Content Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation Add the package via Composer:

   composer require bigfoot/content-bundle:dev-master
   

   Register the bundle in app/AppKernel.php:

   new Bigfoot\Bundle\ContentBundle\BigfootContentBundle(),
   

2. Basic Configuration Define widgets in app/config/config.yml:

   bigfoot_content:
       widgets:
           dashboard_header: 'AppBundle\Widget\DashboardHeaderWidget'
   

3. First Widget Create a widget class extending AbstractWidget:

   namespace AppBundle\Widget;
   use Bigfoot\Bundle\ContentBundle\Model\AbstractWidget;
   
   class DashboardHeaderWidget extends AbstractWidget {
       public function getName() { return 'dashboard_header'; }
       public function render() { return '<h1>Welcome!</h1>'; }
   }
   

4. Accessing Pages/Static Content Use the admin interface (if available) or manually create entities via Doctrine:

   php app/console doctrine:generate:entities Bigfoot\Bundle\ContentBundle\Entity
   

Implementation Patterns

Widget Development

1. Extending AbstractWidget Implement required methods:

   class MyWidget extends AbstractWidget {
       public function getName() { /* Unique slug */ }
       public function render() { /* HTML output */ }
       public function getTitle() { /* Display title */ }
   }
   

2. Dynamic Content Fetch data via services or repositories:

   public function render() {
       $hotels = $this->get('hotel.repository')->findMostViewed();
       return $this->renderView('widgets/most_viewed.html.twig', ['hotels' => $hotels]);
   }
   

3. Twig Integration Use Twig templates for complex widgets:

   public function render() {
       return $this->renderView('AppBundle:Widget:my_widget.html.twig');
   }
   

Page Management

1. Hierarchical Pages Define parent-child relationships in the admin panel or via fixtures:

   # app/fixtures/pages.yml
   AppBundle\Entity\Page:
       page_home:
           title: Home
           slug: home
           parent: ~
       page_about:
           title: About
           slug: about
           parent: @page_home
   

2. Static Content Blocks Store reusable content snippets (e.g., FAQs, policies) and reference them in pages:

   // In a controller
   $staticContent = $this->get('bigfoot_content.static_content.manager')->findBySlug('privacy_policy');
   

Dashboard Integration

1. Widget Placement Configure widget positions in config.yml:

   bigfoot_content:
       dashboard:
           columns: 3
           widgets:
               - { name: dashboard_header, position: 1 }
               - { name: widget_most_viewed_hotel, position: 2 }
   

2. Admin Panel Usage Use the built-in admin interface (if enabled) to:

   • Drag-and-drop widgets.
   • Edit static content.
   • Manage page hierarchies.

Gotchas and Tips

Common Pitfalls

1. Widget Registration

   • Issue: Widgets not appearing in the dashboard.
   • Fix: Ensure the widget class is:
     • Properly namespaced.
     • Extends AbstractWidget.
     • Registered in config.yml with the exact class name (including namespace).
     • The getName() method returns a unique slug (case-sensitive).

2. Outdated Doctrine Entities

   • Issue: Page or StaticContent entities not found.
   • Fix: Regenerate entities after updates:

     php app/console doctrine:generate:entities Bigfoot\Bundle\ContentBundle\Entity
     php app/console doctrine:schema:update --force
     

3. Twig Template Paths

   • Issue: renderView() fails with "template not found."
   • Fix: Use fully qualified paths:

     $this->renderView('@AppBundle/Widget/my_widget.html.twig');
     

4. Caching Headaches

   • Issue: Widgets not updating immediately.
   • Fix: Clear the cache after changes:

     php app/console cache:clear
     

Debugging Tips

1. Widget Debugging Add a debug() method to your widget:

   public function debug() {
       return [
           'name' => $this->getName(),
           'config' => $this->getConfig(),
       ];
   }
   

   Call it via a route to inspect state.

2. Database Inspection Check raw data in the bigfoot_content_widget, bigfoot_content_page, and bigfoot_content_static_content tables:

   php app/console doctrine:query:sql "SELECT * FROM bigfoot_content_widget"
   

3. Event Listeners Override widget/static content events in your bundle’s Resources/config/services.yml:

   services:
       app.widget.listener:
           class: AppBundle\EventListener\WidgetListener
           tags:
               - { name: kernel.event_listener, event: bigfoot.content.widget.save, method: onWidgetSave }
   

Extension Points

1. Custom Widget Types Extend AbstractWidget to add fields (e.g., setConfig(), getConfig()):

   class ConfigurableWidget extends AbstractWidget {
       protected $config = ['title' => 'Default'];
   
       public function setConfig(array $config) { $this->config = $config; }
       public function getConfig() { return $this->config; }
   }
   

2. Admin Panel Customization Override the admin templates in app/Resources/BigfootContentBundle/views/ to modify:

   • Widget edit forms.
   • Page management UIs.
   • Static content interfaces.

3. API Integration Expose widgets via a custom API endpoint:

   // src/AppBundle/Controller/WidgetController.php
   class WidgetController extends Controller {
       public function getDashboardWidgetsAction() {
           $widgets = $this->get('bigfoot_content.widget.manager')->getDashboardWidgets();
           return $this->json($widgets);
       }
   }
   

Configuration Quirks

1. Widget Positions

   • Positions are 1-indexed (not 0-indexed).
   • Gaps in numbering (e.g., positions 1, 3) are allowed but may cause UI misalignment.

2. Static Content Slugs

   • Slugs are case-sensitive and must match exactly when fetching:

     $content = $this->get('bigfoot_content.static_content.manager')->findBySlug('PrivacyPolicy'); // Fails
     $content = $this->get('bigfoot_content.static_content.manager')->findBySlug('privacy_policy'); // Works
     

3. Dependency Injection

   • Use the WidgetContext service for shared data:

     $this->get('bigfoot_content.widget.context')->set('user', $user);