Some questions about CodeIgniter with Javascript and AJAX

Question

Just getting into Codeigniter and I'm planning out a large application. I'm a bit confused about how CI handles JS files and AJAX requests.

I am using mod_rewrite with my project.

In a regular webpage, I'd reference separate JS scripts at the header of my doc to keep my code segregated and clean. Since I'm using mod_rewrite, I need functions from the url helper to find my files. This is a problem in separate js docs because they don't execute php. So when it comes to AJAX calls, how am I supposed to reference a PHP controller function from my JS file when I don't have use of the site_url() function?
How would I go about writing functions that can be accessed through AJAX but not through the address bar? So, let's say I have a User Controller. You can go to user/pictures and you can see their pictures. You go to user/friends and you can see their friends. But I don't want you to be able to go to User/getData and see all the printed out raw data.

tl;dr What is standard JS and AJAX practice when using separate docs and mod_rewrite?

Cheers guys.

Nil'z · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-10 13:20:47Z

1

What I personally do is declare a js variable in the header section of my template before any js declaration like this:

var base_url = <?=base_url()?>

This base_url will then be accessible by any js file you integrate. About the second point you can always redirect the user from your controller like this:

public function some_function(){
    if($this->input->post(null)){
        //your ajax code here
    }else{
        redirect(base_url(), 'refresh')
    }
}

answered Jul 10, 2013 at 13:20

Nil'z

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4 Comments

user1537360 Over a year ago

Ah good ideas. I was thinking about declaring the variable at the head of the doc, but (this is probably naive) isn't that a security risk?

Nil'z Over a year ago

No, I dont think so. You are just declaring the base url which is already there in the uri.

user1537360 Over a year ago

Sorry, should have explained myself more there. If you declare the address in the JS, it will be visible to any client who views the page source. Isn't revealing your site hierarchy a security risk? Also thanks for your answers!

Nil'z Over a year ago

No, by declaring the js variable you are not revealing your site hirarchy just the base url. e.g. http://www.site.com. Please mark the answer as accepted if it helped you. Thanks.

Pattle · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-10 13:36:28Z

1

I also declare a js variable in the <head> like

var baseUrl = '<?php print(base_url()); ?>';

Then when you do your AJAX call you can call the controller like

baseUrl + 'controller/method'

In terms of making sure that methods can only be called from AJAX calls and not through the address bar one option is to send a post value and check for this before you do anything like

if($this->input->post('ajax_call'))
{
     //Do something
}

If you put all your ajax methods into the same controller you'd only have to have this check once in the __construct()

answered Jul 10, 2013 at 13:36

Pattle

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