Extensible link system

LinkSpec

SproutCMS features a way to register arbitrary types of content which can be linked to from within any kind of record. Each type of content has its own link specification, LinkSpec, which defines an interface for configuring the link, and what the resulting URL to the content will be.

For example, the LinkSpecPage class defines a link to a page.

There are three methods which each LinkSpec needs to implement:

getEditForm - This provides the interface for selecting the item to link to. In the case of LinkSpecPage, this provides a dropdown which selects the page ID.

isValid - This checks that the chosen item is valid.

getUrl - This converts the reference to the chosen item (usually an ID) to a URL used to access it.

To add an arbitrary new kind of content which can be linked to, you simply create a helper which extends LinkSpec, then register that helper as a selectable link specification.

The following example registers blog posts as a type of content which can be linked to:

modules/Blogs/sprout_load.php

<?php
use Sprout\Helpers\Register;
 
Register::linkspec('\\SproutModules\\Karmabunny\\Blogs\\Helpers\\LinkSpecBlog', 'Blog Post');

RteLibrary

SproutCMS also provides a means of linking to arbitrary content from within a rich text field. Each type of content has its own RteLibrary implementation.

Each new RteLibrary needs to implement two methods: search, and browse.

Both of these just return an array containing RteLibContainer and/or RteLibObject elements.

An RteLibContainer represents a group (e.g. a folder, a category, etc.) while an RteLibObject represents an item of content to link to (e.g. a page, blog post, etc.).

Each RteLibrary type needs to be registered as well, e.g.:

sprout/sprout_load.php

<?php
use Sprout\Helpers\Register;
 
Register::rteLibrary('\\Sprout\\Helpers\\RteLibraryPages');