Loading Php markdown as helper with codeigniter

Question

I am trying to use Php Markdown with Codeigniter.
I saved the file "Markdown.php" as markdown_helper.php. I have put it in the applications/helpers directory.
I have used this statement to load the helper in my controller.

$this->load->helper('markdown');

I have used this statement to call the defaultTransform function()

$note_body=defaultTransform($note_body);

I am getting this error.

Fatal error: Call to undefined function defaultTransform()

Am I doing something wrong while loading the helper?

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with Codeigniter, but it looks like PHP Markdown doesn't fit into its definition of a 'helper' being a collection of 'simple, procedural functions' - Markdown.php is object-oriented. See the docs here.

What happens if you keep Codeigniter and PHP Markdown separate? Try including markdown_helper.php manually using

require_once(APPPATH . 'applications/helpers/markdown_helper.php');
use \Michelf\Markdown;

and then use it like this:

$note_body = Markdown::defaultTransform($note_body);

Answer 2

I ended up doing this by creating a thin library which extends the Markdown class.

From: http://blog.gauntface.co.uk/2014/03/17/codeigniter-markdown-libraries-hell/

Put the markdown files from Michel Fortin into the third_party directory, in my case I created a directory called Md and moved the php files into the root of that directory, then create a file called md.php in the libraries directory. Finally in your md.php put the following:

<?php
if (!defined('BASEPATH'))
    exit('No direct script access allowed');

set_include_path(APPPATH . 'third_party/' . PATH_SEPARATOR . get_include_path());

require_once APPPATH . 'third_party/Md/MarkdownInterface.php';
require_once APPPATH . 'third_party/Md/Markdown.php';

class Md extends Michelf\Markdown {
    function __construct($params = array()) {
        parent::__construct();
    }
}

Then to import and use it:

$this->load->library('md');
$html = $this->md->defaultTransform($markdown);

Answer 3

If you using Linux, please try run to find files contain defaultTransform function, and in your code file include that:

fgrep defaultTransform -r -n *

Answer 4

Use $this->load->helper('markdown') instead of $this->load->helper('markdown_helper').

CI automatically appends the _helper.php part of the filename.