URI validator

nawrik

Hi All,

I've just finished the first draft of a method that validates the passed URI using the $_GET array.

Hopefully the intro in the comment will explain what it is I'm trying to achieve.

I'm sure this can be tightened up - ALL constructive critique, advice, ideas, notes etc.. welcome.

Some thoughts after a quick review from me:
Have I missed any logic? (probably!)
Too many returns? How do I reduce this, if it's possible?
Is there a way to centralise this $arrCurrentContent for easy updates?

		/**
		* 
		* 
		* @author nawrik
		* 
		* Uses $_GET array to process the current URI.
		* 
		* $_GET format:
		*				/?$key=category-name/.
		*				$key must be an integer.
		*				An unlimited amount of '$key=categories' can be set.
		*				Each URI must end with 'content=article-name'.
		*
		*				An Example URI:
		*					http://www.yoursite.com/?1=company-name&2=personnel&3=bio&content=joe-bloggs
		*
		*				'content' must exist as a 'content-slug' within the content table.
		*				ALL categories must exist as comma separated string in the 'parents' field of the content table.
		*				The 'parents' string for the above example would look like this: 'company-name,personnel,bio'
		* 						
		* returns array $arrCurrentContent
		*
		*
		*/
		public function getURI($arrURI)
		{
			// Load Home Page
			if(is_array($arrURI) && empty($arrURI))
			{
    			$arrCurrentContent = array(
    									'http_response' => '200',
    									'content_id' => '',
    									'content_slug' => '',    								
    									'full_path' => '',
    									'category_path' => '',
    									'home' => 'N',
    									'message' => ''
    									);
				return $arrCurrentContent;
			}

		// If there are any empty strings passed - return 404
		foreach($arrURI as $strKey => $strValue)
		{
			if(empty($strValue))
			{
				unset($arrURI[$strKey]);
				$arrCurrentContent = array(
									'http_response' => '404',
									'content_id' => '',
									'content_slug' => '',    								
									'full_path' => '',
									'category_path' => '',
									'home' => 'N',
									'message' => '$_GET value '.$strKey.' is empty'
									);
				return $arrCurrentContent; 
			}
		}

		// If the content parameter doesn't exist - return 404
		if(!array_key_exists('content', $arrURI))
		{
			$arrCurrentContent = array(
								'http_response' => '404',
								'content_id' => '',
								'content_slug' => '',    								
								'full_path' => '',
								'category_path' => '',
								'home' => 'N',
								'message' => 'The content slug is not set.'
								);
			return $arrCurrentContent;
		}

		// Check to see if the content parameter passed exists as a content-slug in the database.
		// If there is a match return the key of the content-slug then create an array of that content 'parents' - if not return 404
		$arrAllContentSlugs = $this->getData('getAllContentSlugs','core');
		$iContentId = array_search($arrURI['content'], $arrAllContentSlugs);			
		if($iContentId == FALSE && !is_int($iContentId))
		{
			$arrCurrentContent = array(
								'http_response' => '404',
								'content_id' => '',
								'content_slug' => '',    								
								'full_path' => '',
								'category_path' => '',
								'home' => 'N',
								'message' => 'The content slug does not exist in the DB - '
								);
			return $arrCurrentContent;    			
		}
		else
		{
			$strContentParents = $this->getData('getContentParents','core',$iContentId);
			$arrContentParents = explode(',',$strContentParents);
		}

		// The content parameter has now been validated, set for good and clean up
		$strContentName = $arrURI['content'];
		unset($arrURI['content']);

		// Reset the arrURI keys allowing for an accurate array_diff_assoc
		$arrURIPath = array_values($arrURI);

		// Compare the URI 'path' to the content parents retrieved from the database
		// If $arrCurrentPath is populated there is a difference - return 404
		// If not the current URI has been validated and return 200
		$arrCurrentPath = array_diff_assoc($arrURIPath, $arrContentParents);
		if(!empty($arrCurrentPath))
		{
			$arrCurrentContent = array(
								'http_response' => '404',
								'content_id' => $iContentId,
								'content_slug' => $strContentName,    								
								'full_path' => '',
								'category_path' => '',
								'home' => 'N',
								'message' => 'This category path does not exist.'
								);
			return $arrCurrentContent; 
		}
		else
		{
			$strCurrentPath = implode('/',$arrContentParents).'/';
			$arrCurrentContent = array(
								'http_response' => '200',
								'content_id' => $iContentId,
								'content_slug' => $strContentName,    								
								'full_path' => $strCurrentPath.$strContentName.'/',
								'category_path' => $strCurrentPath,
								'home' => 'N',
								'message' => ''
								);
			return $arrCurrentContent;
		}
	} // getURI

