Topic 2 – Part 2: Front Controller

<routers>
 <customer>
   <use>standard</use>
    <args>
          <module>Mage_Customer</module>
          <frontName>Customer</frontName>
    </args>
 </customer>
</routers> 

– Routers can receive 3 values for the bar including:

• Standard (class Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Standard)
• Admin (class Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Admin)
• Default (class Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Default)

II -List all events that Front Controller fires
– controller_front_init_before (app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php)

• ‘front’ => Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front

– controller_front_init_routers (app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php)

• ‘front’ => Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front

– controller_front_send_response_before (app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php)

• ‘front’ => Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front

– controller_front_send_response_after (app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php)

• ‘front’ => Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front

III. Explain Front Controller’s responsibilities
– Directly receive the request from browser.

• All requests call the function Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front::dispatch()

– URL rewriting process.
– Load the module and action controller corresponding with the requests through routers to process the requirements which are sent from clients.

• Collect routers: admin, standard, default.
• Use the function match() of routers to define the module and controller that are requested.
• Call the function dispatch() of the controller requested.
• Call the action requested.

– Return HTML for browser

• Call the function sendResponse() of Mage_Core_Model_Response_Http (extend from Zend_Controller_Response_Abstract).
• Call the function sendHeaders() – use the header() function of PHP.
• Call the function outputBody() to show the whole content of the body part:

echo implode('', $this->_body);

Question: Where is the value of $this > _body receive from?
Answer: The variable $_body is an array() and Action controller added value to this variable.
For example: When you call $this > renderLayout() in Action controller:

$output = $this->getLayout()->getOutput();
Mage::getSingleton('core/translate_inline')
->processResponseBody($output);
$this->getResponse()->appendBody($output);

Well, the post ends here. If you have other problems, don’t hesitate to discuss with me by leaving comments below!
Thanks.