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Functions Class¶

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

fetch_site_index ¶

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

Returns the url of the main site index.

Parameters:	$add_slash (boolean) – Set to `TRUE` to add a slash to the end of the return value $sess_id (boolean) – Set to `FALSE` to exclude the session id
Returns:	Site index URL
Return type:	String

create_url ¶

Functions::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/"

Parameters:	$segment (string) – The desired URL’s URI $sess_id (boolean) – If set to `FALSE`, session_id will not be included
Returns:	Full site URL pointing to `$segment`
Return type:	String

fetch_current_uri ¶

Functions::fetch_current_uri()¶

Returns uri for current page.

Returns:	Current URI
Return type:	String

remove_double_slashes ¶

Functions::remove_double_slashes($str)¶

Deprecated since version 2.6: Use String helper’s reduce_double_slashes() instead.

Removes all double slashes (//) from $str and returns the string. Useful for cleaning up URLs. The double slashes in http:// are preserved.

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to remove double slashes from
Returns:	Cleaned up `$str`
Return type:	String

extract_path ¶

Functions::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'

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to extract the path from
Returns:	Template group/name pair
Return type:	String

var_swap ¶

Functions::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";

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to parse $data (array) – Associative array of keys to replace with values
Returns:	`$str` parsed with `$data`
Return type:	String

redirect ¶

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

Redirect to location.

Parameters:	$location (string) – URL to redirect to $method (string) – Optionally choose a method to redirect with (can use `refresh`, otherwise defaults to using `Location` header) $status_code (integer) – Status code in the 300 block
Return type:	Void

random ¶

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

Random number/password generator.

Parameters:	$type (string) – There are four possible values: `basic` - just a random number `alpha` - string with length of length using only letters (upper and lower case) of the alphabet `numeric` - string with length of length using only numbers `nozero` - string with length of length using all numbers except zero `md5` - string of a random number that has been `md5`’ed `encrypt` - string of a random number that has been hash’ed $len (integer) – Length of the string
Returns:	Random string of characters
Return type:	String

form_declaration ¶

Functions::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);

Parameters:	$data (array) – Associative array of data (see above for example)
Returns:	Opening form tag and hidden fields
Return type:	String

form_backtrack ¶

Functions::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);

Parameters:	$offset (integer) – How many pages you want to backtrack: `0` is the current page, `-1` would be the form page, and `-2` would be the page prior to the form page.
Returns:	Previous URL
Return type:	String

evaluate ¶

Functions::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.

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to evaluate as PHP
Returns:	Resulting value
Return type:	String

char_limiter ¶

Functions::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.

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to limit $num (interger) – Characters to limit to
Returns:	Limited string
Return type:	String

word_limiter ¶

Functions::word_limiter($str[, $num = 100])¶

Returns section of a string based on number of words.

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to limit $num (interger) – Words to limit to
Returns:	Limited string
Return type:	String

fetch_email_template ¶

Functions::fetch_email_template($name)¶

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

Parameters:	$name (string) – Name of the email template
Returns:	Email template parsed with the user’s language
Return type:	String

language_pack_names ¶

Functions::language_pack_names($default)¶

Returns form select menu of available language packs

Parameters:	$default (string) – Currently selected or default language
Returns:	Div tag with a select tag that contains the listing of languages
Return type:	String

clear_caching ¶

Functions::clear_caching($which[, $sub_dir = ''])¶

Clears one or all of the main cache folders

Parameters:	$which (string) – `'page'`, `'tag'`, `'db'`, `'sql'`, `'relationships'`, `'all'` $sub_dir (string) – Define a specific folder or file in the cache directory
Return type:	Void

delete_directory ¶

Functions::delete_directory($path[, $del_root = FALSE])¶

Empties a directory of any files.

Parameters:	$path (string) – Absolute path of the directory you wish to empty; remember to use the path constants to make this easier $del_root (boolean) – Set to `TRUE` to delete the directory as well
Return type:	Void

fetch_assigned_channels ¶

Functions::fetch_assigned_channels()¶

Returns array of channels accessible by current user.

Returns:	Array of channels accessible by current user
Return type:	Array

fetch_action_id ¶

Functions::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');

Parameters:	$class (string) – Class that contains the `$method` $method (string) – Name of the method that has an action ID
Returns:	Valid action ID tag
Return type:	String

create_captcha ¶

Functions::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.

Parameters:	$old_word (string) – Can specify the word to appear as a captcha
Returns:	`<img>` tag
Return type:	String

sql_andor_string ¶

Functions::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'

Parameters:	$str (string) – Pipe delimited string from the tag parameter $field (string) – Name of the database field $prefix (string) – Field prefix, used when working with multiple tables to define the table (e.g. `database_table_name.field_name`) $null (boolean) – Allow for null values in the `$field`
Returns:	Partial query string containing some of the `WHERE` clause
Return type:	String

assign_variables ¶

Functions::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.

Parameters:	$str (string) – String to parse $slash (string) – What kind of backslash is in the string (`/` or `/`)
Returns:	Associative array containing both `var_single` and `var_pair`
Return type:	Array

fetch_date_variables ¶

Functions::fetch_date_variables($datestr)¶

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

Parameters:	$datestr (string) – The string to look for a single date format in
Returns:	Date format string
Return type:	String

assign_parameters ¶

Functions::assign_parameters($str)¶

Fetch parameters for tag

Parameters:	$str (string) – String containing tag parameters directly from the `TMPL::$tagdata`
Returns:	Associative array containing the tag parameters
Return type:	Array

prep_conditionals ¶

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

Parses conditionals and preps conditional for evaluation

Parameters:	$str (string) – Template `TMPL::$tagdata` to parse $vars (array) – Associative array of conditionals to parse $safety (string) – Set to `'y'` to ensure that some safety checks are performed to make sure conditionals are well formed $prefix (string) – Used when your variables have a prefix, parses both prefixed and non-prefixed variables
Returns:	`$str` with the conditionals from `$var` parsed
Return type:	String

ExpressionEngine® User Guide

Functions Class¶