# Controllers in QloApps

A Controller handles and keeps up to date, synchronization events between the View and the Model in an MVC architecture. It is responsible for handling all events and performs actions to be taken. If an action is required to modify data, the Controller will "ask" the Model to adjust the data, and the Model will then inform the View that the data has been modified so that the View itself can be updated.

In reality, all QloApps controllers override the Controller class via another inheriting class:

AdminController
FrontController

You can find these in the folder /classes/controller.

# The FrontController class

Class' characteristics are mentioned below:

Property	Description
$template	Template name for page content.
$css_files	Array list of CSS files.
$js_files	Array list of JavaScript files.
$errors	Array of errors that have occurred.
$guestAllowed	Whether a signed-out customer can access the page.
$initialized	Whether the init() function has been called.
$iso	The ISO code of the currently selected language.
$n	The number of items per page.
$orderBy	The field used to sort.
$orderWay	Whether the sort is ascending or descending (ASC or DESC).
$p	Current number of the page.
$ajax	If the ajax parameter is detected in request, set this flag to true.

# Execution order of the controllers' functions

_contruct(): Sets all the controller's member variables.
init(): Initializes the controller.
setMedia() or setMobileMedia(): Adds all JavaScript and CSS specifics to the page so that they can be combined, compressed and cached (see QloApps's CCC tool, in the back office "Performance" page, under the "Advanced preferences" menu).
postProcess(): Handles ajaxProcess.
initHeader(): Called before initContent().
initContent(): Initializes the content.
initFooter(): Called after initContent().
display() or displayAjax(): Displays the content for page for page or ajax request. For all ajax requests displayAjax() is used instead.

# Existing front office controllers

Below are the default controllers, as well as the theme files used by them.

Controller's Filename	Description
AddressController.php	Used to edit a customer's address.
AuthController.php	Used for customer login.
CartController.php	Used to manage the customer's cart.
CategoryController	Used to display search results page.
CmsController.php	Used to get a CMS page.
ContactController.php	Used to send service messages.
DiscountController.php	Used to get a customer's vouchers.
GuestTrackingController.php	Used to manage guest orders.
HistoryController.php	Used to get a customer's orders.
IdentityController.php	Used to edit customer's personal info.
IndexController.php	Used to display the homepage.
MyAccountController.php	Used to manage customer account.
OrderConfirmationController.php	Used for order confirmation.
OrderDetailController.php	Used to get a customer order.
OrderFollowController.php	Used to get a customer's returns.
OrderOpcController.php	Used to manage one-page checkout.
OrderReturnController.php	Used to manage booking cancellations.
OrderSlipController.php	Used to get a customer's credit slips.
PageNotFoundController.php	Used to display the "Page not found" page.
ParentOrderController.php	Manages shared order code.
PasswordController.php	Used to reset a lost password.
PdfInvoiceController.php	Used to generate invoice PDF files.
PdfOrderSlipController.php	Used to generate credit slip PDF files.
ProductController.php	Used to display a room type page.
SearchController.php	Used to display search results.
SitemapController.php	Used to display the sitemap.

# The AdminController class

Class' characteristics are mentioned below:

Property	Description
$controller_name	Name of the controller.
$css_files	Array list of CSS files.
$js_files	Array list of JavaScript files.
$errors	Array of errors that have occurred.
$token	Admin tokens to verify request authenticity.
$table	Table used by controller to access data .
$className	Class name to with table object model.
$ajax	If the ajax parameter is detected in request, set this flag to true.

# Execution order of the controllers' functions

_contruct(): Sets all the controller's member variables.
init(): Initializes the controller.
setMedia() or setMobileMedia(): Adds all JavaScript and CSS specifics to the page so that they can be combined, compressed and cached (see QloApps's CCC tool, in the back office "Performance" page, under the "Advanced preferences" menu).
postProcess(): Handles ajaxProcess.
initHeader(): Called before initContent().
initContent(): Initializes the content.
initFooter(): Called after initContent().
display(): Displays the content for page for page.

# Overriding a controller

Thanks to object inheritance, you can adjust the behaviors of a controller, or add some new ones.

QloApps controllers are all stored in the /controllers folder, and use the "Core" suffix.

For instance, when working with the Category controller:

File: /controllers/CategoryController.php
Class: CategoryControllerCore

For overriding a controller, first you have to build a new class without the "Core" suffix, and place its file in the /override/controllers folder.

For example, when the Category Controller is overridden:

File: /override/controllers/front/CategoryController.php
Class: CategoryController extends CategoryControllerCore

Now to override core class method, redefine the method in the parent class again in the child class.

class CategoryController extends CategoryControllerCore
{
    public function initContent()
    {
        //your logic here
        if ($this->category->active) {
            $this->context->smarty->assign('category_active', true);
        }
        parent::initContent()
    }
}

Classes can be overridden same as controller.

Module Override To override a module class place the class in override folder as it as the exists in QloApps folder.

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