LatteView for CakePHP

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Frontend Extension ​

The Frontend Extension serializes PHP variables to JSON for use in HTML attributes. It converts PHP variables to JSON with proper escaping for frontend frameworks.

Note: This extension is essentially a convenient wrapper around Latte's built-in escapeHtml() and escapeJs() filters, providing framework-specific attribute generation and automatic data serialization.

Features ​

  • Universal Data Serialization: Convert any PHP variable (entities, arrays, scalars) to JSON
  • Framework Agnostic: Support for frameworks that read complex data from HTML attributes (Alpine.js, Stimulus, HTMX, etc.)
  • Named Components: Support for multiple controllers/components with different data
  • Configurable: Easy framework mapping configuration

Installation & Configuration ​

Enable the Extension ​

Add the frontend extension to your View class by calling $this->getEngine()->addExtension():

php
// In your View class (e.g., src/View/AppView.php)
use LatteView\Extension\Frontend\FrontendExtension;

class AppView extends LatteView
{
    public function initialize(): void
    {
        parent::initialize();
        
        // Load the frontend extension
        $this->getEngine()->addExtension(new FrontendExtension($this));
    }
}

Custom Framework Mappings ​

Configure custom framework mappings by passing options to the extension constructor using the {name} placeholder:

php
// In your View class
use LatteView\Extension\Frontend\FrontendExtension;

class AppView extends LatteView
{
    public function initialize(): void
    {
        parent::initialize();
        
        // Load the frontend extension with custom mappings
        $this->getEngine()->addExtension(new FrontendExtension($this, [
            'alpine' => 'x-data',                    // Default
            'stimulus' => 'data-{name}-value',       // Default
            'htmx' => 'hx-vals',                     // Default
            'vue' => ':data',                        // Custom
            'turbo' => 'data-{name}-stream',         // Custom
            'custom' => 'data-{name}-props'          // Custom
        ]));
    }
}

The {name} placeholder will be replaced with the component name specified in templates.

Usage ​

Limitations ​

JavaScript Object Literals in Attributes

Latte's parser treats { as an expression delimiter, making it incompatible with JavaScript object literal syntax in attributes:

latte
{* ❌ This does NOT work - Latte parses { as expression start *}
<div x-data="{ count: {$value}, increment() { ... } }">

Solutions:

  1. Use n:data-alpine for data passing (recommended):
latte
{* ✅ Works - serializes PHP to JSON *}
<div n:data-alpine="['count' => $value]">
    <button @click="count++">Increment</button>
</div>
  1. Use wrapper element when mixing JavaScript and Latte expressions:
latte
{* ✅ Works - x-data on wrapper, n:context on form *}
<div x-data="{ count: 0, increment() { this.count++ } }">
    <form n:context="$entity">
        <button type="button" @click="increment()">Count: <span x-text="count"></span></button>
    </form>
</div>
  1. Use standard form syntax without n:context:
latte
{* ✅ Works - manual Form helper call *}
{Form create $entity, ['x-data' => '{ count: ' . $value . ' }']}
    <button type="button" @click="count++">Increment</button>
{/Form create}

Basic Data Attributes ​

Generic Data Attribute ​

latte
{* Creates data-json attribute *}
<div n:data="$user" data-my-framework="true">
    Framework reads from data-json
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div data-json="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John Doe&quot;,&quot;email&quot;:&quot;john@example.com&quot;}" data-my-framework="true">
    Framework reads from data-json
</div>

AlpineJS Integration ​

latte
{* Creates x-data attribute *}
<div n:data-alpine="$user">
    <h1 x-text="name"></h1>
    <p x-text="email"></p>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div x-data="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John Doe&quot;,&quot;email&quot;:&quot;john@example.com&quot;}">
    <h1 x-text="name"></h1>
    <p x-text="email"></p>
</div>
latte
{* Works with scalar values *}
<div n:data-alpine="'Hello World'">
    <span x-text="data"></span>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div x-data="{&quot;data&quot;:&quot;Hello World&quot;}">
    <span x-text="data"></span>
</div>
latte
{* Works with arrays and collections *}
<div n:data-alpine="$articles">
    <template x-for="article in data">
        <div x-text="article.title"></div>
    </template>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div x-data="[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Article 1&quot;},{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Article 2&quot;}]">
    <template x-for="article in data">
        <div x-text="article.title"></div>
    </template>
</div>

