290
votes

I'm reading the Laravel Blade documentation and I can't figure out how to assign variables inside a template for use later. I can't do {{ $old_section = "whatever" }} because that will echo "whatever" and I don't want that.

I understand that I can do <?php $old_section = "whatever"; ?>, but that's not elegant.

Is there a better, elegant way to do that in a Blade template?

30
This is often useful for testing, especially if you are working on the template but someone else works on the PHP part. Just be careful to remove the declaration when you are done testing.trysis
What's is wrong with simply doing <?php $old_section = "whatever"; ?>. I find it quite readable.Jaime Hablutzel
@JaimeHablutzel the answer, in my opinion, is in the question: it's not elegant.duality_
@duality_ Using a hack is always going to be inelegant, don't look for elegance if you want to use hacks.Silidrone

30 Answers

136
votes

It is discouraged to do in a view so there is no blade tag for it. If you do want to do this in your blade view, you can either just open a php tag as you wrote it or register a new blade tag. Just an example:

<?php
/**
 * <code>
 * {? $old_section = "whatever" ?}
 * </code>
 */
Blade::extend(function($value) {
    return preg_replace('/\{\?(.+)\?\}/', '<?php ${1} ?>', $value);
});
416
votes

LARAVEL 5.5 AND UP

Use the full form of the blade directive:

@php
$i = 1
@endphp

LARAVEL 5.2 - 5.4

You can use the inline tags:

@php ($i = 1)

Or you can use it in a block statement:

@php
$i = 1
@endphp

ADD A 'DEFINE' TAG

If you want to use custom tags and use a @define instead of @php, extend Blade like this:

/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Extend blade so we can define a variable
| <code>
| @define $variable = "whatever"
| </code>
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/

\Blade::extend(function($value) {
    return preg_replace('/\@define(.+)/', '<?php ${1}; ?>', $value);
});

Then do one of the following:

Quick solution: If you are lazy, just put the code in the boot() function of the AppServiceProvider.php.

Nicer solution: Create an own service provider. See https://stackoverflow.com/a/28641054/2169147 on how to extend blade in Laravel 5. It's a bit more work this way, but a good exercise on how to use Providers :)

LARAVEL 4

You can just put the above code on the bottom of app/start/global.php (or any other place if you feel that is better).


After the above changes, you can use:

@define $i = 1

to define a variable.

117
votes

In , you can use the template comment syntax to define/set variables.

Comment syntax is {{-- anything here is comment --}} and it is rendered by engine as

<?php /* anything here is comment */ ?>

so with little trick we can use it to define variables, for example

{{-- */$i=0;/* --}}

will be rendered by as <?php /* */$i=0;/* */ ?> which sets the variable for us. Without changing any line of code.

55
votes

There is a simple workaround that doesn't require you to change any code, and it works in Laravel 4 just as well.

You just use an assignment operator (=) in the expression passed to an @if statement, instead of (for instance) an operator such as ==.

@if ($variable = 'any data, be it string, variable or OOP') @endif

Then you can use it anywhere you can use any other variable

{{ $variable }}

The only downside is your assignment will look like a mistake to someone not aware that you're doing this as a workaround.

30
votes

Ya'll are making it too complicated.

Just use plain php

<?php $i = 1; ?>
{{$i}}

donesies.

(or https://github.com/alexdover/blade-set looks pretty straighforward too)

We're all kinda "hacking" the system by setting variables in views, so why make the "hack" more complicated then it needs to be?

Tested in Laravel 4.

Another benefit is that syntax highlighting works properly (I was using comment hack before and it was awful to read)

22
votes

Since Laravel 5.2.23, you have the @php Blade directive, which you can use inline or as block statement:

@php($old_section = "whatever")

or

@php
    $old_section = "whatever"
@endphp
22
votes

You Can Set Variables In The Blade Templating Engine The Following Ways:

1. General PHP Block
Setting Variable: <?php $hello = "Hello World!"; ?>
Output: {{$hello}}

2. Blade PHP Block
Setting Variable: @php $hello = "Hello World!"; @endphp
Output: {{$hello}}

18
votes

In laravel document https://laravel.com/docs/5.8/blade#php You can do this way:

@php
     $my_variable = 123;
@endphp
17
votes

You can set a variable in the view file, but it will be printed just as you set it. Anyway, there is a workaround. You can set the variable inside an unused section. Example:

@section('someSection')
  {{ $yourVar = 'Your value' }}
@endsection

Then {{ $yourVar }} will print Your value anywhere you want it to, but you don't get the output when you save the variable.

EDIT: naming the section is required otherwise an exception will be thrown.

15
votes

In Laravel 4:

If you wanted the variable accessible in all your views, not just your template, View::share is a great method (more info on this blog).

Just add the following in app/controllers/BaseController.php

class BaseController extends Controller
{
  public function __construct()
  {                   
    // Share a var with all views
    View::share('myvar', 'some value');
  }
}

and now $myvar will be available to all your views -- including your template.

I used this to set environment specific asset URLs for my images.

