Helpers

[Derokorian]

Looking for feedback on this begining helper class I'm working on (I'll actually be calling them by $this->helpers->function(); but it works standalone far as I can tell. Just wondering where you think these functions would need improvement. Also what other "helper" functions do you think I should add (I will write them myself)

<?php
/**
 * Helper Class
 *
 * @author Ryan Pallas <[e-mail]>
 * @copyright Copyright (c) 2011, Ryan Pallas
 */
class helpers {
	/**
	 * Builds an image tag with a given array of properties OR
	 * with a given src of image
	 * Array keys: src,alt,border,height,width,class,id,style,title,onevent
	 * @param str/arr $src image src or property array
	 * @return str/bool the img tag or false
	 */
	public function imgTag($src) {
		if( is_array($src) ) {
			$img = '<img src="' . $src['src'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['alt']) && !empty($src['alt']) )
				$img .= ' alt="' . $src['alt'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['border']) && !empty($src['border']) )
				$img .= ' border="' . $src['border'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['height']) && !empty($src['height']) )
				$img .= ' height="' . $src['height'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['width']) && !empty($src['width']) )
				$img .= ' width="' . $src['width'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['class']) && !empty($src['class']) )
				$img .= ' class="' . $src['class'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['id']) && !empty($src['id']) )
				$img .= ' id="' . $src['id'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['style']) && !empty($src['style']) )
				$img .= ' style="' . $src['style'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['title']) && !empty($src['title']) )
				$img .= ' title="' . $src['title'] . '"';
			if( isset($src['onevent']) && !empty($src['onevent']) )
				$img .= ' '. $src['onevent'];
			return $img . ' />';
		}
		if( is_string($src) && !empty($src) )
			return '<img src="' . $src . '" />';
		return FALSE;
	} // End function imgTag
	/**
	 *	Builds a link with a given array of properties OR
	 *	with a given destination and text, OR
	 *	just destination if no text is defined the destination will be used for text
	 *	Array keys: *href,*text,class,target,id,style,onevent
	 *		*must be included
	 * @param arr/str $href Full link properties/link destination
	 * @param str $text empty/link text
	 * @return str/bool the built html link or bool on invalid arguments
	 */
	public function createLink($href,$text='') {
		if( is_array($href) ) {
			$link = '<a href="' . $href['href'] . '"';
			if( isset($href['class']) && !empty($href['class']) )
				$link .= ' class="' . $href['class'] . '"';
			if( isset($href['target']) && !empty($href['target']) )
				$link .= ' target="' . $href['target'] . '"';
			if( isset($href['id']) && !empty($href['id']) )
				$link .= ' id="' . $href['id'] . '"';
			if( isset($href['style']) && !empty($href['style']) )
				$link .= ' style="' . $href['style'] . '"';
			if( isset($href['onevent']) && !empty($href['onevent']) )
				$link .= ' ' . $href['onevent'];
			return $link . '>' . $href['text'] . '</a>';
		}
		if( is_string($text) && !empty($text) && is_string($href) && !empty($href) )
			return '<a href="' . $href . '">' . $text . '</a>';
		if( is_string($href) && !empty($href) && empty($text) )
			return '<a href="' . $href .'">' . $href . '</a>';
		return FALSE;
	} // End function createLink
} // End class helpers
// End of file -- helpers.php

// Example Usage
$helpers = new helpers;
echo $helpers->createLink('http://video.google.com/?hl=en&tab=iv');
echo '<br />';
echo $helpers->createLink('http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi','Google Images');
echo '<br />';
$arr = array(
		'href'	=>'http://www.google.com',
		'text'	=>'Google',
		'id'		=>'GoogleLink',
		'target'	=>'_blank',
		'style'	=>'text-decoration:none;',
		'class'	=>'bodyLink',
		'onevent'=>'',
	);
echo $helpers->createLink($arr);
echo '<br />';
echo $helpers->imgTag('http://www.google.com/intl/en_com/images/srpr/logo1w.png');
echo '<br />';
$img = array(
		'src'		=>'http://www.google.com/intl/en_ALL/images/logos/images_logo_lg.gif',
		'alt'		=>'Google Images Logo',
		'border'	=>'0',
		'height'	=>'75',
		'width'	=>'200',
		'class'	=>'GoogleLogo',
		'id'		=>'GoogleLogo',
		'style'	=>'padding:10px;',
		'title'	=>'Google Images Logo',
		'onevent'=>'',
	);
echo $helpers->imgTag($img);

[laserlight]

It looks like the helpers class is just a namespace, so you might as well use a helpers namespace, or make its method static.

[Derokorian]

Well I made them static, and then read http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.namespaces.php but I don't quite get what namespaces are still, or why I should use it.

[laserlight]

A namespace is a way to group related names and to allow the same name to be used to name different things. Typically, one can use a name within a namespace without reference to the namespace name, unless there is some ambiguity that qualifying the name with the namespace name would resolve.

In your case, notice that imgTag did not need to be within a class. It could have been a non-member function, but then you risk a name collision if there was some other function named imgTag somewhere else. Defining imgTag in a class solves this problem; defining it in a namespace is another way.

[Derokorian]

Ah that makes sense, however with NogDog's help I have my base controller with

   public function addClass($class, $name=null) { 
      if( $name === null ) { 
         $name = $class; 
      } 
      if( property_exists($this, $name) ) { 
         throw new Exception("Property $class already exists"); 
      } else { 
         $this->$name = new $class(); 
      } 
   }

That way I can load classes and use them all with the $this->class->function() syntax that I like about CI so much. I don't have any projects at the moment so I'm trying to get a better understanding of HOW Ci (and eventually other frameworks) works. If there is a way to get this same call functionality with namespaces I'd be glad to give it a shot. But right now I'm trying to understand OOP and inheritance better, and more specifically the MVC approach.

Anyway, I appreciate your input, and especially your shortened explanation of namespace, I think all the info in the manual was just a little overwhelming for me to take in at once =D