I want to discuss a non-code related issue. Rather it's an issue with the concept or data model itself.
I am building a business directory website using Laravel.
I have made a packages table, implemented packages CRUD functionality for the back-end and implemented a packages list, with sign-up buttons for the front-end. When a sign-up button is pressed, the package ID is passed to the sign-up route.
I have added package_id as a foreign key to the users table. But the issue I have now, is that if a user goes directly to the sign-up route, there is no package ID. I therefore would like to sign the user up for a free package.
I can't use a LIKE query because of dynamic packages and can be changed the name and id as well if free package is deleted and again added and how to handle exception if free package was deleted.
Please help me with better methodology.
As you said using a text search to match records is a bad practise, there are lot of ways to correctly address the problem:
Add a boolean field is_free;
if you want to make it unique make it nullable, unique, and default null but remember the value should be null for non-free or true for the only free package or the unique constraint will fail (the field supports multiple null items but only one true or false)
Get the first package where the price equals to zero
Make a foreign key to package_groups and create a "free" group, a bit over-complicated if you do not need to separate packages into groups
Let's assume your package sign-up route is
/sign-up/{package_id?}
note the "?" after package_id, it tells the parameter may be missing.
The logic if i understood it correctly is :
if the package_id is specified sign-in for the package with that id
if the package_id is null register for a free package
The route should be like this:
Route::get('/sing-up/{package_id?}', 'PackageController#signUp');
And the controller should be doing something like this:
PackageController extends Controller{
//....
public signUp($id=null){
$package=($id==null)?Package::free()->first():Package::findOrFail();
//If $package is null there are currently no active free packages
///sign-up logic here...
}
}
Assuming Package::free() is a scope that filters the free packages, an example:
Package extends model{
//....
function scopeFree($query){
return $query->where('is_free',true); //for option 1.
}
}
When you post user data from sign up route then check if the package ID exists then fine use that otherwise get package ID of your free package and then use that to sign them up with package ID.
This is like saying user cannot sign up without a package ID but where do I get package ID when they come direct on sign up. When you post back you will not get package ID or get null or 0 whatever you have in postback or ajax sign up form. Use that to check if its a valid package ID or not then if its not then obtain ID of your free package (you can use any sql to obtain it from packages table only and once you have ID of free package then start signing up user and insert that ID into database and it wont complain). This way you are covered for both scenarios where no package ID is passed or someone try to send a wrong package ID.
Related
The following is a basic drools syntax:
$customer : Customer( )
Account( ) from $customer.accounts
As far as I know the first line create a new variable and assign it to the fact.
However I can't quite understand the second line especially what the "Account()" part means...
You have written class Customer, or must know it to understand what's going on here. Presumably it contains a Collection<Account> accounts (see note), which is (by the engine) retrieved one by one so that the rule fires for each Account object contained in Customer's object.
The rule will fire once for each Account object stored in any of the collections contained in all the Customer facts in working memory, with $customer being bound to the containing Customer.
You can bind another variable to Account.
Note: It could also contain a field Account accounts, but I hope the name was chosen carefully.
I need to create a User-Specific content page, I have registered users and I need to create a module/page/menu/feed or whatever that displays articles that are for only one or some users.
For example, in my site, I show to public some projects (articles redacted as some architecturing project) for example: news, finished projects, etc, some people register and can access to other content that is intended for registered users, for example: new projects that only registered clients would be interested, so far, I managed to make this work, but now, I have work that is for a specific user and he/she only can see it in his/her feed, for example: status of their project made by us, some galleries with photos of the work in progress, etc.
So, This feed must be a module/page/menu that shows articles with a specific category and for registered users. But I want to be able to post an article that is only intended for a specific user or a set of users and shows in this feed (module) or at least a whole new module that shows user-specific content without having to create a category and an access level for each user.
Is there an extension or plug-in that helps me do this?
you need to make do two things:
Make a new user-group (Users->User group) as a sub-group of
registered. Add the users that need the special permission to this
group.
