codeigniter - loading a library from a view?

Question

I have some data that I have to display as a table.

I think I should pass the data from the controller as $data['events'] = array(.....

and then load the view to display them.

        <?php
    $this->load->library('table');

    echo $this->table->generate($events);
    ?>

this doesn't work though - it gives a Fatal error: Call to a member function generate() on a non-object

If I paste the same code in the controller, obviously using ->generate($data['events'] the table gets displayed correctly.

Should I get that views can't load libraries, or I am doing something wrong? Or maybe should I capture the output of the library in the controller and send that to the view?

Christina Huggins Ramey · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-23 23:20:12Z

28

If you need to call a library (and its functions) within a view, you can do this:

$CI =& get_instance();
$CI->load->library('library_name');
$CI->library_name->yourFunction();

edited Nov 23, 2012 at 23:20

answered Aug 1, 2012 at 14:50

Christina Huggins Ramey

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2 Comments

Ahsan Over a year ago

If your library is in a static context, then, simply do the following to avoid get-instance() overhead: <?php require("application/libraries/<library_name.php>"); Library_name::yourFunction(); ?>

jaysingkar Over a year ago

@Christina I actually wanted to load the library in external class and after searching for hours couldn't find the solution, Until I came across your answer. That was really helpful. Also, if you know any other method for same then please let us know.

Sarfraz · Accepted Answer · 2010-04-12 14:24:54Z

14

You should run below code in the controller:

<?php
$this->load->library('table');

echo $this->table->generate($events);
?>

and store the data in variable and then send to the view.

answered Apr 12, 2010 at 14:24

Sarfraz

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1 Comment

b_dubb Over a year ago

My library takes data from a model and then prepares markup for inclusion in the view. Since I'm dealing with markup seems like that should happen in the view and not the controller. I'm being academic but perhaps you see my point.

karimkorun · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-08 15:12:54Z

5

To answer what you are doing wrong, you should know that the CodeIgniter class isn't declared in the view, and that this is the case for a reason - to abstract your PHP code from your HTML. Views should contain minimal PHP code (basic loops, conditions).

With this in mind, you should include your library as normal in the controller as follows;

controller

$this->load->library('table');
$data['events_table'] = $this->table->generate($events);

$this->load->view(....);

In the view, you simple echo the data. Although CodeIgniter allows short-hand tags, you should use standard PHP tags to keep to a convention that will work anywhere you keep your code.

view

<?php echo $events_table; ?>

answered Mar 8, 2013 at 15:12

karimkorun

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Comments

Kanishka Panamaldeniya · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-20 09:09:46Z

5

You can auto-load the library in config/autoload.php

$autoload['libraries'] = array('database','session','table');

Then you can simply call the functions in your view .

echo $this->table->generate($events);

This was useful for me when i was creating a dynamic menu header . i auto-loaded the library which has the function for dynamic menu creation and then i simply called that function from the view , by the way it is bad practice .

answered Jan 20, 2015 at 9:09

Kanishka Panamaldeniya

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Comments

Pedro · Accepted Answer · 2010-04-12 14:36:40Z

3

That is one wrong approach to MVC. You don't need to load the library in the view, because all views are loaded from one CONTROLLER, so every external Helper or Library should be loaded from the controller and the used or send to the views

Regards,
Pedro

answered Apr 12, 2010 at 14:36

Pedro

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Comments

ehird · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-20 12:21:42Z

2

Note the shoulds: CodeIgniter is flexible in that it lets you do things the wrong way. It just makes it a little more difficult. You can do almost everything in the view, even when you shouldn't; but loading helpers, models, and views has to be done in the controller.

edited Mar 20, 2012 at 12:21

ehird

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answered Apr 12, 2010 at 14:55

Stiggz

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1 Comment

Zac Imboden Over a year ago

I agree with karimkorun. If you are the sole programmer on a project, what you do doesn't matter. Part of the appeal of MVC is helping multiple programmers sharing a code base to keep the logic of the code organized, so EVERYONE knows where to look. As others have said, data should be assembled and organized in the controller with the only logic in the view related to output and formatting. Using Helper functions further organizes any common output and formatting logic and their use is welcomed in the view files.

MERT DOĞAN · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-26 22:45:10Z

1

In controller or model use

$this->load->library('mylib');
$mylib=$this->mylib;
$data['mylib']=$mylib;
$this->load->view('myview',$data,false);

and than in view you can use library directly:

$mylib->myfunction();

It's not MVC like solution but works if you need.

answered Oct 26, 2014 at 22:45

MERT DOĞAN

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Comments

bramaningds · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-15 12:30:05Z

1

Simply load library on controller, then use it view.

Controller:

$this->load->library('table');
$data = array(
    array(1,2,3,4,5),
    array(1,2,3,4,5),
    array(1,2,3,4,5),
);
$this->load->view('the_view', compact('data'));

View:

echo $this->table->generate($data);

answered Jan 15, 2015 at 12:30

bramaningds

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