How do I use “Main Layout” views in a multi module Phalcon application?

Question

I am using a "multi module" MVC structure for my PhalconPHP application.

One issue I am trying to figure out is how I can configure my "Main Layout" view to be above the module view folders.

In other words I want one master "Main Layout" (as described here) and I want all my modules to output their views at "Controller View" level within that main layout view.

At default it appears the Main Layout view is being taken from

[app]
 [module1]
    [controllers]
    [models]
    [views]
        (main layout is coming from here)
 [module2]
    [controllers]
    [models]
    [views]
        (main layout is coming from here)
 [views]
    (master main layout should come from here?)

I hope this makes sense!

Answer 1

What you are looking for cannot be done at this version (0.5.0 stable) or the next one 0.6.0 (since it is frozen, pending release).

In your module you register your views

// /module1/Module.php

// Registering the view component
$di->set(
    'view', 
    function () {
        $view = new \Phalcon\Mvc\View();
        $view->setViewsDir('../apps/module1/views/');
        return $view;
    }
);

// /module2/Module.php

// Registering the view component
$di->set(
    'view', 
    function () {
        $view = new \Phalcon\Mvc\View();
        $view->setViewsDir('../apps/module2/views/');
        return $view;
    }
);

and so on.

You can also have a master view that will be common for all modules, but not a combination of the two.

//Registering a shared view component
$di->set(
    'view', 
    function() {
    $view = new \Phalcon\Mvc\View();
    $view->setViewsDir('../apps/views/');
    return $view;
    }
);

See this example on Github.

This could very well be a NFR for the 0.7 version.

Answer 2

At Phalcon ver 1.2.4(maybe in earlier versions too) one master "Main Layout" is possible. Phalcon builds lauout's path relatively a ViewsDir, that sets like

$view->setViewsDir('../apps/views/');

So, if set lauout's path relatively that, it's will work

$view->setLayoutsDir('./../../views/');

Maybe the best way to organise that structure to declare view object at application initialization and when in Module.php set ViewsDir:

// Application.php
$di->set('view', function() use ($config) {
    $view = new View();
    $view->setLayoutsDir('./../../views/');
    $view->setLayout('index');
}, true);

and

// /module1/Module.php
$di->get('view')->setViewsDir('../apps/module1/views/');

Answer 3

You can use multiple-shared-layouts Demo or download to see how it works https://github.com/phalcon/mvc/tree/master/multiple-shared-layouts/apps

Or Just add tfor each Module.php

 $di['view'] = function () {
            $view = new View();
            $view->setViewsDir(__DIR__ . '/views/');
            $view->setLayoutsDir('../../common/layouts/');
            $view->setTemplateAfter('main');
            return $view;
        };