Prefixing

Prefixing allows you to add to your local $liaison api in declarative class-driven ways.

Declaring Basic Prefixes

We'll use autoload as the example prefix. The autoload prefix points to the lia.autoload api & its prefix handler.

Writing a prefix:

• Prefixes must be followed by an uppercase letter: autoloadBlogClasses works. autoloadblogClasses does NOT
• OR an underscore followed by a letter: autoload_BlogClasses AND autoload_blogClasses will BOTH work

About Prefixes:

• Every prefix MUST point to an api key + handler.
• Prefixes are set globally on the Liaison object.
• New prefixes can be added or removed GLOBALLY with $liaison->addApiPrefix('theprefix', 'api.key', $handler='prefix').
• A prefix CAN (but usually should not) point to a different handler
• A prefix handler receives $cleanName, $callable where $cleanName is everything after the prefix. This WILL include the underscore (_) if present.

Modifying Global Prefixes:

• Remove: $lia->removePrefix('autoload') will stop the autoload prefix from working. The API will be unchanged.
• Add: $lia->addApiPrefix('al', 'lia.autoload').
• Use a named handler (instead of the default prefix): $lia->addApiPrefix('al', 'lia.autoload', $handler='locations'). Note there is no locations handler for the lia.autoload api. But one could theoretically be added with different functionality from the built-in autoload prefix handler.

Adding a Prefix Handler

• Quick & Dirty: $lia->addPrefix('al', function($cleanName, $callable){}). That function will process any methods using the al prefix. This is good for a single website, but not so good if you're creating a proper API for others to use.
• With proper Api: $lia->addApi('lia.autoload', function($cleanName,$callable){}, 'prefix'). Then create the prefix: $lia->addPrefix('autoload', 'lia.autoload');

Changing prefixes just for your component

Override getApiPrefixes() of the Scanner trait. Basically, call $this->Scanner_getApiPrefixes() to get the global prefixes, then modify them as you please.

class CustomComponent extends \Lia\Compo {  
    public function getApiPrefixes(){  
        $globalPrefixes = $this->Scanner_getApiPrefixes();  
        $autoload = $globalPrefixes['autoload'];  
        // $autoload == ['lia.autoload', 'prefix']  
        unset($globalPrefixes['autoload']);  
        $globalPrefixes['al'] = $autoload;  
        return $globalPrefixes;  
    }  
}  

This example removes the autoload prefix and adds an al prefix, pointing to the same api+handler. You could leave autoload set & just ADD the al prefix. This also only affects the component in which getApiPrefixes() is declared.

If you want to change prefixes for all components in your app, then create a base component extending from Lia\Compo that customizes prefixes. Then each of your components can extend from that base component. That base component should be in your class dir, unless it should do additional component-y things.

Note for App & Extension developers

App & extension developers should always expose their api with a key, using the $lia->addApi(...); $lia->addApiPrefix() approach. Doing so means a website developer can customize their experience by changing what liaison methods point to which api. But other applications can still call your api by its unchanging api key & handler name.