Zend Framework Per-Module based settings

I’ve created a followup to this post which requires less configuration, please see Module Based Layout – Zend Framework.

When using the zend framework with modules, its obvious that if you’re running various (sub-)sites off the same application you don’t necessarily want the same layout scripts for each part. I decided to go with the following site structure:

/Application
    /controllers
        ...
    /models
    /modules
        /default
            /controllers
            /layout
                /scripts
            /views
                /scripts
        /anotherModule
            ...
    /scripts

The problem was setting up the layout scripts on a per-module basis. The answer came through using an Action Helper. Setting up the layouts on a per-module basis involves three steps:

1. Application.ini (or similar configuration setup):
   

   admin.resources.layout.layoutPath = APPLICATION_PATH "/modules/admin/layouts/scripts"
   default.resources.layout.layoutPath = APPLICATION_PATH "/modules/default/layouts/scripts"
   member.resources.layout.layoutPath = APPLICATION_PATH "/modules/member/layouts/scripts"
   affiliate.resources.layout.layoutPath = APPLICATION_PATH "/modules/affiliate/layouts/scripts"

2. Create your Action Helper:
   

   <?php
   /**
    * Sets the layout path on a per-module basis
    * 
    * @author Lloyd Watkin <lloyd@evilprofessor.co.uk>
    * @since  2010-01-01
    */
   class Pro_Controller_Action_Helper_SetLayoutPath
       extends Zend_Controller_Action_Helper_Abstract
   {
       /**
        * Sets layout path based on module
        */
       public function preDispatch()
       {
       	$module = $this->getRequest()->getModuleName();
       	
   	    if ($bootstrap = $this->getActionController()
   	                       ->getInvokeArg('bootstrap')) {
   	                       	
   	        $config = $bootstrap->getOptions();
   	       
   	        if (isset($config[$module]['resources']['layout']['layoutPath'])) {
   	            $layoutPath =
   	                 $config[$module]['resources']['layout']['layoutPath'];
   	            $this->getActionController()
   	                 ->getHelper('layout')
   	                 ->setLayoutPath($layoutPath);
   	        }
       	}
       }    
   }

3. And lastly boostrap the action helper:
   

   ...
       /**
        * Sets up layout scripts on a per-module basis
        */
       protected function _initLayoutHelper()
   	{
   	    $this->bootstrap('frontController');
   	    $layout = Zend_Controller_Action_HelperBroker::addHelper(
   	        new Pro_Controller_Action_Helper_SetLayoutPath());
   	}
   ...