Low Variables

Fieldtype Bridge

To make your fieldtype compatible with Low Variables, you can choose to return TRUE for the content type low_variables in your accepts_content_type method. You can also use specific methods which are called. As a rule, these methods are named var_x, where x is the original method name.

Note: The var_display_field method must be defined in your fieldtype in order to show up in Low Variables.

Fieldtypes that are called by Low Variables have the following properties available:

Fieldtype properties for Low Variab;es

Property	Description
$this->content_type	Always set to low_variables.
$this->id	The variable ID; NULL when new or not known.
$this->name	The variable name; NULL when new or not known.
$this->row	The entire variable row, including variable data, label, and more.
$this->settings	The (decoded) variable settings.

You can use the following methods in your fieldtype to further enhance Low Variables compatibility.

• var_display_field
• var_display_settings
• var_save_settings
• var_post_save_settings
• var_save
• var_post_save
• var_replace_tag
• var_delete

var_display_field (required)

Displays the input field on the module home page. You can access the current variable id with $this->id.

Arguments

• $data (string) — The current variable data.

Return

A string containing the HTML to be used in the module’s home page.

var_display_settings

If the fieldtype has settings, use this method to display them. You can access the current variable id with $this->id.

Arguments

• $settings (array) — The current variable’s settings.

Return

An array containing two elements: the name/label in the first element, the form element(s) in the second.

var_save_settings

(PreviouslyUse this method to catch the settings values before saving them to the database.

Arguments

• $settings (array) — The posted variable’s settings.

Return

An associative array containing the settings to be saved.

var_post_save_settings

Use this method for additional processing when a (new) variable has been saved to the database.

Arguments

• $settings (array) — The posted variable’s settings.

Return

NULL

var_save

Use this method to catch the variable value before saving it to the database.

Arguments

• $data (string) — The posted variable data.

Return

A string containing the modified variable data to be saved.

var_post_save

Use this method to do something after the variable value has been saved to the database.

Arguments

• $data (string) — The current variable data.

var_replace_tag

Use this method for displaying the variable value in your templates, using the {exp:low_variables:parse}, {exp:low_variables:single} and {exp:low_variables:pair} tags.

Arguments

• $data (string) — The current variable’s value.
• $tagparams (array) — The tag parameters.
• $tagdata (string) — The current tag data.

Return

A string containing the modified tagdata.

var_delete

Use this method for additional processing before a variable is deleted.

Arguments

• $id (int) — The ID of the variable about to be deleted.

Return

NULL