Please, don't convert $table to a string

[Ilya Hoilik]

Hello!

What's a reason to convert \IPS\Helpers\Table to a string? In some places I see something like this:

\IPS\Output::i()->output = (string) $table;

/* or */

\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'group' )->template( (string) $table );

Can you please avoid converting to a string? It will allow us to hook into a method and change something in the table without touching original code. So, for example, let's test this code:

 

When you convert $table to a string we can do nothing with it:

When you don't convert it, then we can easy change something we need:

In the second case we stay original code untouched, that is better than replacing a whole method.

[CodingJungle]

in your second example:

\IPS\Output::i()->output = \IPS\Theme::i()->getTemplate( 'group' )->template( (string) $table );

printing/echoing of \IPS\Output::i()->output will return a string any way, even if $table wasn't being casted to a string, cause the template would've done that if they did {$table|raw} inside the template. however your first one, i could see there isn't a need to cast to string.

however, i would ask, is there no other way to hook into what you need, before that point?

[bfarber]

What are you trying to accomplish exactly? Typically we want the data as a string, which is why we cast it.

[Ilya Hoilik]

Add a new filter option and new fields to the advanced search

13 hours ago, CodingJungle said:

cause the template would've done that if they did {$table|raw} inside the template

But we can hook into that template and change $table in the template's PHP method  

[Ilya Hoilik]

13 hours ago, CodingJungle said:

however, i would ask, is there no other way to hook into what you need, before that point

I'm not actually sure, but I think there's not.