List behavior is a controller modifier used for easily adding a record list to a page. The behavior provides the sortable and searchable list with optional links on its records.
List behavior depends on form column definitions and a model class. In order to use the list behavior you should add it to the $implement field of the controller class. Also, the $relationConfig class property should be defined and its value should refer to the YAML file used for configuring the behavior options.
namespace Acme\Blog\Controllers;
class Categories extends \Backend\Classes\Controller {
public $implement = [
'Backend.Behaviors.ListController'
];
public $listConfig = 'list_config.yaml';
Note: Very often the list and form behavior are used together in a same controller.
The configuration file referred in the $listConfig property is defined in YAML format. The file should be placed into the controller's views directory. Below is an example of a typical list behavior configuration file:
# ===================================
# List Behavior Config
# ===================================
title: Blog Posts
list: @/plugins/acme/blog/models/post/columns.yaml
modelClass: Acme\Blog\Models\Post
recordUrl: acme/blog/posts/update/:id
The following fields are required in the list configuration file:
- title - a title for this list.
- list - a reference to list column definition file, see list columns.
- modelClass - a model class name to load the list data.
The configuration options listed below are optional.
- recordUrl - link each list record to another page. Eg: users/update:id. The
:idpart is replaced with the record identifier. This allows you to link the list behavior and the form behavior. - noRecordsMessage - a message to display when no records are found, can refer to a localization string.
- recordsPerPage - records to display per page, use 0 for no pages. Default: 0
- toolbar - reference to a Toolbar Widget configuration file, or an array with configuration (see below).
- showSorting - displays the sorting link on each column. Default: true
- defaultSort - sets a default sorting column and direction when user preference is not defined. Supports a string or an array with keys
columnanddirection. - showCheckboxes - displays checkboxes next to each record. Default: false.
- showSetup - displays the list column set up button. Default: false.
- showTree - displays a tree hierarchy for parent/child records. Default: false.
- treeExpanded - if tree nodes should be expanded by default. Default: true.
To include a toolbar with the list add the following configuration to the list configuration YAML file:
toolbar:
buttons: list_toolbar
search:
prompt: Find records
The toolbar configuration allows:
- buttons - a reference to a controller partial file with the toolbar buttons. Eg: _list_toolbar.htm
- search - reference to a Search Widget configuration file, or an array with configuration.
The search configuration supports the following fields:
- prompt - A placeholder to display when there is no active search, can refer to a localization string.
The toolbar buttons partial referred above should contain the toolbar control definition with some buttons. The partial could also contain a scoreboard control with charts. Example of a toolbar partial with the New Post button referring to the create action provided by the form behavior:
<div data-control="toolbar">
<a
href="<?= Backend::url('acme/blog/posts/create') ?>"
class="btn btn-primary oc-icon-plus">New Post</a>
</div>
List columns are defined with the YAML file. The column configuration is used by the list behavior for creating the record table and displaying model columns in the table cells. The file is placed to a subdirectory of the models directory of a plugin. The subdirectory name matches the model class name written in lowercase. The file name doesn't matter, but the columns.yaml and list_columns.yaml are common names. Example list columns file location:
plugins/
acme/
blog/
models/ <=== Plugin models directory
post/ <=== Model configuration directory
list_columns.yaml <=== Model list columns config file
Post.php <=== model class
The next example shows a typical contents of the list column definitions file.
# ===================================
# List Column Definitions
# ===================================
columns:
name: Name
email: Email
For each column can specify these options (where applicable):
- label - a name when displaying the list column to the user.
- type - defines how this column should be rendered (see Column types below).
- options - options used by a render type used (optional).
- searchable - include this field in the list search results. Default: no.
- invisible - specifies if this column is hidden by default. Default: no.
- sortable - specifies if this column can be sorted. Default: yes.
- select - defines a custom SQL select statement.
- relation - defines a relationship column.
text - displays a text column, aligned left
full_name:
label: Full Name
type: text
number - displays a number column, aligned right
age:
label: Age
type: number
switch - displays a on or off state for boolean fields.
enabled:
label: Enabled
type: switch
datetime - displays the column value as a formatted date and time. The next example displays dates as Thu, Dec 25, 1975 2:15 PM.
created_at:
label: Date
type: datetime
You can also specify a custom date format, for example Thursday 25th of December 1975 02:15:16 PM:
created_at:
label: Date
type: datetime
format: l jS \of F Y h:i:s A
date - displays the column value as date format M j, Y
created_at:
label: Date
type: date
time - displays the column value as time format g:i A
created_at:
label: Date
type: time
timesince - displays a human readable time difference from the value to the current time. Eg: 10 minutes ago
created_at:
label: Date
type: timesince
select - allows to create a column using a custom select statement. Any valid SQL SELECT statement works here.
full_name:
label: Full Name
select: concat(first_name, ' ', last_name)
relation - allows to display related columns, you can provide a relationship option. The value of this option has to be the name of the Active Record relationship on your model. In the next example the @name value will be translated to a fully qualified reference (eg: table.name).
group:
label: Group
relation: groups
select: @name
Usually lists are displayed in the index view. As lists include the toolbar, a view can consist from the single listRender() method call:
<?= $this->listRender() ?>
Sometimes you may wish to use your own logic along with the list. You can use your own index() action method in the controller, then call the List behavior index() method.
public function index()
{
//
// Do any custom code here
//
// Call the ListController behavior index() method
$this->getClassExtension('Backend.Behaviors.ListController')->index();
}