8
votes

And suddenly nothing will appear. From my experience, if you have to do something like this prepare the html in a model's method or do some reorganizing of your code in to arrays or something.

There is never just 1 way.

{{ $x = 1 ? '' : '' }}
6
votes

I'm going to extend the answer given by @Pim.

Add this to the boot method of your AppServiceProvider

<?php
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Extend blade so we can define a variable
| <code>
| @set(name, value)
| </code>
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/

Blade::directive('set', function($expression) {
    list($name, $val) = explode(',', $expression);
    return "<?php {$name} = {$val}; ?>";
});

This way you don't expose the ability to write any php expression.

You can use this directive like:

@set($var, 10)
@set($var2, 'some string')
5
votes

In Laravel 5.1, 5.2:

https://laravel.com/docs/5.2/views#sharing-data-with-all-views

You may need to share a piece of data with all views that are rendered by your application. You may do so using the view factory's share method. Typically, you should place calls to share within a service provider's boot method. You are free to add them to the AppServiceProvider or generate a separate service provider to house them.

Edit file: /app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php

<?php

namespace App\Providers;

class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
{        
    public function boot()
    {
        view()->share('key', 'value');
    }

    public function register()
    {
        // ...
    }
}
5
votes

You may use the package I have published: https://github.com/sineld/bladeset

Then you easily set your variable:

@set('myVariable', $existing_variable)

// or

@set("myVariable", "Hello, World!")
3
votes

As for my elegant way is like the following

{{ ''; $old_section = "whatever"; }}

And just echo your $old_section variable.

{{ $old_section }}
3
votes

If you have PHP 7.0:

The simple and most effective way is with assignment inside brackets.

The rule is simple: Do you use your variable more than once? Then declare it the first time it's used within brackets, keep calm and carry on.

@if(($users = User::all())->count())
  @foreach($users as $user)
    {{ $user->name }}
  @endforeach
@else
  There are no users.
@endif

And yes, I know about @forelse, this is just a demo.

Since your variables are now declared as and when they are used, there is no need for any blade workarounds.

3
votes

Assign variable to the blade template, Here are the solutions

We can use <?php ?> tag in blade page

<?php $var = 'test'; ?>
{{ $var }

OR

We can use the blade comment with special syntax

{{--*/ $var = 'test' /*--}}
{{ $var }}
3
votes

I also struggled with this same issue. But I was able to manage this problem by using following code segment. Use this in your blade template.

<input type="hidden" value="{{$old_section = "whatever" }}">

{{$old_section }}
2
votes

I don't think that you can - but then again, this kind of logic should probably be handled in your controller and passed into the view already set.

1
votes

Hacking comments is not a very readable way to do it. Also editors will color it as a comment and someone may miss it when looking through the code.

Try something like this:

{{ ''; $hello = 'world' }}

It will compile into:

<?php echo ''; $hello = 'world'; ?>

...and do the assignment and not echo anything.

1
votes

It's better to practice to define variable in Controller and then pass to view using compact() or ->with() method.

Otherwise #TLGreg gave best answer.

1
votes

There is a very good extention for Blade radic/blade-extensions. After you add it you can use @set(variable_name, variable_value)

@set(var, 33)
{{$var}}
1
votes

I was looking for a way to assign a value to a key and use it many times in my view. For this case, you can use @section{"key", "value"} in the first place and then call @yield{"key"} to output the value in other places in your view or its child.

0
votes

In my opinion it would be better to keep the logic in the controller and pass it to the view to use. This can be done one of two ways using the 'View::make' method. I am currently using Laravel 3 but I am pretty sure that it is the same way in Laravel 4.

public function action_hello($userName)
{
    return View::make('hello')->with('name', $userName);
}

or

public function action_hello($first, $last)
{
    $data = array(
        'forename'  => $first,
        'surname' => $last
    );
    return View::make('hello', $data);
}

The 'with' method is chainable. You would then use the above like so:

<p>Hello {{$name}}</p>

More information here:

http://three.laravel.com/docs/views

http://codehappy.daylerees.com/using-controllers

0
votes

I had a similar question and found what I think to be the correct solution with View Composers

View Composers allow you to set variables every time a certain view is called, and they can be specific views, or entire view templates. Anyway, I know it's not a direct answer to the question (and 2 years too late) but it seems like a more graceful solution than setting variables within a view with blade.

View::composer(array('AdminViewPath', 'LoginView/subview'), function($view) {
    $view->with(array('bodyClass' => 'admin'));
});
0
votes

laravel 5 you can easily do this . see below

{{--*/ @$variable_name = 'value'  /*--}}
0
votes

You can extend blade by using the extend method as shown below..

Blade::extend(function($value) {
    return preg_replace('/\@var(.+)/', '<?php ${1}; ?>', $value);
});

after that initialize variables as follows.

@var $var = "var"
0
votes

inside the blade file, you can use this format

@php
  $i++
@endphp
0
votes

Laravel 7 :

{{ $solution = "Laravel 7 is awesome and easy to use !!" }}
-2
votes

works in all versions of blade.

{{--*/  $optionsArray = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D','E','F','G','H','J','K'] /*--}}