Make a new access-level (Users->access-levels) and add you
new user-group to this access level
Set the access-level on the article(s) that you want to restrict access on.
The module should check the access-level before it displays it to the users, and only display the restricted articles to those that have the correct privileges.
The system don't really support what you ask for, but you could use the following setup:
Make a content-plugin (http://docs.joomla.org/J2.5:Creating_a_content_plugin). In the event onContentPrepareForm, you modify the created_by_alias-field to use it for your special user allowed to view this content article.
function onContentPrepareForm($form, $data){
// first check that context is right
// Then change the type of the field. This should allow to select
// the user when you create the article.
$form->getField('created_by_alias')->__set('type', 'user');
}
In the event onContentPrepareData, check if the data in the created_by_alias references a valid user in the user group your users shoud be in
public function onContentPrepare($context, $article, $params, $page){
// first check that context is right
//Then fetch the user data:
if(is_int($article->created_by_alias)){ // ( Optionally check if the article is in a specific category )
$db=JFactory::getDbo();
$currentuser=JFactory::getUser();
$allowedgroup=2; // the registered users group
$sql="select u.id from #__users inner join #__user_usergroup_map ug (u.id=ug.user_id) where ug.group_id={$allowedgroup}";
$db->setQuery($sql);
$user=$db->loadObject();
if($user->id==$currentuser){
$data->user=$user;
}
else{
//Unset the article content to prevent unothorized users from seeing the content.
unset($article);
}
}
Finally, create a module (http://docs.joomla.org/Creating_a_simple_module) that feeds articles for a particular user, containing at least:
$list=array();
$user=Jfactory::getUser();
if($user->id>0){
$sql="select * from #__content where created_by_alias={$user->id}";
// ( also add sql to check that the user has access,
// the article is published, the correct category etc)
$db=Jfactory::getDbo();
$db->setQuery($sql);
$list=$db->loadObjectList();
if(!count($list)) return;
}
else return;
print_r($list); // Prints the content articles
This scheme should protect unauthorized users from viewing the content of the articles ment for a specific user. The module should (after nicely outputting what you want to display) display a list of articles for the logged inn user. The module can link to the article in the normal way, and the authorized user will have access. So it should be "safe enough", and provide the functionality you need without too much hassle.
I'll try anotherone here:
You could just install a messageing system on your site. UddeIM is one such system. This will allow you to make specific content for your users. UddeIM can be configured so only administrators can send messages. There is also some modules for this component to show latest messages etc.
I want to extend Ion Auth to only allow certain email addresses to register.
I'm fairly sure I could hack this together and get something working, but as a newbie to codeigniter and ion auth I wish to find out if there is a "proper way" to be doing what I need?
For instance can I "extend" ion auth (so I can update ion auth core files without writing over my changes?).
I noticed there are also hooks including this one (in the register function):
$this->ci->ion_auth_model->trigger_events('pre_account_creation');
Where do these resolve and can I use this one in order to intercept registrations from email addresses which don't match a list of those I wish to register?
If so, how would I do it? I would need access to the $email variable from the register() function.
Or is it just a case of altering the base code from ion auth and not updating it in the future?
Thanks for any help you can give me. Don't worry about the email bit, I'm capable of working out whether an email address matches the required email domains, I'm more interested in what is the best way to go about extending the library.
Tom
EDIT: Hi Ben, thanks for your answer, and thanks for taking the time to have a look at my issue. Unfortunately this hasn't helped.
I guess what you're trying to do there is add a little bit to the sql query a "where in" clause? I guess that the where in bit is incorrect as there isn't a column name.
Also, at this point I can't modify the sql query satisfactorily to produce the required output. e.g. I can add a hook to a function which is literally $this->db->where('1=1') and this outputs this sql in the next query:
SELECT COUNT(*) AS `numrows` FROM (`users`) WHERE `1=1` AND `email` = 'rawr#rawr.com'
The AND email = 'rawr#rawr.com' bit will always still return no rows. It should be OR email = 'rawr#rawr.com', but without editing the Ion Auth core code then I won't be able to change this.
