CakePHP how to addScript() from inside element?

Question

I have a navigation menu inside a CakePHP element file (views/elements/nav_default.ctp).

The file is included inside another element that is the header (views/elements/header_default.ctp) which is then included in the layout file (views/layouts/default.ctp).

I am trying to tell Cake to load a js file (webroot/js/mega_drop.js) from within the nav element like so:

<?php
$this->addScript('mega_drop');
?>

It does not get included. I looked at the documentation for addScript which just says:

Adds content to the internal scripts buffer. This buffer is made available in the layout as $scripts_for_layout. This method is helpful when creating helpers that need to add javascript or css directly to the layout. Keep in mind that scripts added from the layout, or elements in the layout will not be added to $scripts_for_layout. This method is most often used from inside helpers, like the Javascript and Html Helpers.

The key part:

Keep in mind that scripts added from the layout, or elements in the layout will not be added to $scripts_for_layout.

So how do I do it then?

I guess I could add a <script src="/js/mega_drop.js"></script> to the default.ctp layout. That doesn't feel right though as it would tightly tie the layout and the element together.

Whats the CakePHP best practice way to do this?

JCotton · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-17 20:53:30Z

addScript() does not load a file; it adds actual code to the $scripts_for_layout variable. The idea being that the layout is a good, common place to load your JavaScript files and code. That way you can output all the code in one location - in the head block or at the end - either way it's together. So if you are in a situation where you've got JavaScript code in the view, rather than output it inline, you can pass it up to the layout.

The best way to load a script file is with the HTML Helper- echo $this->Html->script("script or array('of', 'scripts')"); With that in mind, you could $this->set('scripts', 'mega_drop'); in the element and then call the Html Helper with that $scripts variable from the layout.

The problem with that: it won't work if your nav_default.ctp is called from the layout. $this->set() works inside of a view (or an element called from a view) because the View is rendered before the Layout. If you are calling your element from the layout, then it is too late to be setting viewVars for use in the layout. The best thing to do is set() the scripts variable from the Controller and use a if(isset($scripts)) { echo $this->Html->script($scripts); } in the layout.

Brad Gilbert · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-22 03:24:32Z

3

Correct and valid 1.3.x CakePHP 2.0 Dev is from example.ctp file:

$this->addScript($this->Javascript->link('tab_enabler')); 
$this->addScript($this->Html->css('jquery.tabs'));

This is an example of how to properly include CSS and JS files from the view and adding in the variable $scripts_for_layout to not generate validation error with the W3C as it is not correct to add the link to a css file in <BODY></BODY>

edited Dec 22, 2011 at 3:24

Brad Gilbert

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answered Jun 24, 2011 at 3:34

Navegante

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Comments

jbrass · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-18 01:10:06Z

1

try

$this->Html->script('mega_drop', $inline=false);

in your element without the echo.

The Second parameter says to add it to the $scripts_for_layout variable.

You should be able to do this in your element, so that the javascript is only included when the element is.

answered Jan 18, 2011 at 1:10

jbrass

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