Just an idea, if you're about to displease the MVC gods anyway, another trick is to make a menu controller (this can be a separate menu app/plugin if you think this breaks MVC just a little too much, but then you've got to take care of session/request/etc objects), and then you do something like
@menu def myfunc(): ... ret dict(this=that) and in menu def menu(f): ... ret = f() ret['menu'] = menudata return ret This way the menu won't get generated all the time (as opposed to putting it in models), which is good if you do a lot of AJAX, and is perhaps a bit more universal/isolated from other code. I haven't actually done this myself, so comments are welcome :) On Feb 11, 3:14 am, Iceberg <iceb...@21cn.com> wrote: > Thanks for all the meaningful discussion here. I did learn something. > > When talking about generating the menu, perhaps you will like my trick > here. > http://groups.google.com/group/web2py/browse_thread/thread/4988b16cb2... > > You might already notice that, if your application have only one > controller (the controllers/default.py), your "menu trick" can just > appear at the beginning of default.py, so no need to sacrifice a lamb > to the MVC god for the menu issue. :-) > > On Feb 10, 3:54 am, Timothy Farrell <tfarr...@swgen.com> wrote: > > > I just looked at your code. If you're going application-wide. Why not > > just put "response.menu = _menu()" in the model file. That way you > > won't have to call it in the controller. > > > Here's an unrelated Python performance tip...try to avoid using > > for-loops for building a list. The list.append() method is somewhat > > expensive. Instead we use something called a list-comprehension. Your > > code would look like this as a list-comprehension: > > > def _menu(): > > """ > > Return the menu as a list of lists where each element > > takes the form of [strLinkText, boolIsActiveLink, strLinkUrl] > > """ > > m = [[text, URL(r=request) == url, url] for text, url in MENU] > > return m > > > For small loops (such as this one), no one will notice much difference, > > but it's good to know this for large loops or for areas that just need > > to run really fast. Also faster code uses less energy and therefore > > does more to save the planet from Republicans. <g> > > > -tim > > > Timothy Farrell wrote: > > > Welcome to Python and web2py! > > > > There are two ways of looking at this issue. > > > > 1) "Model" refers to execution model upon which the controller is run > > > and view is rendered. In this view, it is entirely acceptable to put > > > these application-global things in a model file. > > > > 2) "Model" refers to data model. In this view, anything other than data > > > descriptions contained in a model file is a violation of MVC. This is > > > the view of MVC purists. > > > > I hold view #2. However, for those of us who hold view #2, web2py > > > offers no easy way to have application-wide settings without violating > > > our MVC convictions. I have reconciled my convictions by creating a > > > separate "model" file called "settings.py" placed all my execution model > > > stuff in that. Thereby sort of maintaining my view of MVC separation > > > and still having easy access to application-wide settings. > > > > I sacrifice a white lamb to the MVC god every month until there is a > > > better solution. > > > > =) > > > > -tim > > > > hcvst wrote: > > > >> Hi, > > > >> thanks for the new release and all the effort you put in. Even if I am > > >> new to web2py and not a seasoned Python programmer yet, the release > > >> notes sound very promising and I look forward to experimenting > > >> further. > > > >> My question: > > > >> Model files seem such a convenient location to place functionality > > >> that is common across controllers, though I suspect that it is bad > > >> style to do so. > > > >> For example to create a model file called helper.py with the following > > >> contents: > > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> ------------- > > >> ## Global Configuration > > >> # Primary navigation menu > > >> MENU = [["Home", URL(r=request, c="default", f="index")], > > >> ["Forum", URL(r=request, c="forum", f="index")], > > >> ["Test", "http://test";]] > > > >> ## Helper functions > > >> def _menu(): > > >> """ > > >> Return the menu as a list of lists where each element > > >> takes the form of [strLinkText, boolIsActiveLink, strLinkUrl] > > >> """ > > >> m = [] > > >> for text, url in MENU: > > >> m.append([text, URL(r=request) == url, url]); > > >> return m > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> ------------- > > > >> This enables me to call from every controller function: > > > >> response.menu = _menu() > > > >> Just the fact that response is in global scope here is very > > >> convenient. However I do not want to violate the MCV pattern, unless > > >> it is acceptable here. Moving this logic into a separate module is > > >> akward, as one has to move varibles back and forth and needs to > > >> restart web2py every so often for changes to the module to take > > >> effect. > > > >> What is best practice, when it comes to sharing code across > > >> controllers please? > > > >> Best regards, > > >> HC > > > -- > > Timothy Farrell <tfarr...@swgen.com> > > Computer Guy > > Statewide General Insurance Agency (www.swgen.com) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "web2py Web Framework" group. To post to this group, send email to web2py@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to web2py+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/web2py?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
