<?php $this->Session->setFlash('Random message that appears only once'); ?>

We can style this message the way we want but what about having these kind of messages that are style differently depending on what kind of messages we show (error, success, warning or general messages ).

The easy way to do it is to create our own helper. So let’s go to app/views/helpers folder and create the helper. Create a new file and rename it to flash.php and put the following code in it:


<?php
class FlashHelper extends Helper {

function show() {
$messages = $this->Session->read('messages');
$html = '<ul class="system_messages">';
if($messages) {
foreach ($messages as $type => $msgs) {
foreach ($msgs as $msg) {
if (!empty($msg)) {
$html .= "<li class='$type'><span class='ico'></span><strong class='system_title'>$msg</strong></li>";
}
}
}
$html .= "</ul>";
$this->Session->del('messages');
return $this->output( $html );
}
}
}
?>


As you can see the show() function read the messages stored in the session. Each read message is written back inside a <li> tag that has a different class $type.

Now go ahead and edit your app_controller.php file located in the app folder.
If you already have the helpers array written in it then add the Flash helper to the array. If not then put this code in the file:


var $helpers = array('Flash');


Now add the function below to the app_controller.php as well:


function flash( $message, $class = 'status' ) {
$old = $this->Session->read('messages');
$old[$class][] = $message;
$this->Session->write('messages', $old );
}


Create different css styles for the types of message you want to display (error, success, warning or general messages).

Now to add a flash message you have to use the flash helper instead of the session flash component.
So … instead of:


$this->Session->setFlash('A cool message that is a warning!');


you will use :


$this->flash('A cool message that is a warning!', 'warning');


My Example

I created the following CSS styles: white, red, green, blue, yellow.

Now all I have to do is this:


$this->flash('This is a simple notification message', 'white');
$this->flash('This is an error message', 'red');
$this->flash('This is a successful message', 'green');
$this->flash('This is a blue message ', 'blue');
$this->flash('This is a warning message', 'yellow');


inside a function and here’s the result:

Hope you find this useful.

First open app/config/bootstrap.php and set the languages you want available for your website:


Configure::write('Config.languages', array(
'ro' => array(
'language' => 'Romanian',
'locale' => 'rum',
'localeFallback' => 'rum',
'charset' => 'utf-8'
),
'en' => array(
'language' => 'English',
'locale' => 'eng',
'localeFallback' => 'eng',
'charset' => 'utf-8'
),
)
);


I chose english and romanian for this example.

Now open your app controller (app/app_controller.php – create one if you don’t have it) and put this function in it:


function setLanguage() {
if(!isset($this->params['lang'])) $this->params['lang'] = 'ro';
$lang = $this->params['lang'];
App::import('Core', 'i18n');
$I18n =& I18n::getInstance();
$I18n->l10n->get($lang);
foreach (Configure::read('Config.languages') as $lang => $locale) {
if($lang == $this->params['lang'])
$this->params['locale'] = $locale['locale'];
}
}


All you have to modify in this function is the first line (that sets the default language). Change the default language to your chosen one.

It’s now time to create a route depending on the language. Open app/config/routes.php and add this route to it:


Router::connect('/:lang/:controller/:action/*', array('lang' => 'ro'), array('lang' => 'ro|en'));


Of course that this can change depending on the languages you are using and their number. You’re a smart boy so you’ll figure it out.

Now all you have left is to create the language files. Go to app/locale and create 2 folders: rum and en. In each of these folders create another folder called LC_MESSAGES. In the LC_MESSAGES folders you will now store the language files. Language files can be divided so it’s easier for you to store the translations ( .po files ).

For example, you can create a login.po, register.po, account.po and default.po.

In the language files you have to set the message id and message string.

English

msgid "hello"
msgstr "Hello"


Romanian

msgid "hello"
msgstr "Buna ziua"


And now to echo these strings on your website you have to remember the string id and the name of the language file (.po) it is stored in. Example:


<?
__d('default', 'hello', true);
?>


This will take the string with the id “hello” from the default.po file and echo it. And true means that it will echo the string.
Good luck

So I had to create a common database in which to store the users. Since all the websites were built in CakePHP I had to find a way to make it connect to other databases besides the default one.

If you are familiar with CakePHP you know that the database details are kept in app/config/database.php.

The default database array is:


var $default = array(
'driver' => 'mysql',
'persistent' => false,
'host' => 'localhost',
'login' => 'mysqlusername',
'password' => 'mysqlpassword',
'database' => 'mysqldatabase',
'prefix' => ''
);


Since you’re here now add another database array:


var $database2 = array(
'driver' => 'mysql',
'persistent' => false,
'host' => 'localhost',
'login' => 'mysqlusername2',
'password' => 'mysqlpassword2',
'database' => 'mysqldatabase2',
'prefix' => ''
);


Now open up a model you are using. Let’s say we are using the model User ( located in app/models/user.php ). Open the file and add this function to it:


function changeDataSource($newSource) {
parent::setDataSource($newSource);
parent::__construct();
}


Now in the Users controller ( located in app/controllers/users_controller.php ) add this function:


function changeDbSource($database = 'default') {
$db = ConnectionManager::getInstance();
$connected = $db->getDataSource($database);
if($connected->isConnected()) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}


Here’s an example on how to switch between the databases:


function loginUser() {
// The search is made in the default database
$this->User->find('all', array('conditions' => array('User.username' => $username)));

$this->User->changeDataSource('database2');
if($this->changeDbSource('database2')) {
// Do something in database 2
}
}


It’s really easy once you get the hang of it.