Format Service
The Format service offers a number of common formatting tasks as a convenience and consolidated way for ExpressionEngine handles these tasks. The Formatter handles common string and number presentational needs.
$display_size = ee('Format')->make('Number', $content)->bytes();
The Format service is a factory to the various formatters available. If you need the factory, use ee('Format'). If you need a Formatter, use ee('Format')->make($formatter, $content).
Format Factory
class ExpressionEngine\Service\Formatter\FormatterFactory
make($formatter_name, $content)
Makes a Formatter object.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| $formatter_name | String |
Formatter name |
| $content | Mixed |
The content to be formatted |
| Returns | Formatter |
A Formatter object |
All Formatters
compile()
Compiles and returns the content as a string. Typically this is used when you need to use a content as an array key, or want to json_encode() the content.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Returns | The content |
string |
_toString()
When accessed as a string simply compile the content and return that.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Returns | The content |
string |
Note: When using Formatters, if you just need the string and not the object for further processing, you can use PHP’s type casting:
$array = array('size' => (string) ee('Format')->make('Number', $content)->bytes());
Number Formatter
See Number Formatter for details.
Text Formatter
See Text Formatter for details.
When to use compile()
The Formatter object has a magic __toString() method that compiles the object into a string when the object is treated as a string (see: PHP’s documentation on the magic __toString() method for more information). The compile() method exists for those occasions when the object is treated as an object but you need a string instead. As per PHP’s documentation on arrays: “Arrays and objects can not be used as keys. Doing so will result in a warning: Illegal offset type.“ You will also want to compile the object when you want to JSON encode the content otherwise you will get a JSON object instead of a string.
For example:
ee()->javascript->set_global(array(
'form.some_input.value' => ee('Format')->make('String', $content)->attribute_escape()->compile()
));