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Re: Controller and View Question

by Ian Warner-4 :: Rate this Message:

Ralph Schindler wrote:
> Hey group,
> I am curious how everyone implements common headers and footers within
> a given application. As I see it there are two methods:
>
> a) include the header and footer in each view script via the
> $this->render(..) routine.

I simply within the main site view call in the following files:

<?php echo $this->render('../themes/' . $this->theme_template .
'/html/html_head.inc.php') ?>

echo $this->render($this->actionTemplate);

This allows the view to specify the template and the template elements
are called via the theme.

>
> b) use Zend_Controller Plugins to write to the view a standard header
> and footer to the view body at preDispatch() postDispatch() /
> preRouteStartup / postRouteStartup times.
>
> Both methods have their pros and cons..
>
> In method a) you are required to handle it in every script, which can be
> tedious. But it allows you flexibility to not include the common header
> and footer blanketly on all requests when it makes sense not to include it.
>
> Method b) writes headers and footers on all requests, unless I am
> missing something. The benefit is that you can write specific
> controller/action scripts and they can be completely autonomous from the
> rest of the application.
>
> I like method b), but I wonder: Are there ways to inject (or callback)
> to write specific controller/action needed headers to the common header,
> for example, adding a page specific JS script to a pages <head>. Are
> there ways that a specific controller/action can choose not to use a
> header/footer dispatched previously?
>
> Looking for best practices / ideas here..
>
> Thanks,
> Ralph
>
>

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