FAQ: How do I get the base URL of the application?

$frontController = Zend_Controller_From::getInstance();
$baseUrl = $frontController->getBaseUrl();

FAQ: How do I generate URLs?

Use a view helper:

$view->url(array(
  'controller' => 'index', 
  'action' => 'edit',
  'id' => 777
));

$controller->_helper->getHelper('Redirector')->gotoRoute(array(
  // ...
));

Note that the view object is available to the controller as $this->view.

FAQ: How do I generate content?

That is, what are my options for generating HTML from templates or otherwise? How can I generate partial content?

• $controller->render();
• $view->render();
• $view->partial();
• $view->action();
• A custom view helper

TIP: Useful helpers

• The ViewRenderer Action Helper (enabled by default).

FAQ: How to get custom view helpers to work?

Custom view helpers can be used to add extra methods to Zend Views. Once added they're available in views as e.g. $this->fooBar().

The custom view helper is worth reading, but unfortunately a little light on the specifics.

The additional things you need to know are:

1. By and large, helpers are loaded automatically--you don't need to "register" view helpers to make them available to views.
2. By default, if you want your view helper to be invoked with the name 'fooBar()', then the method name needs to be fooBar(), the classname needs to be Zend_View_Helper_FooBar and the filename needs to be FooBar.php. The directory it needs to be put into is something like /webapp/modules/XXXX/views/helpers but if ZF can't find your helper, it will report "Plugin by name 'XXXX' was not found in the registry" and then list the paths that it's trying. Check these paths to see where it's looking!
3. If you want to change the name of the class, or the directories that are searched for view helpers, $view->addHelperPath() or $view->setHelperPath().

ERROR: "No default module defined for this application"

You probably need to tell your front controller where to find your controllers. e.g.

$front->addControllerDirectory('../modules/foo/controllers');

More information.

FAQ: Zend_Rest_Route is behaving unexpectedly

Note that the action that's ultimately dispatched to may not necessarily be the HTTP action used. The _method parameter is consulted, as is the X-HTTP-Method-Override header. These two are somewhat expected, but in certain circumstances, the URL is also used. For example, if you attempt to POST to a "resource" rather than a "collection" (e.g. POST /user/332), then the action will be putAction rather than the expected postAction.

HOWTO: Testing exceptions in Zend Framework controller actions

Often you want to check that an action has thrown an exception, but typically this is smothered by some error-handling code. (Because there's no real "exception" in the HTTP response.) To accomplish this, do the dispatch as usual, then check for the exception you're looking for using the getException() method of the response.