This lesson will guide you through setting up your first custom application and getting output to show on the screen. It is also intended to help you familiarize yourself with the structure of an application and with the tools you will use to build complex modifications.
Topics
- Creating an application
- Overview of application structure
- Overview of development center
- Creating a module and controller
- Page output
Before you begin
You must be in Developer's Mode in order to create a new application. Details on enabling Developer's Mode can be found at:
- Login to the ACP and go to System -> Applications.
- Press "Create New"
-
Enter the following field values:
- Application Title: IPS Tutorial
- Application Directory: ipstutorial
- Author Name: your name
- Press Save
When creating a new application, the Application Directory must be unique to each installation. Make sure to use a value that is relevant to the application but is unlikely to be used by another contributor. Duplicate directory names will cause conflicts and can introduce critical consequences.
Once you create your application, a folder with your Application Directory name will be created in the "applications" directory of your installation. It will have the following folders:
data
contains json and XML files used to build and install your application. These files should NEVER be edited manually (with the exception of furl.json) unless you are 100000000% certain you know what you are doing.
dev
Used only in developer mode. This contains all language strings, HTML templates, JavaScript, email templates, and resources specific to your application. This directory is discussed in more detail later in this article.
extensions
All extension classes (such as navigation, membersync, etc) for your application.
hooks
Any hooks used by your application. You can find more information on hooks at
interface
Any code that needs to be accessible externally. Not used often.
modules
The modules directory contains two folders - admin and front. admin contains all the modules and controllers used by the ACP, front contains modules and controllers used by the front end.
setup
Installation and upgrade scripts, as well as SQL queries required to upgrade between versions. Most files here are automatically generated.
sources
Classes specific to your application
tasks
Any tasks that will be executed by the System Scheduler
Other folders may be generated in your application directory, depending on what functionality you add. These include:
api
Contains any methods that will be exposed via the REST API. This directory would be created manually by you (the developer).
widgets
Class files for all widgets created for your application
dev folder
The dev folder for an application is where you will create most of your client-side code. It contains the following sub-directories:
css
All CSS files for your application. The css directory can contain up to 3 sub-folders: admin, global, and front. Be sure you create your CSS file in the appropriate location.
email
Email templates (both plain-text and HTML) for any notifications and/or digests that will be sent by your application. For more information, see
html
HTML templates for your application. This directory can contain up to 3 sub-folders: admin, global, and front. For more information on template creation, see https://invisionpower.com/4guides/themes-and-customizations/template-syntax/.
js
All JavaScript files required by your application. This does not include any 3rd-party JavaScript, that should be packaged in your interface folder. For details on how to create IPS JavaScript files, see https://invisionpower.com/4guides/themes-and-customizations/javascript-framework/
resources
Any other files (e.g. images) required by your application.
The dev folder also contains 2 files: jslang.php and lang.php. These files include all language strings used by your application. For more information on language strings, see https://invisioncommunity.com/developers/docs/development/plugins/creating-language-strings-in-plugins-r48/
Most of your work will begin in the Developer Center. The Developer Center will assist you in setting up your database structure, as well as generating the proper PHP templates for various Classes.
To access the Developer Center
- Login to the ACP
- Go to System -> Applications
- Find your application in the list
- From the menu on the right, choose Developer Center
The Developer Center contains several tabs. Each of the tabs is briefly described below; for additional information, please find the appropriate documentation article or post a question in the forums.
Admin CP Menu
Defines the ACP menu items for this application. This tab is automatically populated when you create Admin modules and the appropriate language strings, however, you can use it to rearrange or create non-default menu items.
Admin CP Restrictions
Any ACP restrictions that will be checked by the application. Restrictions defined here will appear when adding a new Administrator under Members -> Staff -> Administrators.
Database Schema
Used to create and modify database tables used by your application.
Extensions
Create and manage any extension files used by your application. The Extensions tab contains a line for each application that accepts extensions; currently this is only "core" and "nexus". Here you will define things like custom advertisement locations, profile tabs, front navigation menu items, custom nexus items, file storage, and more. When you create an extension here, a class template is generated in the corresponding folder in your "extensions" directory. These templates are well commented and usually relatively easy to understand.
