Helpers

Helpers are collections of standalone functions designed to make common tasks easier. They are not classes — just plain PHP functions you can call anywhere in your application once the helper is loaded.

Helpers are useful for things like string manipulation, URL handling, file operations, date formatting, etc.

Loading a Helper

To load a helper, use the $this->call->helper() method inside your controller or model:

<?php
class UserController extends Controller
{
    public function __construct()
    {
        parent::__construct();

        // Load the 'url' helper
        $this->call->helper('url');
    }

    public function profile()
    {
        $profileUrl = site_url('profile/view');
        echo "Profile URL: " . $profileUrl;
    }
}

This will load the file:

app/helpers/url_helper.php

and make all functions inside it available globally.

Note

Helpers are loaded only once. If the helper is already loaded, it will not be loaded again.

Using Helper Functions

Once a helper is loaded, you can use any of its functions directly, without referencing a class or object.

Example:

 // From url_helper.php
 function base_url()
     {
             return  filter_var(BASE_URL, FILTER_SANITIZE_URL);
     }

// Use inside a controller or view
echo base_url().'assets/css/style.css';

Output:

http://localhost/assets/css/style.css

Tip

You can also load multiple helpers at once:

$this->call->helper(['url', 'form', 'string']);

Auto-loading Helpers

If you want certain helpers to always be available in your app (without manually loading them every time), you can auto-load them in the configuration:

1. Open app/config/autoload.php.

2. Add your helper names in the $autoload['helpers'] array.

Example:

$autoload['helpers'] = ['url', 'form'];

These helpers will now be loaded automatically for every request.

Creating a Custom Helper

You can create your own helper by placing a file inside app/helpers.

Example:

File: app/helpers/str_helper.php

<?php
if (!function_exists('greet')) {
    function greet($name)
    {
        return "Hello, " . ucfirst($name) . "!";
    }
}

Usage:

$this->call->helper('str');
echo greet('lavalust'); // Output: Hello, Lavalust!

Important

Always wrap your functions in if (!function_exists()) to prevent errors if the helper is loaded more than once.

Best Practices

• Use helpers for general-purpose, reusable functions.

• Avoid adding business logic inside helpers — keep them simple.

• Group related functions into one helper file (e.g., string_helper, security_helper, etc.).

• Use autoloading for frequently used helpers.

Note

Helpers are not classes and do not have properties or state. If you need state or logic tied to data, use a library or model instead.