Cannot call the same static method from identical method from the same class

Question

I have this error controller in my Codeigniter 2.1.0 application:

<?php

class Error extends CI_Controller
{
    public function __construct()
    {
        parent::__construct();
    }

    public function index()
    {
        set_status_header(404);
        $data->menuItems = Main::_menu();
        $data->title = "404 error !";
        $data->pageview = 'templates/404';
        $this->load->view('templates/main', $data);
    }

    public function facebook()
    {

        set_status_header(404);            
        $data->menuItems = Main::_menu();
        $data->title = "Facebook error !";
        $data->pageview = "templates/facebook_error";
        $this->load->view('templates/main', $data);
    }
}
?>

The Maincontroller _menu:

<?php
class Main extends CI_Controller
{
    // ...  a lot of methods here ...
    public static function _menu()
    {
            static $menuItems = array( //just a simple array
                                     );
    }
}
?>

facebook() method is totally the same as the index(), however index works fine, facebook() throw this message:

Fatal error: Class 'Main' not found in /var/www/MYApplicationName/application/controllers/error.php on line 22

How the earth is that possible ? How can I reach Main::_menu() from facebook() method ?

Answer 1

Calling functions from another controller breaks MVC and puts you in the HMVC realm.

Please take a look at this thread, and also CodeIgniter's Modular Extensions (HMVC) Plugin if you really need to do this.

Answer 2

Why don't you create MY_Controller which extends the CI_Controller where you put your reusable code?

Answer 3

Actually - you are mistaken. Your "index" code does not work either.

I just pasted all your code above into a clean version of CI 2.1.2 and the index function ALSO returns the same error.

So perhaps your computer has something cached, or you have some other code elsewhere that is making you think it is working. But it does not work.

Anyway - the real question is why are you trying to call a controller from another controller? That is not a good MVC approach. Your "_menu()" function should be located in a library - that is where it belongs.

Or put the _menu() code into "MY_Controller" and have both controllers extend MY_Controller.

Or put the _menu() code into a helper.

Basically there are three better ways you could approach this.

Answer 4

Based on @TheShiftExchange's answer, I was able to track down that a route setting caused this behaviour. My config/routes.php looks like this:

$route['404_override'] = 'error/index';
$route['(:any)'] = "main/$1";

So, when I made a request to www.example.com/nonexistent-url this get served by the main controller, then CI noticed that there is no method like this so it ran error/index too, but the main controller was already loaded by then.

The other method facebook was redirected from an existing method of main only, for example gallery, this way it is like if I went to the url www.example.com/error/facebook, so the main controller is not loaded, because only error/facebook is requested. If I call www.example.com/error/index it works the same, because in this case the main controller is not loaded, only the error.

(The bounty goes to @TheShiftExchange, because his answer was the most accurate and provided me the best information to able track down the problem. Thanks !
One of my redirect was never reached, which I tought was calling the error/index page.)