Pages Controller Documentation

Last Updated: December 29, 2024
Author: Shanta
Status: Active

Overview

The Pages controller manages the content management system for the Ency schema. It provides a simple, practical approach to storing and delivering page content sorted by SiteName and roles, following existing Catalyst patterns and practices.

Routes and Testing

Key Features

• Site-specific content management (CSC, MCOOP, USBM, etc.)
• Role-based access control (public, member, admin)
• Simple CRUD operations for page management
• SEO meta tag support (description, keywords)
• Navigation ordering system
• Template Toolkit integration
• Logging integration using existing patterns
• Session-based authentication and authorization

Data Model

The Pages controller uses a single pages table in the Ency schema:

Table Structure

Controller Methods

Public Methods

• view: Display a single page by page_code
  • Path: /page/{page_code}
  • Args: 1 (page_code)
  • Access: Based on page roles
  • Template: pages/view.tt
• list: Display list of pages for current site and menu
  • Path: /pages
  • Args: 0
  • Parameters: menu (optional, defaults to 'Main')
  • Access: Based on individual page roles
  • Template: pages/list.tt

Administrative Methods

• create: Create new page (admin only)
  • Path: /pages/create
  • Args: 0
  • Access: Admin role required
  • Methods: GET (form), POST (submit)
  • Template: pages/create.tt
• edit: Edit existing page (admin only)
  • Path: /pages/edit/{page_code}
  • Args: 1 (page_code)
  • Access: Admin role required
  • Methods: GET (form), POST (submit)
  • Template: pages/edit.tt

Access Control

The controller implements role-based access control:

• Public Pages: Accessible to all users
• Member Pages: Require 'member' role in session
• Admin Pages: Require 'admin' role in session
• Site Filtering: Pages filtered by current SiteName from stash/session

Templates

All templates follow existing TT patterns with PageVersion tracking:

• pages/view.tt: Single page display with admin controls
• pages/list.tt: Page listing with filtering and admin controls
• pages/create.tt: Page creation form with validation
• pages/edit.tt: Page editing form with metadata display

Setup Instructions

1. Create the database table: mysql ency < sql/pages_ency.sql
2. Migrate existing data: perl script/migrate_pages.pl
3. Test the routes listed above

Testing Routes

To test the page system, try these URLs:

• http://your-domain/pages - List all pages
• http://your-domain/page/home - View home page (if it exists)
• http://your-domain/pages/create - Create page form (admin only)

Integration Points

• Session Management: Uses existing session patterns for user roles and site
• Logging: Integrates with Comserv::Util::Logging
• Database: Uses Ency schema via $c->model('Ency::Page')
• Templates: Follows existing TT patterns and conventions
• Flash Messages: Uses Catalyst flash for user feedback