CodePress/guide/en/content-beheerder/content-api.md

# Content API

PHP content files (`.php`) run inside the CMS and have access to a safe,
read-only API via the `$api` variable. The output of such a file is
automatically placed into the active Twig layout at the `{{ content }}` spot.

## How to pass content to the Twig template

There are **two ways** to send content from a `.php` file to the Twig template.
The CMS picks the right one automatically:

1. **Echo / print** — everything you echo (or that sits outside `<?php ?>` tags)
   is captured and placed as `{{ content }}` in the layout.
2. **Return** — if you `return` a string, that string is used as `{{ content }}`
   (any echoed output is then ignored).

Example with echo:

```php
---
layout: full_content
---
<?php
/** @var ContentAPI $api */
?>
<h1>Hello <?= htmlspecialchars($api->getSiteTitle()) ?></h1>
<p>Welcome to my page.</p>
```

Example with return:

```php
---
layout: full_content
---
<?php
/** @var ContentAPI $api */
return '<h1>Hello ' . htmlspecialchars($api->getSiteTitle()) . '</h1>';
```

> The frontmatter (`---` block) is stripped by the CMS before the PHP code
> runs. The layout key determines which Twig template surrounds the content.

## What you cannot do

- You **cannot** set your own Twig variables from a `.php` file. PHP content
  only feeds the `{{ content }}` placeholder. Other template variables
  (`menu`, `breadcrumb`, `page_title`, etc.) are set by the CMS based on
  frontmatter and config — not by your PHP code.
- You **cannot** call a ContentAPI from the outside; the class is only
  instantiated inside `parsePHP()` and is never reachable via a URL.

## Available variables in your PHP file

The following variables are available inside a `.php` content file:

| Variable | Type | Description |
|----------|------|-------------|
| `$api` | `ContentAPI` | Read-only access to CMS data |
| `$pageMetadata` | `array` | The frontmatter metadata of this file |

## ContentAPI methods

### Pages

- `getAllPages(): array` — All content entries (folders + files) as a list of `['path' => ..., 'title' => ..., 'type' => ...]`. `type` is `md`/`php`/`html` for files, `folder` for directories.
- `getPage(string $path): ?array` — A specific page; returns `title`, `content`, `path`, `layout`, `metadata`. `$path` may include an extension.
- `pageExists(string $path): bool` — Check whether a page exists
- `getCurrentPageTitle(): string` — Title of the current page
- `getCurrentPagePath(): string` — Path of the current page
- `isHomepage(): bool` — Whether the current page is the homepage

### Menu & navigation

- `getMenu(): array` — Hierarchical menu structure with `title`, `path`, `children`, `active`
- `buildUrl(string $page = 'index', ?string $lang = null, array $params = []): string` — Build a URL

### Configuration

- `getConfig(string $key, mixed $default = null): mixed` — Config value via dot notation (e.g. `'features.search_enabled'`)
- `getSiteTitle(): string` — Site title from config

### Language

- `getCurrentLanguage(): string` — Current language code (e.g. `'nl'`)
- `getAvailableLanguages(): array` — Available languages
- `t(string $key): string` — Translate a language key

### Search

- `getSearchResults(): array` — Search results (empty if not searching)
- `isSearching(): bool` — Whether a search is currently active

### Author

- `getPageAuthor(): array` — Author metadata from frontmatter (`author_name`, `author_email`, `created`)

## Examples

### Show recent pages

```php
---
layout: full_content
---
<?php
/** @var ContentAPI $api */
$entries = $api->getAllPages();
$currentLang = $api->getCurrentLanguage();
?>
<ul>
<?php foreach ($entries as $entry): ?>
    <?php if ($entry['type'] === 'folder') continue; // skip folders ?>
    <li>
        <a href="/<?= htmlspecialchars($currentLang) ?>/<?= htmlspecialchars($entry['path']) ?>">
            <?= htmlspecialchars($entry['title']) ?>
            <small>(<?= htmlspecialchars($entry['type']) ?>)</small>
        </a>
    </li>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
```

### Use a config value

```php
---
layout: full_content
---
<?php
/** @var ContentAPI $api */
if ($api->getConfig('features.search_enabled', false)): ?>
    <form method="GET" action="">
        <input type="search" name="search" placeholder="<?= $api->t('search_placeholder') ?>">
        <button type="submit"><?= $api->t('search_button') ?></button>
    </form>
<?php endif; ?>
```

### Dynamic greeting based on language

```php
---
layout: full_content
---
<?php
/** @var ContentAPI $api */
$lang = $api->getCurrentLanguage();
$greeting = $lang === 'nl' ? 'Welkom' : 'Welcome';
?>
<h1><?= $greeting ?> to <?= htmlspecialchars($api->getSiteTitle()) ?></h1>
```

## Choosing a layout

The frontmatter `layout` key determines which Twig template surrounds your
content. Available layouts are defined in `themes/<active-theme>/theme.json`
under the `template` section. For example:

```yaml
---
layout: sidebar-content
---
```

If you omit a layout, `config.default_template` is used, falling back to
`full_content`. The content always lands at the `{{ content }}` spot in that
template.

## Security

- Always use `htmlspecialchars()` for output of user-content or API data.
- PHP content files have access to the server filesystem — be careful with
  `include`, `require` or `file_get_contents` on external paths. Stay inside
  the `content/` directory.
- The ContentAPI is read-only; you cannot modify files or config through it.

## CMSAPI (for plugins)

Plugins use the `CMSAPI` class via `$this->api`. It offers similar methods:

```php
$this->api->getCurrentPageTitle();
$this->api->getCurrentPageContent();
$this->api->getMenu();
$this->api->getConfig('site_title');
$this->api->getCurrentLanguage();
$this->api->isHomepage();
$this->api->hasContent();
$this->api->getSearchResults();
$this->api->isSearching();
$this->api->getAvailableLanguages();
$this->api->createUrl('about-us');
$this->api->translate('home');
```

In addition, CMSAPI has:

- `getCurrentPage(): array` — Full page data
- `getCurrentPageUrl(): string` — URL of the current page
- `getCurrentPageFileInfo(): ?array` — File info (created, modified)
- `getBreadcrumb(): string` — Breadcrumb HTML
- `executePhpFile(string $filePath): string` — Execute a PHP file and capture output
- `getFileContent(string $filePath): string` — Get content from a PHP/HTML/Markdown file
- `contentFileExists(string $filename): bool` — Check whether a file exists in the content directory