Introduction
Basic Concepts
Understanding Routing
Controllers
Views
Assets
Modules Calling Modules
Parent & Child Modules
Database Operations
Modules within Modules
Templates & Themes
Helpers Explained
Form Handling
Working with Files
The Module Import Wizard
Authorization & Authentication
The API Explorer
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Understanding Parent and Child Modules
The Trongate framework introduces the concept of Parent and Child Modules, a powerful feature that allows for modular and hierarchical organization of application components. This architecture enables developers to create complex, nested module structures, enhancing code reusability and maintaining a clean, organized codebase.
Key Concepts
- Parent Module: A module that contains one or more child modules.
- Child Module: A module that is nested within a parent module.
This hierarchical structure allows for the creation of self-contained, feature-rich components that can be easily integrated into Trongate applications.
Structuring Parent and Child Modules
When working with parent and child modules in Trongate, it's essential to understand the proper directory structure and naming conventions.
Directory Structure
In this structure, the child module is a subdirectory within its parent module, maintaining its own <?= anchor('basic-concepts/truly-modular-architecture.html', 'truly modular') ?> structure.
Naming Conventions
When referencing child modules, use the format: parent_module-child_module. This convention is crucial for proper routing and module loading.
Accessing Child Modules
Trongate provides multiple ways to access and utilize child modules within your application.
URL Routing
To access a child module via URL, use the following format:
Example #1
The code sample below demonstrates how to access the 'display' method of an 'accessories' child module within a 'cars' parent module:
Creating Links
Example #2
The code sample below demonstrates how to use the Trongate anchor() function to create links to child module methods:
Loading Child Modules Programmatically
To load a child module within a controller or another module:
Example #3
This example demonstrates how to load and use a child module named 'product_reviews' within a parent module 'shop'. We'll load the child module and then call its 'get_latest_reviews' method:
In this example, we first load the 'product_reviews' child module using $this->module('shop-product_reviews'). After loading, we can access the child module's methods using $this->product_reviews->method_name(). Here, we're calling the get_latest_reviews() method to fetch the five most recent reviews for a specific product.