Introduction to CodeIgniter

Ed Finkler
coj@funkatron.com • funkatron.com

20070914
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 What is CodeIgniter?

• YAPF
(Yet Another PHP Framework)

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Why care about CI?

• Battle-tested
• Fast
• Adaptable

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Notable CI features
• Fast
• Compatible with many environments
• Quick to set-up
• Plays well with others
• Focus on simple solutions
• Good docs & community
Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 CI structure
index.php
Loaded by browser
Bootstraps everything

system application
base classes & built-in app-specific classes
functionality and functionality

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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CI structure

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 URL structure
domain.com/controller_class/method/data
<?php

class Search extends Controller {

[...]

function retrieve($id)
{
$this->load->database();

[...]
}

}
?>

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 MVC pattern

• Controller Classes
• private methods prefixed with “_”

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 MVC pattern
• Views
• Plain PHP as templating lang

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 MVC pattern

• Views
• Optional template markup

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 MVC pattern

• Models
• Optional
• ActiveRecord pattern available, not required
• Query binding
$sql = "SELECT * FROM some_table WHERE id = ? AND status = ? AND author = ?";
$this->db->query($sql, array(3, 'live', 'Rick'));

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

11
 Helpers
• Procedural funcs, grouped by file
• Mostly for views; available in controllers

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Plugins
• Single procedural function
• More extensive functionality than helper

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Loading on-demand

• $this->load->library|view|helper|plugin|...(‘name’);

• Auto-loading set in config/autoload.php

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 CI security

• Not Foolproof (nothing is!)

• Limits allowed chars in URI
• register_globals “forced off”

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 CI security

• Data only passed via POST or COOKIE

• GET query destroyed
• Array keys filtered
• Auto XSS Filtering (must enable)
• Query binding - use it!

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Extending CI
• The CI Way
• Creating your own libs
• Extend native libs (MY_Email)
• As-is, can’t extend/replace controller or
database classes
• Replacing native libs
• Hooks
Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Extending CI

• The “however the hell you want to do it”

way
• Just require your libs
• Collisions unlikely (not impossible)

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Example App

• CI + Simplepie + Zend_Json == Web2.0 profit

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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 Danke

• codeigniter.com
• Slides will be up at funkatron.com shortly

Ed Finkler <coj@funkatron.com>

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