By simone960 on

I have created a simple module trying to list out some fields from the database. However, I couldn't figure out how to expose a field for filtering, e.g title, just like how we easily do it via Views module. Any idea? Here is part of the code:

    function myModule_list() {
      
       // Table header
        $header = array(
         array('data' => 'Nid', 'field' => 'nid', 'sort' => 'desc'),
         array('data' => 'Title', 'field' => 'title'),
       );   
    
       // Query
       $query = db_select('node', 'n');
       $query->fields('n', array('nid', 'title'));
       $query->condition('type', 'news');  
       $query->extend('PagerDefault')
         ->limit(10);
       $query->extend('TableSort')
         ->orderByHeader($header);             
                   
      $nodes = $query->execute();
     
     
      // Table rows
      $rows = array();
       
      foreach ($nodes as $node) {
          $rows[] = array(
            'data' => array($node->nid, $node->title),            
          );
      }
    
      // Output 
      $output['content'] = array(
       '#theme' => 'table',
       '#caption' => '<h2>News</h2>',
       '#header' => $header,
       '#rows' => $rows,
       '#empty' => t('available soon..'),
       '#weight' => 1,
      );  
      
      // Pager
      $output['pager'] = array(
        '#theme' => 'pager',
        '#weight' => 2,
      );
        
      return $output;
    }
⋅ Categories: Drupal 7.x

Comments

nevets’s picture

nevets commented

Why not use the views module?

simone960’s picture

simone960 commented

I'm just learning Form API and module development, thinking to explore more on the coding part instead of Views module.

nevets’s picture

nevets commented

My personal opinion is why re-invent the wheel?

simone960’s picture

simone960 commented

You are right.. I think what I need to learn is to code for Views, exposing my new data to views and work from there. Thanks for pointing out. ref: http://goo.gl/CKaAFP

nevets’s picture

nevets commented

Note from the code you have show you are dealing with content (nodes) and views already now how to work them.

simone960’s picture

simone960 commented

Yep. the code I have shown above indeed can be handled by views directly no doubt. My ultimate goal is actually to create a new entity, e.g Project, and creating some pages with some filters. But googling around I realized there's no need to code the filters, instead, expose it to the Views module and work from there. Correct me if I'm wrong.

angel.h’s picture

angel.h
Primary language English
Location Plovdiv
commented

You are right. Create an entity using something like this:

/**
 * Implements hook_entity_info().
 */
function paddle_outgoing_rss_entity_info() {
  return array(
    'paddle_outgoing_rss_feed' => array(
      'label' => t('Outgoing RSS feed'),
      'base table' => 'paddle_outgoing_rss_feed',
      'module' => 'paddle_outgoing_rss',
      'entity class' => 'Entity',
      'controller class' => 'EntityAPIController',
      'entity keys' => array(
        'id' => 'fid',
      ),
      'bundles' => array(
        'paddle_outgoing_rss_feed' => array(
          'label' => t('Outgoing RSS feed'),
        ),
      ),
      'access callback' => 'paddle_outgoing_rss_feed_access',
    ),
  );
}

Of course you already need your table in the .install file and permissions, etc.
The lines

      'entity class' => 'Entity',
      'controller class' => 'EntityAPIController',

will make it visible to Views. Then you can just create a View and work from there on.

nevets’s picture

nevets commented

You question is a bit vague, so I am not sure what your goal is. But if you define custom entities "correctly" then views will know about them. Using the entity api (contrib module) is one way to do this.