_Config

About this Module

A simple API that makes it easy to keep custom configuration inside custom modules.

Drupal 8's configuration management system requires that all configuration files be installed and managed using the database. Custom modules usually require some custom data that probably does not have to be stored in the database, especially if the custom data does not need to be edited using Drupal's admin UI. Keeping custom data on disk and inside a custom module can make it easier to develop and maintain a custom module's configuration, as well as allow the custom configuration files to be automatically tracked via a version control system like GIT.

Custom configuration that can be managed using _config

• Credentials
• Custom messages or help text
• Form options
• Static lookup tables
• Simple PHP arrays

Usage

• All custom config files need to be stored in a _config directory inside a custom module.
• All config files in the _config directory must be begin with the custom module's namespace.
• Custom configuration files do support using periods within property/key names.

Examples

The _config.module includes an example YAML config file in

_config/_config.example.yml
which just contains...
message: 'Hello'

To read the entire file and get a PHP array you can use

_config('_config.example');
which returns...
['message' => 'Hello'];

To get just the 'message' property from the file you can use

_config('_config.example', 'message');
which returns...
'Hello';

To check that the config file exists you can use

_config_exists('_config.example');

The _config and config_exists functions are wrappers to the _config service that points to Drupal\_config\_Config which is very simple class. The _config service can be injected into other services.

This API is intended to be as simple as possible. It is up to you to determine if you want to use the _config wrapper function instead of the _config service.

Demo

• Enable and examine the _config_example.module to see how _config files can be used to add help text, alter forms, and add descriptions to roles.

Watch a demo of the _Config module.

Installation

1. Copy/upload the _config.module to the modules directory of your Drupal installation.
2. Enable the _Config module in 'Extend'. (/admin/modules)
3. Check that _config YAML files are protected. (admin/reports/status)
4. Add a _config directory to your custom module.

Notes

The _config API does not mirror Drupal's configuration management API because this API is intended to be as simple as possible. I am open to discussing having this module's API mirror core's configuration management API.

Finally, this module is really just a very simple cookbook recipe for Drupal 8 and you should feel free to just copy the _config API into your custom module.

References/Related Projects

• Managing configuration in Drupal 8
• Features
• Config in Code (CINC)

Author/Maintainer

• Jacob Rockowitz