Hooks
Define code or theme hooks used by your application. For more information about hooks, see https://invisionpower.com/4docs/advanced-usage/development/plugins-r71/.
Modules - Admin
Define modules and controllers used in the ACP for your application. Files and folders will be generated in your modules/admin directory.
Recommended: Unless your application requires a large number of menu items (like Commerce or Pages), it is preferable to create a single admin module with all your controllers. Additionally, when creating the controller, you should set the "menu tab" field to "community" (or another appropriate existing tab).
Modules - Front
Defines modules and controllers used on the front end of your application. Files and folders will be generated in your modules/front directory.
Settings
Define all system settings used by your application. Typically, you will also need to create a settings controller in your admin module to allow the Administrator to modify these settings. (Unlike previous versions of IPS, there is no central location for Administrators to view and edit all system settings.)
Tasks
Any scheduled tasks run by your application. Files will be generated in your tasks directory.
Versions
Manage versions of your application. You can also use this tab to enter custom SQL queries that will be executed when upgrading to a specific version (queries that do NOT pertain to the tables in your Database Schema, for example, if you add a field to the groups table). If you require more complex processes to be run on upgrade, use this tab to create an upgrade.php file.
Widgets
Create widgets that can be used in the sidebar or in Pages. Widgets created here generally relate to content within your application. Files will be generated in your widgets directory.
Modules & Controllers
All pages that are accessible within the IPS suite are generated by modules and controllers. A module is a directory within an application and it contains several controllers. A controller is a class that accepts input from the browser, calls the source classes to handle business logic, and generates page output.
Every action that can be performed by a user must have an associated method within a controller. The default method for a controller is manage.
There are two kinds of modules: admin and front. Admin modules are accessible from within the ACP. Front modules are accessible from the public site.
Create a front module and controller:
- Open the Developer Center for the IPS Tutorial application
- Click on the Modules - Front tab
- Press Add Module
- In the Module Key field, type hello
-
Press Save
- From the menu to the right of the new module, click the “+” icon to add a controller
- In the Filename field, type hello
- Press Save
The above steps will have generated a file in your application. You can find it under applications/ipstutorial/modules/front/hello/hello.php.
A default controller contains the following:
class _hello extends \IPS\Dispatcher\Controller
{
/**
* Execute
*
* @return void
*/
public function execute()
{
parent::execute();
}
/**
* ...
*
* @return void
*/
protected function manage()
{
// This is the default method if no 'do' parameter is specified
}
// Create new methods with the same name as the 'do' parameter which should execute it
}
Key points:
- Your controller can be accessed by http://localhost/index.php?app=ipstutorial&module=hello&controller=hello. Substitute http://localhost/index.php for the root URL of your development environment.
- The controller extends \IPS\Dispatcher\Controller. This is the simplest controller class and handles basic routing.
- All controllers must have a manage method. This is the method that will be called if no action has been specified. Actions are called using the “do” query parameter.
- Example: http://localhost/index.php?app=ipstutorial&module=hello&controller=hello&do=sayhi will look for a method called sayhi
- http://localhost/index.php?app=ipstutorial&module=hello&controller=hello will use the default manage method
Page Output
Page output is handled using templates. All templates have a .phtml extension and are created in the dev/html folder of your application.
The dev/html folder can contain 3 directories:
- admin - templates specific to the ACP
- front - templates specific to the public pages
- global - templates used by both the ACP and the public pages
Within each subdirectory, you can create any number of directories. Each of those directories is called a “template group”.
Creating a template
- Create a new folder called front under applications/ipstutorial/dev/html/front/
- Create a new folder called hello under applications/ipstutorial/dev/html/front/hello
- Create a new file called hello.phtml under applications/ipstutorial/dev/html/front/hello
- Paste the following into your new hello.phtml file
<ips:template parameters=""/> <div class="ipsType_center ipsType_large cHello">{lang="hello_world"}</div>
Every template must begin with the <ips:template> tag, and it must be on its own line. Failure to include this line will generate an error.
