Functions Class

class Functions

The Functions class contains commonly required functions used throughout ExpressionEngine’s scripts.

fetch_site_index([$add_slash = FALSE[, $sess_id = TRUE]])

Returns the url of the main site index.

create_url($segment[, $sess_id = TRUE])

The segment passed to this function is parsed and added to the full site URL to create a full URL/URI.

$memberlist_url = ee()->functions->create_url('member/memberlist');
// returns "https://example.com/member/memberlist/"

fetch_current_uri()

Returns uri for current page.

extract_path($str)

Extract the template group/template name from $str, like {some_var path='channel/index'}, and returns just the path.

// Parse permalink path
$key = '{permalink path='channel/details'}'
if (ee()->functions->extract_path($key) != '' && ee()->functions->extract_path($key) != 'SITE_INDEX')
{
    $path = ee()->functions->extract_path($key).'/'.$row['entry_id'];
}
// function returns 'channel/details'

var_swap($str, $data)

Replace array of variables in string:

$str = "Rick and Paul ate {meal} while sitting around the {item}";
$swap = array('meal' => "Skittles", 'item' => "computer");
$msg = ee()->functions->var_swap($str, $swap);
// returns "Rick and Paul ate Skittles while sitting around the computer";

redirect($location[, $method = FALSE[, $status_code = NULL]])

Redirect to location.

random([$type = 'encrypt'[, $len = 8]])

Random number/password generator.

form_declaration($data)

Creates opening form tag and hidden variables.

Any form will accept the form_class and form_id parameters. Access the values with TMPL class properties of form_id and form_class.

$form_details = array(
    'action'          => '',
    'name'            => 'upload',
    'id'              => ee()->TMPL->form_id,
    'class'           => ee()->TMPL->form_class,
    'hidden_fields'   => array('new' => 'y'),
    'secure'          => TRUE,
    'onsubmit'        => "validate_form(); return false;"
);

$r = ee()->functions->form_declaration($form_details);

Valid HTML Form attributes (as listed in the config file), data- and aria- attributes passed through ExpressionEngine tag parameters in the template will be included into generated opening form tag.

form_backtrack([$offset = ''])

Returns a URL that allows us to return a user to a previously visited page after submitting a form. ExpressionEngine keeps track of the last five pages viewed by a visitor, and the page returned is determined by the value of offset.

$data = array(
    'title'   => 'Information Accepted',
    'heading' => 'Thank you',
    'content' => 'Thank you for the locale information',
    'link'    => array(ee()->functions->form_backtrack('-2'), 'Return to entry')
);

ee()->output->show_message($data);

evaluate($str)

Evaluates a string as PHP:

$str = "echo 3*4;";

ob_start();

echo ee()->functions->evaluate($str);
$value = ob_get_contents();

ob_end_clean();

// $value is now equal to 12, since that is what would be outputted by the PHP.

char_limiter($str[, $num = 500])

Returns section of a string limited to a certain amount of characters but rounds the string up to the nearest word.

word_limiter($str[, $num = 100])

Returns section of a string based on number of words.

fetch_email_template($name)

Returns the contents of the email template requested based on the language settings of the user.

language_pack_names($default)

Returns form select menu of available language packs

clear_caching($which[, $sub_dir = ''])

Clears one or all of the main cache folders

delete_directory($path[, $del_root = FALSE])

Empties a directory of any files.

fetch_assigned_channels()

Returns array of channels accessible by current user.

fetch_action_id($class, $method)

Returns a tag in the format {AID:class:method} for use in the frontend. (See also EE->cp->fetch_action_id).

$action_id = ee()->functions->fetch_action_id('Comment', 'insert_new_comment');

create_captcha($old_world = '')

Using a random word chosen from the array stored in the config/captcha.php file, this function will create a captcha image and then store that word and the IP address of the current user in the database. You can then put the returned <img> tag in your form along with a text input field for the user submitted word. When the form is submitted you can check the submitted word against the database for the user’s IP. If it matches, you continue processing the form data. If it does not, then the form should fail. This is used to prevent automated spamming tools from submitting spam.

sql_andor_string($str, $field[, $prefix = ''[, $null = FALSE]])

Certain tag parameters have the option to be in the form of 'value1|value2' or 'not value1|value2', which allows the acceptance of multiple values. This function takes that parameter as $str and the $field to check, along with the (optional) $prefix of the table containing the field, and returns the query string required:

$str  = 'channel|news|sports';
$sql  = "SELECT * FROM exp_channels WHERE site_id = 1 ";
$sql .= ee()->functions->sql_andor_string($str, 'channel_name');
// $sql equals:
// SELECT * FROM exp_channels WHERE site_id = 1
// AND channel_name = 'channel' OR channel_name = 'news' OR channel_name = 'sports'

assign_variables([$str = ''[, $slash = '/']])

This function extracts the variables contained within the current tag being parsed and assigns them to one of two arrays which are returned to you: var_single or var_pair.

fetch_date_variables($datestr)

Fetch the date format (e.g. %Y %m %d) from a date variable (e.g. {date format="%Y %m %d"}).

assign_parameters($str)

Fetch parameters for tag

prep_conditionals($str, $vars[, $safety = 'n'[, $prefix = '']])

Parses conditionals and preps conditional for evaluation

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