CakePHP 3 the Way to Reach Controller Invoking part 1 of 3

Table of Contents

I researched executed process in CakePHP 3, by controller execution. It was really complicated than I expected, so I omitted some explanation, and I guess it is somehow difficult to read this article, sorry.

Environment

PHP 5.5.9
cakephp/cakephp 3.0.9
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS

I founded server as “php bin/cake.php server“. When the server receive a request and CakePHP 3 create html output, webroot/index.php is executed first. Let’s look into index.php.

index.php

<?php
/**
* The Front Controller for handling every request
*
* CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)
* Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
*
* Licensed under The MIT License
* For full copyright and license information, please see the LICENSE.txt
* Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
*
* @copyright     Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
* @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
* @since         0.2.9
* @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
*/
// for built-in server
if (php_sapi_name() === 'cli-server') {
$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] = '/' . basename(__FILE__);
$url = parse_url(urldecode($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']));
$file = __DIR__ . $url['path'];
if (strpos($url['path'], '..') === false && strpos($url['path'], '.') !== false && is_file($file)) {
return false;
}
}
require dirname(__DIR__) . '/config/bootstrap.php';
use Cake\Network\Request;
use Cake\Network\Response;
use Cake\Routing\DispatcherFactory;
$dispatcher = DispatcherFactory::create();
$dispatcher->dispatch(
Request::createFromGlobals(),
new Response()
);

<?php

/**

* The Front Controller for handling every request

* CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)

* Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)

* Licensed under The MIT License

* For full copyright and license information, please see the LICENSE.txt

* Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.

* @copyright Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)

* @link http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project

* @since 0.2.9

* @license MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)

// for built-in server

if (php_sapi_name() === 'cli-server') {

$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] = '/' . basename(__FILE__);

$url = parse_url(urldecode($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']));

$file = __DIR__ . $url['path'];

if (strpos($url['path'], '..') === false && strpos($url['path'], '.') !== false && is_file($file)) {

return false;

}

require dirname(__DIR__) . '/config/bootstrap.php';

use Cake\Network\Request;

use Cake\Network\Response;

use Cake\Routing\DispatcherFactory;

$dispatcher = DispatcherFactory::create();

$dispatcher->dispatch(

Request::createFromGlobals(),

new Response()

);

bootstrap.php setup basic environment and dispatcher created by DispatcherFactory handles request.

I picked up the important part of bootstrap.php.

bootstrap.php

// Only try to load DebugKit in development mode
// Debug Kit should not be installed on a production system
if (Configure::read('debug')) {
Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true]);
}
/**
* Connect middleware/dispatcher filters.
*/
DispatcherFactory::add('Asset');
DispatcherFactory::add('Routing');
DispatcherFactory::add('ControllerFactory');

// Only try to load DebugKit in development mode

// Debug Kit should not be installed on a production system

if (Configure::read('debug')) {

Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true]);

}

/**

* Connect middleware/dispatcher filters.

DispatcherFactory::add('Asset');

DispatcherFactory::add('Routing');

DispatcherFactory::add('ControllerFactory');

Plugin::load and DispatcherFactory::add registers distcher filters. Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true]); works according to settings in app.php. app.php is a sort of configuration file. (related article: CakePHP3 Config File for Each Environment)。

`Plugin::load`

Let’s read comment.