Stimulus Integration ​

latte
{* Single controller *}
<div data-controller="user-profile" n:data-stimulus:user-profile="$user">
    <span data-user-profile-target="name"></span>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div data-controller="user-profile" data-user-profile-value="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John Doe&quot;,&quot;email&quot;:&quot;john@example.com&quot;}">
    <span data-user-profile-target="name"></span>
</div>
latte
{* Multiple controllers with different data *}
<div data-controller="user-profile form-validator"
     n:data-stimulus:user-profile="$user"
     n:data-stimulus:form-validator="$validationRules">

    <form data-form-validator-target="form">
        <input data-user-profile-target="nameField" />
    </form>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div data-controller="user-profile form-validator"
     data-user-profile-value="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John Doe&quot;,&quot;email&quot;:&quot;john@example.com&quot;}"
     data-form-validator-value="{&quot;required&quot;:[&quot;name&quot;,&quot;email&quot;]}">

    <form data-form-validator-target="form">
        <input data-user-profile-target="nameField" />
    </form>
</div>

HTMX Integration ​

latte
{* Creates hx-vals attribute *}
<button n:data-htmx="$params" hx-post="/api/update" hx-target="#result">
    Update Data
</button>

Compiles to:

html
<button hx-vals="{&quot;id&quot;:123,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;update&quot;}" hx-post="/api/update" hx-target="#result">
    Update Data
</button>
latte
{* Form with HTMX data *}
<form n:data-htmx="$formData" hx-post="/submit" hx-swap="outerHTML">
    <input type="text" name="title" />
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

Compiles to:

html
<form hx-vals="{&quot;author_id&quot;:42,&quot;category&quot;:&quot;news&quot;}" hx-post="/submit" hx-swap="outerHTML">
    <input type="text" name="title" />
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

JavaScript Function Calls ​

For more advanced scenarios, you can use JavaScript mode (with -js suffix) to call JavaScript functions with serialized PHP data as parameters:

Alpine.js Function Calls ​

latte
{* Creates x-data with JavaScript function call *}
<div n:data-alpine-js="dropdown($params)">
    <button x-on:click="toggle()">Toggle Dropdown</button>
    <div x-show="isOpen" class="dropdown-menu">
        <span x-text="config.type"></span>
    </div>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div x-data="dropdown({&quot;type&quot;:&quot;xml&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:5})">
    <button x-on:click="toggle()">Toggle Dropdown</button>
    <div x-show="isOpen" class="dropdown-menu">
        <span x-text="config.type"></span>
    </div>
</div>
latte
{* Multiple parameters *}
<div n:data-alpine-js="modal($config, $user)">
    <button x-on:click="open()">Open Modal</button>
    <div x-show="visible" class="modal">
        <h2 x-text="title"></h2>
        <p x-text="user.name"></p>
    </div>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div x-data="modal({&quot;theme&quot;:&quot;dark&quot;},{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;})">
    <button x-on:click="open()">Open Modal</button>
    <div x-show="visible" class="modal">
        <h2 x-text="title"></h2>
        <p x-text="user.name"></p>
    </div>
</div>

Stimulus Function Calls ​

latte
{* Creates data-*-value with JavaScript function call *}
<div data-controller="profile-menu" n:data-stimulus-js:profile-menu="initProfile($user)">
    <button data-profile-menu-target="trigger">Menu</button>
    <div data-profile-menu-target="menu">
        <span data-profile-menu-target="username"></span>
    </div>
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div data-controller="profile-menu" data-profile-menu-value="initProfile({&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;})">
    <button data-profile-menu-target="trigger">Menu</button>
    <div data-profile-menu-target="menu">
        <span data-profile-menu-target="username"></span>
    </div>
</div>

HTMX Function Calls ​

latte
{* Creates hx-vals with JavaScript function call *}
<button n:data-htmx-js="getFormData($params)" hx-post="/api/submit" hx-target="#result">
    Submit Form
</button>

Compiles to:

html
<button hx-vals="getFormData({&quot;type&quot;:&quot;xml&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:5})" hx-post="/api/submit" hx-target="#result">
    Submit Form
</button>

