CakePHP - How can i define route to a non-cakephp file that doesnt have any controllers associated with it?

Question

Im working in CakePHP now. I'd like to know how i can define a route to a non-cakephp file that doesnt have any controllers associated with it?

I have placed this file(sitemap.php) in webroot folder, for my convenience. Now i need to route to it somehow!

Answer 1

I'd skip the whole CakePHP process if you're not actually using it. Unless your .htaccess is overly greedy (rewriting requests to file that * exist*), you should be able to access sitemap.php directly. If you can't, update the .htaccess file to not rewrite existing files.

Now, if external services need the file to be `sitemap.xml', don't try to do the rewriting in CakePHP, just rewrite with the .htaccess file (which by your comments, perhaps you're doing?).

The bottom line: Don't rewrite unless you have to, and don't rewrite with CakePHP if you're not even using it.

Answer 2

It sounds like you want to be able to use functionality from sitemap.php in your cakephp application. The bet way to include this in cakephp is by setting it up as a vendor. Follow these steps:

1- Put the file in the app/vendor folder. 2- To use the file in a controller (or anywhere else), add:

App::import('Vendor','sitemap');

If it is just a file with a list of functions, you can now simply call the functions as you would in any other PHP file. So if you have a function called show_links() for example, in the controller where you have imported the vendor/sitemap, you simply put:

show_links();

If it is a class, then you will need to instantiate the class and use it like you would anywhere else:

App::import('Vendor','sitemap');
$sitemap = new Sitemap;
$sitemap->show_links();

So, now you are ready to set up the route to include the sitemap functionality in the config/routes.php file:

Router::connect('/sitemap.xml', array('controller' => 'YOUR_CONTROLLER', 'action' => 'YOUR_ACTION'));

This will process the sequence of code contained in the action that will then play off the sitemap.php file.

So in a nutshell, you would see something like this:

<?php
class SiteMapController extends AppController
{
  var $name = 'Tests';
  function show_map()
  {
    App::import('Vendor','sitemap');
    $sitemap = new Sitemap;
    $sitemap->show_links();
  }
}
?>

And in the config/routes.php you would add:

Router::connect('/sitemap.xml', array('controller' => 'site_maps', 'action' => 'show_map'));

Then, when you visit the url:

http://mysite/sitemap.xml

It will route to:

http://mysite/site_maps/show_map

For more information on routing, you can visit: http://book.cakephp.org/view/542/Defining-Routes

Good luck and Happy Coding!

UPDATED!