/**
* Loads a plugin and optionally loads bootstrapping,
* routing files or runs an initialization function.
*
* Plugins only need to be loaded if you want bootstrapping/routes/cli commands to
* be exposed. If your plugin does not expose any of these features you do not need
* to load them.
*
* This method does not configure any autoloaders. That must be done separately either
* through composer, or your own code during config/bootstrap.php.
*
* ### Examples:
*
* `Plugin::load('DebugKit')`
*
* Will load the DebugKit plugin and will not load any bootstrap nor route files.
* However, the plugin will be part of the framework default routes, and have its
* CLI tools (if any) available for use.
*
* `Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true, 'routes' => true])`
*
* Will load the bootstrap.php and routes.php files.
*
* `Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => false, 'routes' => true])`
*
* Will load routes.php file but not bootstrap.php
*
* `Plugin::load('FOC/Authenticate')`
*
* Will load plugin from `plugins/FOC/Authenticate`.
*
* It is also possible to load multiple plugins at once. Examples:
*
* `Plugin::load(['DebugKit', 'ApiGenerator'])`
*
* Will load the DebugKit and ApiGenerator plugins.
*
* `Plugin::load(['DebugKit', 'ApiGenerator'], ['bootstrap' => true])`
*
* Will load bootstrap file for both plugins
*
* ```
*   Plugin::load([
*     'DebugKit' => ['routes' => true],
*     'ApiGenerator'
*     ],
*     ['bootstrap' => true])
* ```
*
* Will only load the bootstrap for ApiGenerator and only the routes for DebugKit
*
* ### Configuration options
*
* - `bootstrap` - array - Whether or not you want the $plugin/config/bootstrap.php file loaded.
* - `routes` - boolean - Whether or not you want to load the $plugin/config/routes.php file.
* - `ignoreMissing` - boolean - Set to true to ignore missing bootstrap/routes files.
* - `path` - string - The path the plugin can be found on. If empty the default plugin path (App.pluginPaths) will be used.
* - `classBase` - The path relative to `path` which contains the folders with class files.
*    Defaults to "src".
* - `autoload` - boolean - Whether or not you want an autoloader registered. This defaults to false. The framework
*   assumes you have configured autoloaders using composer. However, if your application source tree is made up of
*   plugins, this can be a useful option.
*
* @param string|array $plugin name of the plugin to be loaded in CamelCase format or array or plugins to load
* @param array $config configuration options for the plugin
* @throws \Cake\Core\Exception\MissingPluginException if the folder for the plugin to be loaded is not found
* @return void
*/

/**

* Loads a plugin and optionally loads bootstrapping,

* routing files or runs an initialization function.

* Plugins only need to be loaded if you want bootstrapping/routes/cli commands to

* be exposed. If your plugin does not expose any of these features you do not need

* to load them.

* This method does not configure any autoloaders. That must be done separately either

* through composer, or your own code during config/bootstrap.php.

* ### Examples:

* `Plugin::load('DebugKit')`

* Will load the DebugKit plugin and will not load any bootstrap nor route files.

* However, the plugin will be part of the framework default routes, and have its

* CLI tools (if any) available for use.

* `Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true, 'routes' => true])`

* Will load the bootstrap.php and routes.php files.

* `Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => false, 'routes' => true])`

* Will load routes.php file but not bootstrap.php

* `Plugin::load('FOC/Authenticate')`

* Will load plugin from `plugins/FOC/Authenticate`.

* It is also possible to load multiple plugins at once. Examples:

* `Plugin::load(['DebugKit', 'ApiGenerator'])`

* Will load the DebugKit and ApiGenerator plugins.

* `Plugin::load(['DebugKit', 'ApiGenerator'], ['bootstrap' => true])`

* Will load bootstrap file for both plugins

* ```

* Plugin::load([

* 'DebugKit' => ['routes' => true],

* 'ApiGenerator'

* ],

* ['bootstrap' => true])

* ```

* Will only load the bootstrap for ApiGenerator and only the routes for DebugKit

* ### Configuration options

* - `bootstrap` - array - Whether or not you want the $plugin/config/bootstrap.php file loaded.

* - `routes` - boolean - Whether or not you want to load the $plugin/config/routes.php file.

* - `ignoreMissing` - boolean - Set to true to ignore missing bootstrap/routes files.

* - `path` - string - The path the plugin can be found on. If empty the default plugin path (App.pluginPaths) will be used.

* - `classBase` - The path relative to `path` which contains the folders with class files.

* Defaults to "src".

* - `autoload` - boolean - Whether or not you want an autoloader registered. This defaults to false. The framework

* assumes you have configured autoloaders using composer. However, if your application source tree is made up of

* plugins, this can be a useful option.

