Re: [binarycloud-dev] So-called user constants

[alex b. <en...@tu...>]

> You have already pre-empted the name "BC_" prefix for
> define()'s, and you call these "user constants".

correct.
these are constants that are used by the system, but always set by the user.

> Now, what if I want a page-scope/all module defined constant.
> What should I do?  Where do I define() something that I wish
> all modules to see in global scope.

all constants are implicitly global.
you can put a declare in conf.php, or you can declare a constant in your
module. it's up to you.

> Is this going to be possible in the *.xml file that will be
> ripped into the index.php?  If so, will it be put up there
> at the top like:

Yes. The .xml won't know anything about the set of constants, just that a
certain xml structure should be ripped into a php define.

so you can add whatever you like.

> // ripped from /path/to/binarycloud/user/htdocs/index.xml
> $SITE_EMAIL="jo...@so..."; //for email all over
> $SITE_ROWS_BEFORE_PAGING=15; //for paging lists
> $SITE_TEL_NO="1-800-6969"; // for telno all over
> $SITE_WEBMASTER="wi...@so...";
>
> or
>
> define(SITE_EMAIL,"jo...@so...");

It would be the latter, define.

> and so forth.
>
> As an aside, I sort of think of these as "user constants",
> but I suppose they are "site constants" or "page constants".

They are also user constants. Agreed, the BC_ prefix ones are "special" and
I may make an effort to make that a little more clear - but both 'sets' of
constants come from the dev.


> So, the question(s) are:
> 1.  Where should I define them for global scope?

user/conf/conf.php (for the moment, soon the conf.xml)

> 2.  If you tell me some module that I will have to
> load, such as a SiteLibrary.php, then I
> guess I would have to go along with it,
> but this seems wrong-headded.

That would be stupid. So, yes, you are correct.

> Now I want to be able to put them in the *.xml and
> have them work as I described above, defining them
> in global scope for THAT PAGE with any set of modules
> called from and set of packages, and not have to worry
> that I didn't load, say, the SiteLibrary.php that
> would do it, with its potential omission.  If I create
> a new page(s) for the site six months after it has
> been up, I might forget which bloody module globaled
> my constants.

This I don't understand - all 'constants' loaded by the system are
system-wide (not page specific) and implicitly global.

> What if I want:
>
> define(BUTTONS,"../resources/images/buttons/");
> define(SITE_GIZMOS,"resources/images/gizmos/");
>
> Where?

conf.php.

> I suppose that now I am starting to get into the
> operation of the XML --> php file thingy.  I will
> be happy when that is ready.
>
> And I would like to have defines()'s available in
> that XML --> php.

You will _only_ have defines available there.

_a