Generic Function Calls ​

latte
{* Creates data-json with JavaScript function call *}
<div n:data-js="setupWidget($user)">
    Component with JavaScript function call
</div>

Compiles to:

html
<div data-json="setupWidget({&quot;name&quot;:&quot;John&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;})">
    Component with JavaScript function call
</div>

When to Use JavaScript Mode ​

Use JavaScript mode (-js suffix) when:

  • You need to call JavaScript functions with dynamic data
  • Your frontend framework expects function calls rather than plain JSON
  • You want to initialize complex components with custom setup functions
  • You need to pass multiple separate data objects to a single function

Use regular mode (no suffix) when:

  • You want to pass plain JSON data objects
  • Your framework reads data directly from attributes
  • You're using simple data binding scenarios

Data Types ​

The extension handles all PHP data types:

CakePHP Entities ​

latte
{* Automatically uses toArray() method *}
<div n:data-alpine="$user">
    <span x-text="name"></span>
    <span x-text="email"></span>
</div>

Arrays and Collections ​

latte
{* Direct array serialization *}
<div n:data-alpine="$articles">
    <template x-for="article in data">
        <div x-text="article.title"></div>
    </template>
</div>

Scalar Values ​

latte
{* Wrapped in {data: value} for consistency *}
<div n:data-alpine="'Hello World'">
    <span x-text="data"></span>
</div>

<div n:data-alpine="42">
    <span x-text="data"></span>
</div>

Mixed Data ​

latte
{* Combine different data types *}
<div n:data-alpine="[
    'message' => $message,
    'count' => $count,
    'users' => $users,
    'config' => ['theme' => 'dark']
]">
    <span x-text="message"></span>
    <span x-text="count"></span>
    <template x-for="user in users">
        <div x-text="user.name"></div>
    </template>
</div>

Framework-Specific Examples ​

AlpineJS ​

latte
{* Component with reactive data - include all data from controller *}
<div n:data-alpine="['user' => $user, 'editing' => false]">
    <template x-if="!editing">
        <div>
            <h2 x-text="user.name"></h2>
            <button @click="editing = true">Edit</button>
        </div>
    </template>

    <template x-if="editing">
        <form @submit.prevent="editing = false">
            <input x-model="user.name" />
            <button type="submit">Save</button>
        </form>
    </template>
</div>

Stimulus ​

latte
{* User profile controller *}
<div data-controller="user-profile" n:data-stimulus:user-profile="$user">
    <img data-user-profile-target="avatar" />
    <h1 data-user-profile-target="name"></h1>
    <button data-action="click->user-profile#edit">Edit Profile</button>
</div>

{* Form validation controller *}
<form data-controller="form-validator"
      n:data-stimulus:form-validator="$validationRules"
      data-action="submit->form-validator#validate">

    <input data-form-validator-target="field" name="email" />
    <div data-form-validator-target="errors"></div>
</form>

HTMX ​

latte
{* Dynamic content loading *}
<div hx-get="/users" n:data-htmx="['page' => 1, 'limit' => 10]">
    Loading users...
</div>

{* Form submission with context *}
<form hx-post="/articles" n:data-htmx="['author_id' => $currentUser->id]">
    <input name="title" placeholder="Article title" />
    <textarea name="content" placeholder="Content"></textarea>
    <button type="submit">Publish</button>
</form>

XSS Protection Example ​

latte
{* Dangerous input *}
<div n:data-alpine="['script' => '<script>alert(\'xss\')</script>', 'safe' => 'normal text']">
    <span x-text="safe"></span>
</div>

Safely compiles to:

html
<div x-data="{&quot;script&quot;:&quot;\\u003Cscript\\u003Ealert(\\u0027xss\\u0027)\\u003C\\/script\\u003E&quot;,&quot;safe&quot;:&quot;normal text&quot;}">
    <span x-text="safe"></span>
</div>

Notice how:

  • < becomes \\u003C (escaped angle bracket)
  • ' becomes \\u0027 (escaped quote)
  • / becomes \\/ (escaped slash)
  • The malicious script is completely neutralized

Helper Functions ​

The extension provides a convenient helper function for templates:

latte
{* Convert any data to JSON *}
{json($user)}