* @param string|array $plugin name of the plugin to be loaded in CamelCase format or array or plugins to load

* @param array $config configuration options for the plugin

* @throws \Cake\Core\Exception\MissingPluginException if the folder for the plugin to be loaded is not found

* @return void

From the comment, we can know Plugin::load('DebugKit', ['bootstrap' => true]) execute bootstrap.php in every plugins.

DispatcherFactory::add($debugBar) registers DebugBarFilter as a filter of DispatcherFactory. Until to reach DispatcherFactory::add($debugBar), load several configuration values, which change according to app.php.

After loading DebugKit, it adds 3 kinds of class with DispatcherFactory::add.

`DispatcherFactory::add`

This method add middle-ware object to be executed.

/**
* Add a new middleware object to the stack of middleware
* that will be executed.
*
* Instances of filters will be re-used across all sub-requests
* in a request.
*
* @param string|\Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter $filter Either the classname of the filter
*   or an instance to use.
* @param array $options Constructor arguments/options for the filter if you are using a string name.
*   If you are passing an instance, this argument will be ignored.
* @return \Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter
*/
public static function add($filter, array $options = [])
{
if (is_string($filter)) {
$filter = static::_createFilter($filter, $options);
}
static::$_stack[] = $filter;
return $filter;
}

/**

* Add a new middleware object to the stack of middleware

* that will be executed.

* Instances of filters will be re-used across all sub-requests

* in a request.

* @param string|\Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter $filter Either the classname of the filter

* or an instance to use.

* @param array $options Constructor arguments/options for the filter if you are using a string name.

* If you are passing an instance, this argument will be ignored.

* @return \Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter

public static function add($filter, array $options = [])

{

if (is_string($filter)) {

$filter = static::_createFilter($filter, $options);

}

static::$_stack[] = $filter;

return $filter;

}

All of arguments for add method are string, 'Asset', 'Routing', 'ControllerFactory'. So the return value of _createFilter method will be added into static::$_stack.

Let’s see the return value of _createFilter.

`_createFilter`

/**
* Create an instance of a filter.
*
* @param string $name The name of the filter to build.
* @param array $options Constructor arguments/options for the filter.
* @return \Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter
* @throws \Cake\Routing\Exception\MissingDispatcherFilterException When filters cannot be found.
*/
protected static function _createFilter($name, $options)
{
$className = App::className($name, 'Routing/Filter', 'Filter');
if (!$className) {
$msg = sprintf('Cannot locate dispatcher filter named "%s".', $name);
throw new MissingDispatcherFilterException($msg);
}
return new $className($options);
}

/**

* Create an instance of a filter.

* @param string $name The name of the filter to build.

* @param array $options Constructor arguments/options for the filter.

* @return \Cake\Routing\DispatcherFilter

* @throws \Cake\Routing\Exception\MissingDispatcherFilterException When filters cannot be found.

protected static function _createFilter($name, $options)

{

$className = App::className($name, 'Routing/Filter', 'Filter');

if (!$className) {

$msg = sprintf('Cannot locate dispatcher filter named "%s".', $name);

throw new MissingDispatcherFilterException($msg);

}

return new $className($options);

}

This method creates an instance of filter class, it is obvious from the comment.

App::className generates class name with namespace from argument. I wrote more detail in the article CakePHP 3 read. In this case, add method is called with argument 'Asset', 'Routing', 'ControllerFactory', and added Routing\Filter\AssetFilter, Routing\Filter\RoutingFilter, Routing\Filter\ControllerFactoryFilter were returned as return value of _createFilter method.

As for now, 4 instance were inserted into static::$_stack.

DebugKit\Routing\Filter\DebugBarFilter
Cake\Routing\Filter\AssetFilter
Cake\Routing\Filter\RoutingFilter
Cake\Routing\Filter\ControllerFactoryFilter

The remain code of index.php is the following 5 lines.

$dispatcher = DispatcherFactory::create();
$dispatcher->dispatch(
Request::createFromGlobals(),
new Response()
);

$dispatcher = DispatcherFactory::create();

$dispatcher->dispatch(

Request::createFromGlobals(),

new Response()

);

Continued to CakePHP 3 the Way to Reach Controller Invoking Part 2 of 3.

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