DaveRandom

        public function getURI($arrURI) 
        { 
            $arrCurrentContent = array( 
                                    'http_response' => '404', 
                                    'content_id' => '', 
                                    'content_slug' => '',                                     

                                    'full_path' => '', 
                                    'category_path' => '', 
                                    'home' => 'N', 
                                    'message' => '' 
                                    ); 
            // Load Home Page 
            if(empty($arrURI)) 
            { 
                return $arrCurrentContent; 
            } 

        // If there are any empty strings passed - return 404 
        foreach($arrURI as $strKey => $strValue) 
        { 
            if(empty($strValue)) 
            { 
                $arrCurrentContent['message'] = '$_GET value '.$strKey.' is empty';
                return $arrCurrentContent; 
            } 
        } 

        // If the content parameter doesn't exist - return 404 
        if(!isset($arrURI['content'])) 
        { 
            $arrCurrentContent['message'] = 'The content slug is not set.';
            return $arrCurrentContent; 
        } 

        // Check to see if the content parameter passed exists as a content-slug in the database. 
        // If there is a match return the key of the content-slug then create an array of that content 'parents' - if not return 404 
        $arrAllContentSlugs = $this->getData('getAllContentSlugs','core'); 
        $iContentId = array_search($arrURI['content'], $arrAllContentSlugs);             
        if($iContentId === FALSE) 
        { 
            $arrCurrentContent['message'] = 'The content slug does not exist in the DB - ';
            return $arrCurrentContent; 
        } 
        else 
        { 
            $arrContentParents = explode(',',$this->getData('getContentParents','core',$iContentId)); 
        } 

        // The content parameter has now been validated, set for good and clean up 
        $arrCurrentContent['content_slug'] = $arrURI['content'];
        $arrCurrentContent['content_id'] = $iContentId;
        unset($arrURI['content']); 

        // Reset the arrURI keys allowing for an accurate array_diff_assoc 
        $arrURIPath = array_values($arrURI); 

        // Compare the URI 'path' to the content parents retrieved from the database 
        // If $arrCurrentPath is populated there is a difference - return 404 
        // If not the current URI has been validated and return 200 
        $arrCurrentPath = array_diff_assoc($arrURIPath, $arrContentParents); 
        if(!empty($arrCurrentPath)) 
        { 
            $arrCurrentContent['message'] = 'This category path does not exist.';
            return $arrCurrentContent; 
        } 
        else 
        { 
            $strCurrentPath = implode('/',$arrContentParents).'/'; 
            $arrCurrentContent['http_response'] = '200';
            $arrCurrentContent['full_path'] = $strCurrentPath.$strContentName.'/';
            $arrCurrentContent['category_path'] = $strCurrentPath;
            return $arrCurrentContent; 
        } 
    } // getURI

Array is now built gradually rather than being declared before every return
Removed pointless is_array() from first IF - the input data will always be an array
Removed pointless unset before return in foreach loop
Removed a couple of pointless variables

From what you are saying I think $arrURI will always be a copy of $GET, so you might as well just do $arrURI = $GET; on the first line instead of passing it to the function (since $_GET is a superglobal and always available).

There is no problem with having that many returns, as long as you use them intelligently, which you have. If you want to only have one, at the end, you could enclose the whole lot in do {} while (FALSE); and use break; but I don't think this would gain anything.

The 'home' key of the return array does not seem to do anything in this function - should it maybe be set to 'Y' in the first IF?

nawrik

Dave,

That's brilliant, just the kind of advice I was looking for. Thank you.

Building the array 'as you go' is genius, once noted it seemed obvious with the complete lack of data in most of the fields for the majority of the script (one for the logic scrap book!).

Superb point, mindlessly overlooked with regards to the superglobal $_GET.

The 'home' key is in fact a flag to determine the current home page (which can be changed by the user). I've yet to figure out exactly where this will be determined, chances are it will be worked out in a completely different method and appended, so will most likely be removed from this particular snippet.

Thank you for your feedback on this one, I'm only early on in my career as a php developer and the one thing I have learned the most from is watching how other programmers approach the same problems - even looking over the codebase at work is a great learning tool for how to (or how not to) do things.

EDIT** Just having a look over things again and thinking of the 'home' appending from another class...I think I will actually declare $arrCurrentContent outside of the method as a class property ONLY declaring 'http_response' on creation, not setting any empty strings at all and appending as needed.