How do I create a variable that I can use in both PHP and SS templates?

For example:

In my Page.php I can write a simple function:
public function LatestNewsID() {
return 150;
}

This allows me to use that var in a SS template something like this:
<% if LatestNewsID = 150 %>
Do something with $LatestNewsID
<% else %>
Do something else
<% end_if %>

However, how do I reference the same variable in a PHP template?

jf/

That same if statement in your Page.php would look like this:

if ($this->LatestNewsID() == 150)
{
	Do something with $this->LatestNewsID();
}
else
{
	Do something else;
}

In your example, LatestNewsID is a function. If it were a variable you would call it with this:

$this->LatestNewsID;

Thanks for the help. But I have some odd behaviour going on on the SS template.

As before, I have this in Page.php:
public function LatestNewsID() {
return 150;
}

And in one of my include templates, SideBar.ss, I have a looping control element, a bit like this:

($LatestNewsID)
<% control Menu(1) %>
[$ID] ** [$LatestNewsID]
<% if Children %>
<% control Children %>
<li class="$LinkingMode"><a href="$Link" title="Go to the $Title.XML page" >$MenuTitle.XML</a></li>
<% end_control %>
<% end_if %>
<% end_control %>
($LatestNewsID)

Where it says $LatestNewsID in parenthesis, both before and after the control element, the value 150 prints to the page.
However, inside the control element, where $LatestNewsID is written in square brackets, the value is null.

Can I not call the function inside a control element?

jf/

Thanks Luke. Still got a problem though...

This prints to the page fine:
$ID ** $Top.LatestNewsID

However, on the next line, if I try to test against the function:
<% if ID != Top.LatestNewsID %>

I get this error:
Parse error: parse error in C:\WINDOWS\Temp\silverstripe-cacheC--wamp-www-OlafIntranet-SilverStripe
\.cacheC..wamp.www.OlafIntranet.SilverStripe.themes.olafIntranet03.templates.Page.ss on line 324

I tried deleting the cache file but it just recreated itself on the next page request.

Is there a different way of referring to a function or variable that is in the "Top" scope whilst inside a control loop?

jf/

To recap...

Here's my function:
public function LatestNewsID() {
return 150;
}

Outside of a control loop, this is fine:
to print to the page: $LatestNewsID
to check for a value: <% if LatestNewsID = 150 %>

Inside of a control loop, this is fine:
to print to the page: $Top.LatestNewsID

But this produces a Parse error:
to check for a value: <% if Top.LatestNewsID = 150 %>

If I can't use dot notation inside <% %> brackets, how do I refer to my variable?

jf/

^^ bump ^^

Yeah the limitations of if statements in the template are really frustrating.

You can either have a comparison statement, or you can retrieve a sub property but not both.

There are a few work arounds, I'm not sure if any will be appropriate to what you need.

One thing you can do is wrap a control around the if statement like so:

<% control Top %>
<% if LatestNewsID == 150 %>

<% end_if %>
<% end_control %>

You could also create a function, and call that, and do the comparisons in your php code:
Template:

<% if CheckLatestNewsID %>

<% end_if %>

Php:

public function CheckLatestNewsID () 
{
	return LatestNewsID() == 150;
}

Hopefully this gives you some ideas.

Good luck Squire

AmpedUp - Thanks for the suggestions, I think your last one would probably have worked fine.

[For the record - I found an entirely different way of factoring the behaviour I needed so this became a bit irrelevent in the end, but it's good to know there was a solution if I had needed one]

jf/