Namespaces are included in all classes now. A namespace is like a layer, adding a namespace to a class means there can be multiple classes with the same name as long as each class is in a different namespace.
With routes the namespace is Routing\Router:: followed by the method call, typing out the namespace every time is long winded, thankfully short cuts can be created by creating an alias:
use Routing\Router;
By using the use keyword Routing\Router, it can be referenced as Router.
To define a route, call the static name Router:: followed by either a post or a get ('any' can also be used to match both post and get requests) to match the HTTP action. Next, set the path to match and call a closure or a controller.
Router::any('', 'closure or controller');
Closures
A closure is a function without a name, they are useful when you only need simple logic for a route, to use a closure first call Router:: then set the URL pattern you want to match against, followed by a function.
Router::get('simple', function() {
//do something simple
});
Controllers and Models can also be used in a closure by instantiating the root controller.
$c = new \App\Core\Controller();
$m = new \App\Models\Users();
$m->getUsers();
Having said that it's best to use a controller, if you need access to a model.
Closures are convenient but can soon become messy.
Controllers
To call a route to a controller, instead of typing a function you can enter a string. In the string type the namespace of the controller (App/Controllers if located in the root of the controllers folder) then the controller name. Finally, specify what method of that class you wish to load. They are dictated by an '@'symbol.
For example, to have a controller called Users (in the root of the controllers folder) and to load ausersList method, you would use the following:
Router::get('users', 'App\Controllers\Users@usersList');
The above would call the Users controller and the userList method when /users is located in the URL, via a get request.
Routes can respond to both GET and POST requests.
To use a post route:
Router::post('blogsave', 'App\Controllers\Blog@savePost');
To respond to either a post or get request, use any:
Router::any('blogsave', 'App\Controllers\Blog@savePost');
Groups
Group routes are new to 3.0. Routes can now be placed in a group, which allows all routes within the group to inherit the group name.
Router::group('admin', function() {
Router::any('add', 'App\Controllers\Demo@cool');
Router::any('settings', 'App\Controllers\Demo@nice');
});
Is the equivalent to
Router::any('admin/add', 'App\Controllers\Admin@add');
Router::any('admin/settings', 'App\Controllers\Admin@settings');
Group Prefixes and Namespaces
The Router::group() can also accept an array as the first parameter and permit commands like:
Router::group(['prefix' => 'admin', 'namespace' => 'App\Controllers\Admin'], function() {
Router::match('get', 'users', 'Users@index');
Router::match('get', 'users/create', 'Users@create');
Router::match('post', 'users', 'Users@store');
Router::match('get', 'users/(:any)', 'Users@show');
Router::match('get', 'users/(:any)/edit', 'Users@edit');
Router::match(['put', 'patch'], 'users/(:any)', 'Users@update');
Router::match('delete', 'users/(:any)', 'Users@destroy');
});
Where the prefix admin will turn the route users/create into admin/users/create and the namespaceApp\Controllers\Admin will prepend onto Users@create, turning intoApp\Controllers\Admin\Users@create
Router::resource()
The Router::resource() method introduces the ability to write the group of resourceful routes, with the following specifications:
HTTP Method | Route | Controller Method |
---|---|---|
GET | /photo | index |
GET | /photo/create | create |
POST | /photo | store |
GET | /photo/(:any) | show |
GET | /photo/(:any)/edit | edit |
PUT/PATCH | /photo/(:any) | update |
DELETE | /photo/(:any) | destroy |
The previous code snippet can now be written as:
Router::group(['prefix' => 'admin', 'namespace' => 'App\Controllers\Admin'], function() {
Router::resource('users', 'Users');
Router::resource('categories', 'Categories');
Router::resource('articles', 'Articles');
});
OR
Router::resource('admin/users', 'App\Controllers\Admin\Users');
Router::resource('admin/categories', 'App\Controllers\Admin\Categories');
Router::resource('admin/articles', 'App\Controllers\Admin\Articles');
Routing Filters
Routes can also use filters to dynamically pass values to the controller / closure, there are 3 filters:
- (:any) any - can use characters or numbers
- (:num) num - can only use numbers
- (:all) all - will accept everything including any slash paths
To use a filter place the filter inside parenthesis and use a colon inside route path.
Router::get('blog/(:any)', 'App\Controllers\Blog@post');
Would get past to app/Controllers/Blog.php anything after blog/ will be passed to post method.
public function post($slug)
{
// Some code ...
}
Optional Parameters
New to 3.0 is allowing filters to be optional
Filters which are written like (:any) are required to match the route but writing a filter as (/(:any))makes it optional.
This route supplied with Nova has one filter that is required then a further 3 optional filters. Multiple filters should be inside the first parenthesis.
Router::any('admin/(:any)(/(:any)(/(:any)(/(:any))))', 'App\Controllers\Demo@test');
Full Example
use Routing\Router;
//define routes
Router::get('', 'App\Controllers\Welcome@index');
//call a controller in called users inside a admin folder inside the controllers folder
Router::('admin/users', 'App\Controllers\Admin\Users@list');