Controller Functions

Question

Should my validate_credentials and logout functions be inside of the index function? If not and everything else looks fine what is a good suggestion? I'm trying to learn some better practices. Any ideas?

<?php if ( ! defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed'); 

class Usermanagement extends CI_Controller { 

public function index()
{
    //Config Defaults Start
    $msgBoxMsgs = array();//msgType = dl, info, warn, note, msg
    $cssPageAddons = '';//If you have extra CSS for this view append it here
    $jsPageAddons = '';//If you have extra JS for this view append it here
    $metaAddons = '';//Sometimes there is a need for additional Meta Data such in the case of Facebook addon's
    $siteTitle = '';//alter only if you need something other than the default for this view.
    //Config Defaults Start


    //examples of how to use the message box system (css not included).
    //$msgBoxMsgs[] = array('msgType' => 'dl', 'theMsg' => 'This is a Blank Message Box...');

    /**********************************************************Your Coding Logic Here, Start*/

    $bodyContent = "login";//which view file
    $bodyType = "full";//type of template

    function validate_credentials()
    {
        $this->load->model('usersmodel');
        $query = $this->usersmodel->validate();

        if ($query)
        {
            $data = array(
                'username' => $this->input->post('username'),
                'is_logged_in' => true
            );

            $this->session->set_userdata($data);
            redirect('cpanel');
        }
        else
        {
            $this->index();
        }
    }

    function logout()
    {
        $this->session->sess_destroy();
        $this->index();
    }                   

    /***********************************************************Your Coding Logic Here, End*/

    //Double checks if any default variables have been changed, Start.
    //If msgBoxMsgs array has anything in it, if so displays it in view, else does nothing.      
    if(count($msgBoxMsgs) !== 0)
    {
        $msgBoxes = $this->msgboxes->buildMsgBoxesOutput(array('display' => 'show', 'msgs' =>$msgBoxMsgs));
    }
    else
    {
        $msgBoxes = array('display' => 'none');
    }

    if($siteTitle == '')
    {
        $siteTitle = $this->metatags->SiteTitle(); //reads 
    }

    //Double checks if any default variables have been changed, End.

    $this->data['msgBoxes'] = $msgBoxes;
    $this->data['cssPageAddons'] = $cssPageAddons;//if there is any additional CSS to add from above Variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['jsPageAddons'] = $jsPageAddons;//if there is any addictional JS to add from the above variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['metaAddons'] = $metaAddons;//if there is any addictional meta data to add from the above variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['pageMetaTags'] = $this->metatags->MetaTags();//defaults can be changed via models/metatags.php
    $this->data['siteTitle'] = $siteTitle;//defaults can be changed via models/metatags.php
    $this->data['bodyType'] = $bodyType;
    $this->data['bodyContent'] = $bodyContent;
    $this->load->view('usermanagement/index', $this->data);
}
}

/* End of file usermanagement.php */ 
/* Location: ./application/controllers/usermanagement.php */ 

EDIT : Is there anything else that would be a good idea to do or add to the validate_credentials function even?

<?php 

class Usermanagement extends CI_Controller { 

public function index()
{
    //Config Defaults Start
    $msgBoxMsgs = array();//msgType = dl, info, warn, note, msg
    $cssPageAddons = '';//If you have extra CSS for this view append it here
    $jsPageAddons = '';//If you have extra JS for this view append it here
    $metaAddons = '';//Sometimes there is a need for additional Meta Data such in the case of Facebook addon's
    $siteTitle = '';//alter only if you need something other than the default for this view.
    //Config Defaults Start


    //examples of how to use the message box system (css not included).
    //$msgBoxMsgs[] = array('msgType' => 'dl', 'theMsg' => 'This is a Blank Message Box...');

    /**********************************************************Your Coding Logic Here, Start*/

    $bodyContent = "login";//which view file
    $bodyType = "full";//type of template

    /***********************************************************Your Coding Logic Here, End*/

    //Double checks if any default variables have been changed, Start.
    //If msgBoxMsgs array has anything in it, if so displays it in view, else does nothing.      
    if(count($msgBoxMsgs) !== 0)
    {
        $msgBoxes = $this->msgboxes->buildMsgBoxesOutput(array('display' => 'show', 'msgs' =>$msgBoxMsgs));
    }
    else
    {
        $msgBoxes = array('display' => 'none');
    }

    if($siteTitle == '')
    {
        $siteTitle = $this->metatags->SiteTitle(); //reads 
    }

    //Double checks if any default variables have been changed, End.

    $this->data['msgBoxes'] = $msgBoxes;
    $this->data['cssPageAddons'] = $cssPageAddons;//if there is any additional CSS to add from above Variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['jsPageAddons'] = $jsPageAddons;//if there is any addictional JS to add from the above variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['metaAddons'] = $metaAddons;//if there is any addictional meta data to add from the above variable this will send it to the view.
    $this->data['pageMetaTags'] = $this->metatags->MetaTags();//defaults can be changed via models/metatags.php
    $this->data['siteTitle'] = $siteTitle;//defaults can be changed via models/metatags.php
    $this->data['bodyType'] = $bodyType;
    $this->data['bodyContent'] = $bodyContent;
    $this->load->view('usermanagement/index', $this->data);
}

function validate_credentials()
{
    $this->load->model('usersmodel');
    $query = $this->usersmodel->validate();

    if ($query)
    {
        $data = array(
            'username' => $this->input->post('username'),
            'is_logged_in' => true
        );

        $this->session->set_userdata($data);
        redirect('cpanel');
    }
    else
    {
        $this->index();
    }
}

function logout()
{
   $this->session->sess_destroy();
   $this->index();
}       

}

/* End of file usermanagement.php */ 
/* Location: ./application/controllers/usermanagement.php */ 

Answer 1

It could work, but not with the way you set it up.

But backup a step WHY are you nesting them. No reason to. Just make them all separate methods under the class. You are causing yourself more work than you need to.

Answer 2

I did not even know that was possible - and you shouldn't do it at all. Use private methods in the same class instead. You may read on about OOP (object-oriented programming) in php5 in the documentation.