I am starting to suspect (from the last couple of hours of tinkering) that I may have to edit the ion auth core in order to achieve this.
Check out this example: https://gist.github.com/2881995
In the end I just wrote a little form_verification callback function which I put in the auth controller of ion_auth which checked through a list of allowed domains. :)
When you validate your form in the auth controller you add a callback:
$this->form_validation->set_rules('email', 'Email Address', required|callback_validate_email');
You create a method in the controller called validate_email:
function validate_email() {
if (strpos($this->input->post('email'), '#mycompany.com') === false) {
$this->form_validation->set_message('validate_email', 'Not official company email address.');
return false;
} else return true;
}
This will cause the creation of the user to fail, since all rules must pass. You also provide an error message. Just make sure to have this line on the form view side:
echo validation_errors();
I have a form that I have users fill out and then it gets e-mailed to me.
I am trying to get an example of how I would create an ID (based on my own conventions) that I can use to keep track of responses (and send back to the user so they can reference it later).
This is the convention I am striving for:
[YEAR]-[SERVICE CODE]-[DATE(MMDD)]-[TIME]
For example: "2012-ABC-0204-1344". I figured to add the TIME convention in the instance that two different users pick the same service on the same date rather than try to figure out how to only apply it IF two users picked the same service on the same date.
So, the scenario is that after the user goes through my wizards inputting their information and then click "Submit" that this unique ID would be created and attached to the model. Maybe something like #Model.UniqueID so that in an e-mail response I send to the user it shows up and says "Reference this ID for any future communication".
Thanks for any advice/help/examples.
In your post action
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Create(YourModel model)
{
model.UniqueId = GenerateUniqueId(serviceCode);
}
public string GenerateUniqueId(string serviceCode)
{
return string.Format("{0}-{1}-{2}", DateTime.Now.Year, serviceCode, Guid.NewGuid().ToString().Replace("-",""); //remove dashes so its fits into your convention
}
but this seems as I'm missing part of your question. If you really want unique, use a Guid. This is what we've used in the past to give to customers - a guid or a portion of one. IF you use a portion of one ensure you have logic to handle a duplicate key. You don't need to worry about this though if using a full guid. If the idea is just to give to a customer then ignore the rest of the data and just use a guid, since it can easily be looked up in the database.
Can Magento view/manage our customers by their business name in addition to their contact names to find them easily? It is being used for B2B, so when emails go out they are pulling the customer’s name, instead of the company name which is more appropriate.
Is this a global setting?
thanks in advance.
Magento stores business name on the customer's address by default, so it's a little harder to get to.
There's no reason you cannot add another customer field to put the company name on the customer record itself. That way you'll have no problem accessing it, and can change other screens in the system to reflect it.
If you don't want to go to those lengths, you could always implement a method that pulls the company name from the default address, and save it into the session by default, for easier retrieval.
EDIT: Better idea.
Looking through the sales email templates, there are two methods that are used to grab a customer's name:
$order->getCustomerName();
$order->getBillingAddress()->getName();
I don't see any separate references to the company name, so you should be able to substitute these two methods for your own and get the desired outcome. You'll need to create your own module and override the models for customer/address and sales/order (others have covered this in depth elsewhere). Then create methods that look something like this:
public function getCustomerName() {
if($this->getBillingAddress()->getCompany()) {
return $this->getBillingAddress()->getCompany();
}
return parent::getCustomerName();
}
That's the example for sales order, modify accordingly for customer. Now your company names will be used whenever available, and when they aren't the fallback will be to the original implementation (customer name).
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
Joe
You are correct about the universal application. If you did want just the emails, the concern is whether you have access to your custom function where you need it. If there's no object handy, I'm not positive that you will be able to call just any method that you need to.
An approach that would work in this case would be to override the two objects mentioned below, but to instead add a getCompanyName method to them. That way, you'll have the right objects to call, and you can edit the emails specifically to taste.