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Ctools: custom context plugin

In previous post we created an access ctools plugin which can be used as a selection or visibility rule in panels. It's time to learn how to create another important custom plugin - a context. It provides additional information for a panel page. For example if you've put a node context to the page you will be able to use node properties as substitutions for a page title. Moreover you will be able to put node fields as panes to a page. By default ctools module provides useful contexts (node, user, taxonomy_term, entity etc) but you can define your own. Please, read first post of "Ctools custom plugins" series before continue reading this. There we've created a module integrated with ctools.

In this tutorial we will create a context plugin which will provide information about a server from superglobal php variable $_SERVER. As you remember for now we have an example_module with next file structure:
example_module
  |__ plugins
  |  |__ content_types
  |  |  |__ example_module.example_content_type_plugin.inc
  |  |__ access
  |     |__ example_module.example_access_plugin.inc
  |__ example_module.info
  |__ example_module.module
To create a context plugin we need to create contexts directory and put there a file with plugin definition. Let's start:

1. Create example_module/plugins/contexts/example_module.example_context_plugin.inc file:

<?php

/**
 * @file
 *
 * Plugin to provide a server_info context.
 */

/**
 * Plugins are described by creating a $plugin array which will be used
 * by the system that includes this file.
 */
$plugin = [
  // Plugin title.
  'title' => t('Server info'),
  // Plugin description.
  'description' => t('Available information about a server.'),
  // A function that will return context.
  'context' => 'example_context_plugin',
  // Settings form callback.
  'edit form' => 'example_context_plugin_settings_form',
  // Default values for settings form.
  'defaults' => [
    'decode_request_uri' => FALSE,
  ],
  // Context keyword to use for
  // substitution in titles.
  'keyword' => 'server_info',
  // Context machine name.
  'context name' => 'server_info',
  // A function returns a list of
  // available values from a context.
  // By the way it can be just an array.
  'convert list' => 'example_context_plugin_get_convert_list',
  // A function gets data from a given
  // context and returns values defined
  // in 'convert list' property.
  'convert' => 'example_context_plugin_convert',
];

/**
 * Context callback.
 */
function example_context_plugin($empty, $data = NULL, $conf = FALSE) {
  // Create context object.
  $context = new ctools_context('server_info');

  // This property should contain file name where
  // plugin definition is placed.
  $context->plugin = 'example_module.example_context_plugin';

  if (empty($empty)) {
    // Define context data.
    $context->data = $_SERVER;

    // Decode property if selected.
    // Just for demonstration how to use
    // plugin settings.
    if (!empty($conf) && !empty($data['decode_request_uri'])) {
      $context->data['REQUEST_URI'] = urldecode($context->data['REQUEST_URI']);
    }
  }

  return $context;
}

/**
 * Returns available properties list.
 */
function example_context_plugin_get_convert_list() {
  $list = [];

  // Get all $_SERVER properties and return them.
  foreach ($_SERVER as $property_name => $property_value) {
    $list[$property_name] = t('$_SERVER["!name"]', [
      '!name' => $property_name,
    ]);
  }

  return $list;
}

/**
 * Returns property value by property type.
 */
function example_context_plugin_convert($context, $type) {
  // Return $_SERVER property value.
  return $context->data[$type];
}

/**
 * Settings form for server_info context.
 */
function example_context_plugin_settings_form($form, &$form_state) {
  // Demo setting.
  $form['decode_request_uri'] = [
    '#type' => 'checkbox',
    '#title' => t('Decode $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"] value'),
    '#default_value' => $form_state['conf']['decode_request_uri'],
  ];

  return $form;
}

/**
 * Settings form submit.
 */
function example_context_plugin_settings_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
  // Save submitted value.
  $form_state['conf']['decode_request_uri'] = $form_state['values']['decode_request_uri'];
}
Updated module structure looks like:
example_module
  |__ plugins
  |  |__ content_types
  |  |  |__ example_module.example_content_type_plugin.inc
  |  |__ access
  |  |  |__ example_module.example_access_plugin.inc
  |  |__ contexts
  |     |__ example_module.example_context_plugin.inc
  |__ example_module.info
  |__ example_module.module
2. Clear cache and set up Server info context for a panel page:

Newly created context

Plugin settings form

Available context properties

Let's test context and set up page title as %server_info:REQUEST_URI. By the way it's a node/%nid page on screeshot so to test it we should open a node view page (but you can set up this context to any panel page you want):

Page title will contain value from $_SERVER['REQUESTED_URI'] variable

Request uri as a page title

The last thing we have to test is an option "Decode $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"] value". When it's checked uri will be decoded. Check this checkbox and open node view page with a query parameter such as "?test=parameter to decode" and update page. Browser will encode spaces in url and it will look like "?test=string%20to%20decode". But page title will contain original (decoded) value.

The above is true for:

  • Ctools: 7.x-1.12
  • Panels: 7.x-3.8

Author: 
Original Post: 

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