Core_helper

Class Core_helper in PHPFast provides several utility functions to manage helpers, system configurations, server information, and environment variables in a PHP application.

Functions Helper in Core

load_helpers()

Loads helper files dynamically from either the system or application directories.

function load_helpers(array $helpers = []) {

How It Works:

• Uses a global variable $fast_helpers to track loaded helpers.

• Checks if the helper is already loaded to avoid redundant imports.

• Searches for the helper file in:

  • ROOT_PATH/system/Helpers/

  • ROOT_PATH/application/Helpers/

• If the file exists, it is included (require_once), otherwise, it throws an exception.

Example:

load_helpers(['form', 'url']); // Loads form_helper.php and url_helper.php

DateTime()

Returns the current date and time in the YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format.

function DateTime() {
    return date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
}

Example:

echo DateTime(); 
// Output: 2025-03-01 12:34:56

version_php()

Returns the current PHP version.

Example:

echo version_php(); 
// Output: 8.3.16

dir_writable()

• Checks if a given directory exists and is writable.

• Returns true if writable, otherwise false.

Example:

echo dir_writable('/writable/uploads') ? "Writable" : "Not Writable";

server_info()

• Returns an array of server information, including:

  • PHP version

  • Web server software

  • Document root

  • Server name

  • Server protocol

Example:

[
    [php_version] => 8.3.16
    [server_software] => nginx/1.27.3
    [document_root] => C:/laragon/www/cms/public
    [server_name] => cms.test
    [server_protocol] => HTTP/1.1
]

random_string()

Generates a random alphanumeric string of the specified length.

function random_string($length = 10) {}

Example:

echo random_string(12); 
// Output: A1b2C3d4E5F6

config()

Loads configuration values from a specified file.

function config($key = '', $file = 'Config') {}

• Reads the /application/Config/Config.php file and returns the requested setting.

• Uses a static $config array to cache values for performance.

Example:

$siteName = config('site_name'); // Loads the site_name from Config.php.

option()

• Retrieves an option value from the Options.php config file or from the database.

• If the key is not found in the file, it queries the database for the value.

function option($key, $lang = LANG) {}

Example:

$siteTitle = option('site_title');
// Gets the site title from the options table or configuration file.

option_set()

• Updates an option value in the configuration file (Options.php).

• Supports multi-language values if $lang is specified.

function option_set($key, $value, $lang = '') {}

• Loads the Options.php file.

• Updates the key-value pair.

• Saves the new values back to the file.

Example:

option_set('site_title', 'PHPFast site');
// Updates the site_title value in Options.php.

echo option('site_title');
// Ouput: PHPFast site

env()

Retrieves environment variables from the system or .env file.

function env($key, $default = null) {}

• First, checks if the value exists in cache ($env_cache).

• If not found, retrieves it using getenv().

• Cleans the value to prevent security issues (htmlspecialchars).

• Converts "true", "false", "null" strings into actual boolean values.

Example:

$dbHost = env('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
// Retrieves the database host from environment variables.

_bytes()

Converts a storage unit string (e.g., 2G, 512M, 128K) into bytes.

function _bytes($size) {}

• Extracts the unit (G, M, K).

• Converts it into bytes accordingly.

Example:

echo _bytes('2G'); 
// Output: 2147483648

Function	Purpose
load_helpers()	Load helper files dynamically.
DateTime()	Get the current date and time.
version_php()	Retrieve the PHP version.
dir_writable()	Check if a directory is writable.
server_info()	Get server details (PHP version, web server, etc.).
random_string()	Generate a random alphanumeric string.
config()	Retrieve system configuration settings.
option()	Fetch system options from a file or database.
option_set()	Update an option value in Options.php.
env()	Retrieve environment variables from .env or system.
_bytes()	Convert storage units (G, M, K) to bytes.