CodeIgniter HTML Table Extension

This class is an extension of the HTML Table class its purpose is to allow the combination of columns as well as special formatting for date values. I created this class mainly for creating tables directly from CI SQL results. Instead of writing a more complex query than I already had it was much easier to set an array of keys and values to combine query results in my table.

Note: this is using the MY_ prefix you would need to change it based on your config.

[code] <?php if ( ! defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');

class MY_Table extends CI_Table { var $merge_columns = array(); var $merged_spacer = ' ';

/**
 * Set the columns to merge along with 
 * the spacer that goes in between.
 *
 * @access public
 * @param array
 * @param string
 * @return void
 **/
function set_columns_to_merge($merge_columns, $merged_spacer = ' ')
{
    if(!is_array($merge_columns))return FALSE;
    $this->merge_columns = $merge_columns;
    if(is_null($merged_spacer))$merged_spacer = ' ';
    $this->merged_spacer = $merged_spacer;
}

/**
 * Generate the table, format special cells (Dates, etc).
 * Columns can also be merged by specifying the master and slave
 * columns (master => slave)in the merge_column array. The
 * merged_spacer goes in between all merged column values.
 *
 * NOTE: Merged columns always take the header of the
 * master (key) column.
 *
 * @access    public
 * @param    mixed
 * @return    string
 */
 function generate($table_data = NULL, $merge_columns = array(), $merged_spacer = ' ')
{
    // The table data can optionally be passed to this function
    // either as a database result object or an array
    if(!is_null($table_data))
    {
        if(is_object($table_data))$this->_set_from_object($table_data);
        elseif(is_array($table_data))
        {
            $set_heading = (count($this->heading) == 0 AND $this->auto_heading == FALSE) ? FALSE : TRUE;
            $this->_set_from_array($table_data, $set_heading);
        }
    }
    
    // Set the merged column array and the spacer
    $this->set_columns_to_merge($merge_columns, $merged_spacer);

    // Is there anything to display?  No?  Smite them!
    if(count($this->heading) == 0 AND count($this->rows) == 0)return 'Undefined table data';
    
    // Compile and validate the template date
    $this->_compile_template();

    // Build the table!
    
    $out = $this->template['table_open'];
    $out .= $this->newline;        

    // Add any caption here
    if($this->caption)
    {
        $out .= $this->newline;
        $out .= '<caption>' . $this->caption . '</caption>';
        $out .= $this->newline;
    }

    // Is there a table heading to display?
    if(count($this->heading) > 0)
    {
        $out .= $this->template['heading_row_start'];
        $out .= $this->newline;        
        foreach($this->heading as $heading_key => $heading)
        {
            $heading_key = is_object($table_data) ? $heading : $heading_key;
            
            //Only add non-combined headers (ie master headers or regular headers)
            if(!$this->_merge_column($heading_key))
            {
                $out .= $this->template['heading_cell_start'];
                $out .= $heading;
                $out .= $this->template['heading_cell_end'];
            }
        }

        $out .= $this->template['heading_row_end'];
        $out .= $this->newline;                
    }

    // Build the table rows
    if (count($this->rows) > 0)
    {
        $i = 1;
        
        foreach($this->rows as $row)
        {
            if(!is_array($row))break;
            
            // We use modulus to alternate the row colors
            $name = (fmod($i++, 2)) ? '' : 'alt_';
            
            $out .= $this->template['row_'.$name.'start'];
            $out .= $this->newline;        
            
            foreach($row as $cell_key => $cell)
            {
                //Use only non-combined cells (ie master cells, or regular cells)
                if(!$this->_merge_column($cell_key))
                {
                    $out .= $this->template['cell_'.$name.'start'];
                    
                    if($cell === "" || $cell === null)$out .= $this->empty_cells;
                    
                    $cell = $this->_format_cell($cell);
                    if(array_key_exists($cell_key, $this->merge_columns))
                    {
                        $cell .= $this->merged_spacer;
                        $cell .= $this->_format_cell($row[$this->merge_columns[$cell_key]]);
                    }
                    $out .= $cell;
                    $out .= $this->template['cell_'.$name.'end'];
                }
            }
            
            $out .= $this->template['row_'.$name.'end'];
            $out .= $this->newline;    
        }
    }
    $out .= $this->template['table_close'];
    return $out;
}

/**
 * Helper method to format a cell for things like dates etc.
 *
 * @access private
 * @param string
 * @return string
 **/
private function _format_cell($cell)
{
    return $cell;//Im not doing any formatting but this is where it would be done
}

/**
 * Determines if the specified column value should be
 * combined with another and thusly not rendered.
 *
 * @access private
 * @param string
 * @return boolean
 **/
private function _merge_column($column)
{
    //return if this column isn't a master column or a regular column (its a merged column)
    return (array_key_exists($column, $this->merge_columns) === FALSE &&
          !(array_search($column, $this->merge_columns) === FALSE)); 
}

?>

/* Location: ./system/application/libraries/MY_Table.php */ [/code]

This allows you to generate the table in many different ways. When no columns are specified to be combined then it just renders the same way as CI_Table.

To call: [code] $this->load->library('table'); $table_data = array( array('abc', 'def', 'ghi'), array('jkl', 'mno', 'pqr'), array('stu', 'vwx', 'yza') ); $table1 = $this->table->generate($table_data); $this->table->set_columns_to_merge(array(0=>1), '+'); $table2 = $this->table->generate($table_data);

echo $table1; echo $table2; [/code] Would produce: [code] abc | def | ghi jkl | mno | pqr stu | vwx | yza [/code] and [code] abc | ghi jkl+mno | pqr stu+vwx | yza [/code]

This will also work with a CI SQL query result using the field names. So you can combine columns like this: [code] $this->table->set_columns_to_merge(array('id'=>'name'), '#'); [/code] Would produce a table that looks like this: [code] id | job 1#bob | developer 2#joe | lawyer 3#sam | teacher [/code] Note that the merged column header does not get combined only the table cells do. The column header will always be the first merging columns' header.