**Course Title:** Mastering Zend Framework (Laminas): Building Robust Web Applications **Section Title:** Routing, Controllers, and Views in Laminas **Topic:** Defining and managing routes in Laminas ### Introduction In the previous topic, we explored the directory structure and configuration files of a Laminas application. This topic will delve into one of the most critical aspects of building robust web applications: routing. In Laminas, routing is the process of mapping URLs to specific actions within your application. Effective route management is crucial for creating clean, intuitive URLs that provide a great user experience. ### Understanding Routes in Laminas In Laminas, routes are defined using the `Laminas\Router\Route\Literal` and `Laminas\Router\Route\Segment` classes. These classes provide the foundation for mapping URLs to specific actions in your application. * **Literal Routes**: These routes match a URL to a specific literal string. They are useful for defining static routes that do not change. * **Segment Routes**: These routes match a URL to a specific pattern. They are useful for defining dynamic routes that have variable parameters. ### Defining Routes in Laminas To define a route in Laminas, you need to create a new instance of either `Literal` or `Segment` class and pass the route configuration to its constructor. Here's an example: ```php use Laminas\Router\Route\Literal; $route = new Literal( '/home', [ 'controller' => 'Application\Controller\IndexController', 'action' => 'index', ] ); ``` In this example, we define a literal route for the `/home` URL. When this URL is accessed, the `index` action of the `IndexController` will be executed. For more complex routes, you can use the `Segment` class: ```php use Laminas\Router\Route\Segment; $route = new Segment('/user[/:id]', [ 'controller' => 'Application\Controller\UserController', 'action' => 'index', 'route' => 'userRoute', ]); ``` In this example, we define a segment route for the `/user` URL that accepts an optional `id` parameter. ### Configuring Routes in module.config.php In Laminas, routes are typically configured in the `module.config.php` file of a specific module. This file returns an array of configuration settings, including routes. Here's an example of how to configure the routes we defined earlier in the `module.config.php` file: ```php use Laminas\Router\Route\Literal; use Laminas\Router\Route\Segment; return [ 'router' => [ 'routes' => [ 'home' => [ 'type' => Literal::class, 'options' => [ 'route' => '/home', 'defaults' => [ 'controller' => 'Application\Controller\IndexController', 'action' => 'index', ], ], ], 'user' => [ 'type' => Segment::class, 'options' => [ 'route' => '/user[/:id]', 'defaults' => [ 'controller' => 'Application\Controller\UserController', 'action' => 'index', 'route' => 'userRoute', ], ], ], ], ], ]; ``` In this example, we define two routes: `home` and `user`. The `home` route is a literal route that maps to the `/home` URL, while the `user` route is a segment route that maps to the `/user` URL with an optional `id` parameter. ### Using Router in Controllers To use the routes defined in the `module.config.php` file, you need to inject the `Laminas\Router\RouteMatch<RouteMatch>` object into your controllers. Here's an example of how to inject the `RouteMatch` object into a controller: ```php use Laminas\Mvc\Controller\AbstractActionController; use Laminas\Router\RouteMatch; class IndexController extends AbstractActionController { private $routeMatch; public function __construct(RouteMatch $routeMatch) { $this->routeMatch = $routeMatch; } public function indexAction() { // Access the current route $route = $this->routeMatch->getMatchedRouteName(); // Use the route to perform logic if ($route === 'home') { // Perform logic specific to the home route } } } ``` In this example, we inject the `RouteMatch` object into the `IndexController` and use its `getMatchedRouteName()` method to access the current route. ### Practical Takeaways * Use literal routes for static routes and segment routes for dynamic routes. * Define routes in the `module.config.php` file of a specific module. * Inject the `Laminas\Router\RouteMatch` object into controllers to access the current route. ### Next Steps In the next topic, we will cover creating controllers to handle requests and responses. **Do you have any questions or need help with understanding routes in Laminas?**