{lang="hello_world"} tells the suite to look for a language string with this key. You must have a corresponding language key defined within your application.
Adding a language string
- Open applications/ipstutorial/dev/lang.php
- Current contents of the file:
<?php $lang = array( '__app_ipstutorial' => "IPS Tutorial" );
Add another element to the array
<?php $lang = array( '__app_ipstutorial' => "IPS Tutorial", 'hello_world' => "Hello World" );
The key is the language string referenced in your template (or elsewhere in your application). The value is the text that will be displayed on the screen.
Language strings must be unique across the entire suite. When creating a new language string, you should try to use a prefix that will ensure it will be unique. Example: ipstutorial_hello_world. For more common language strings, you should also check that your key does not match an existing one within the IPS suite.
Language strings can also be called from within a PHP class, as follows:
\IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' );
We’ll also need one more language string for the module title.
<?php $lang = array( '__app_ipstutorial' => "IPS Tutorial", 'module__ipstutorial_hello' => "Hi", 'hello_world' => "Hello World" );
All modules are automatically added to the breadcrumbs on the page. The language string key will be module__application_module.
Calling the template
The final step is to have the controller use the template to show output on the page. Open your hello.php controller and modify the manage method as follows:
protected function manage()
{
\IPS\Output::i()->title = \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' );
\IPS\Output::i()->breadcrumb[] = array( null, \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' ) );
\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'hello', 'ipstutorial', 'front' )->hello();
}
Let’s examine the above code in detail.
\IPS\Output::i()->title = \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' );
This sets the page title. You’ll notice that it uses the same language string we created previously for the template. You can create an additional language string in your lang.php file if you would like to use a different value for your page title.
\IPS\Output::i()->breadcrumb[] = array( null, \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' ) );
This adds a breadcrumb to the page. Each breadcrumb is an array with two elements. The first element is a URL or a null value to make the breadcrumb non-clickable. The second element is the title of the breadcrumb.
\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'hello', 'ipstutorial', 'front' )->hello();
The final piece calls the template we created. The getTemplate method accepts 3 parameters: template group, application, and location. The template group is the name of the folder (dev/html/front/hello). The application is your application directory. The location can be admin, front, or global (depending on where your template is stored).
Only the template group is required. If unspecified, the application will default to the current application, and the location will default to the current location (admin or front), depending on where your controller is located. Therefore, the same template can be called as follows:
\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'hello' )->hello();
Testing
You can now call your controller at http://localhost/index.php?app=ipstutorial&module=hello&controller=hello. You should see a page similar to this:
Making it pretty
You may wish to add custom CSS to improve the display of your page. All CSS is contained in the dev/css folder of your application.
The dev/css folder can contain 3 directories:
- admin
- front
- global
The directories above use the same logic as the directories under dev/html.
- Create a folder called front under applications/ipstutorial/dev/css
- Create a file called hello.css under applications/ipstutorial/dev/css/front
- Paste the following into your new hello.css file
.cHello {
font-size: 24px;
color: red;
}
You’ll notice we added a new line to our method.
protected function manage()
{
\IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles = array_merge( \IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles, \IPS\Theme::i()->css( 'hello.css', 'ipstutorial', 'front' ) );
\IPS\Output::i()->title = \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' );
\IPS\Output::i()->breadcrumb[] = array( null, \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->language()->addToStack( 'hello_world' ) );
\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'hello', 'ipstutorial', 'front' )->hello();
}
\IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles = array_merge( \IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles, \IPS\Theme::i()->css( 'hello.css', 'ipstutorial', 'front' ) );
The above adds our new CSS file to the list of CSS files that are already loaded. \IPS\Theme::i()->css() accepts 3 parameters: the name of the file, the application, and the location. The logic is similar to the HTML output, where the second and third parameters are optional. Therefore, the above is identical to
\IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles = array_merge( \IPS\Output::i()->cssFiles, \IPS\Theme::i()->css( 'hello.css' ) );
When you re-test your page, it should now look similar to this:
Congratulations! You’ve created your first application.
Report Document