Simple Content Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require c33s/simple-content-bundle:0.11.*
   

   Register the bundle in AppKernel.php:

   new C33s\SimpleContentBundle\C33sSimpleContentBundle(),
   

2. Configure Locales: Ensure %locales% is defined in parameters.yml:

   parameters:
       locales: ['en', 'de']
   

3. Enable Admin Generator (for editing): Install the dependency:

   composer require cedriclombardot/admingenerator-generator-bundle
   

   Generate the admin for C33sSimpleContentBundle:

   php app/console generate:admin C33sSimpleContentBundle:Content
   

4. First Use Case: Wrap content in Twig templates with the provided filters (e.g., markdown, html). Example:

   {{ content|markdown }}
   

   Or for route-based content:

   {{ content_for_route('homepage')|html }}
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflow

1. Define Content Blocks: Use Twig filters to mark content in templates as editable:

   <h1>{{ content|markdown('hero_title') }}</h1>
   <p>{{ content|html('hero_text') }}</p>
   

   • Filters: markdown, html, plaintext, route (for route-specific content).

2. Route-Based Content: Assign content to routes via the admin interface (generated by admingenerator). Example:

   {{ content_for_route('about.page')|html }}
   

3. Locale Handling: Enable fallback in config.yml:

   c33s_simple_content:
       use_locale_fallback: true
   

   Content will automatically fall back to the default locale if missing.

4. Integration with Propel: The bundle uses Propel ORM for storage. Ensure your config.yml includes Propel:

   propel:
       dbal:
           connections:
               default: ~
   

Advanced Patterns

• Dynamic Content Loading: Fetch content dynamically in controllers:

  $content = $this->get('c33s_simple_content.content_manager')->getContent('dynamic_key');
  return $this->render('template.html.twig', ['content' => $content]);
  

• Custom Filters: Extend the bundle by creating custom Twig filters. Example:

  // src/C33s/SimpleContentBundle/Twig/Extension/CustomExtension.php
  class CustomExtension extends \Twig_Extension
  {
      public function getFilters()
      {
          return [
              new \Twig_SimpleFilter('custom_filter', [$this, 'customFilter']),
          ];
      }
  
      public function customFilter($content)
      {
          return strtoupper($content);
      }
  }
  

  Register the extension in services.yml:

  services:
      custom_extension:
          class: C33s\SimpleContentBundle\Twig\Extension\CustomExtension
          tags:
              - { name: twig.extension }
  

• Batch Updates: Use the admin generator to update multiple content blocks in bulk via the generated CRUD interface.

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Admin Generator Dependency:

   • The bundle relies on admingenerator-generator-bundle for content editing. If this bundle is removed or updated, the admin interface may break.
   • Fix: Pin the dependency version in composer.json:

     "cedriclombardot/admingenerator-generator-bundle": "~1.0"
     

2. Propel Schema Mismatch:

   • The bundle assumes a Propel schema for the Content table. If your Propel schema doesn’t match, content may not save or load correctly.
   • Fix: Check the bundle’s migrations or manually adjust your schema to include:

     <table name="content" phpName="Content">
         <column name="id" type="integer" primaryKey="true" autoIncrement="true" />
         <column name="key" type="varchar" size="255" required="true" />
         <column name="content" type="longvarchar" />
         <column name="locale" type="varchar" size="10" required="true" />
         <column name="type" type="varchar" size="50" required="true" />
     </table>
     

3. Locale Fallback Quirks:

   • With use_locale_fallback: true, missing locales will fall back to the first locale in parameters.yml. Ensure the default locale is always defined.
   • Tip: Test fallback behavior by temporarily removing a locale’s content to verify the fallback works as expected.

4. Twig Filter Caching:

   • Twig filters like markdown may cache processed content. Clear the cache after updating content:

     php app/console cache:clear
     

Debugging Tips

1. Check Content Keys:

   • Typos in content keys (e.g., hero_title vs. heroTitle) will result in empty output. Validate keys in the admin interface.

2. Propel Debugging:

   • Enable Propel logging in config.yml:

     propel:
         logging: true
     

   • Check logs at app/logs/prod.log (or dev.log) for Propel-related errors.

3. Admin Generator Issues:

   • If the admin interface fails to load, clear the cache and regenerate the admin:

     php app/console cache:clear
     php app/console generate:admin C33sSimpleContentBundle:Content
     

Extension Points

1. Custom Content Types: Extend the Content model to support additional fields (e.g., priority, published_at). Update the Propel schema and admin generator templates accordingly.

2. Override Twig Filters: Replace or extend existing filters by creating a custom Twig extension (as shown in Advanced Patterns). Example:

   {{ content|custom_markdown('key') }}
   

3. Route-Based Content Logic: Add custom logic to the content_for_route filter by overriding the bundle’s Twig extension:

   // src/C33s/SimpleContentBundle/Resources/config/services.yml
   services:
       c33s_simple_content.twig.extension:
           class: Your\Bundle\Twig\SimpleContentExtension
           arguments: [@c33s_simple_content.content_manager]
           tags:
               - { name: twig.extension }
   

4. Event Listeners: Listen for content updates to trigger side effects (e.g., cache invalidation):

   // src/YourBundle/EventListener/ContentListener.php
   class ContentListener
   {
       public function onContentUpdate(GetResponseEvent $event)
       {
           // Invalidate cache or perform other actions
       }
   }
   

   Register the listener in services.yml:

   services:
       your_bundle.content_listener:
           class: Your\Bundle\EventListener\ContentListener
           tags:
               - { name: kernel.event_listener, event: kernel.response, method: onContentUpdate }