repo_zf1/documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Tool_Framework-Extending.xml

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<sect1 id="zend.tool.framework.extending">
    <title>Extending and Configuring Zend_Tool_Framework</title>

    <sect2 id="zend.tool.framework.console-client">
        <title>Customizing Zend_Tool Console Client</title>

        <para>
            As of Zend Framework 1.9, <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname> allows developers
            to store information, provider specific configuration values, and custom files in a
            special location on the developers machine. These configuration values and files can be
            used by providers to extend functionality, customize functionality, or any other reasons
            a provider sees fit.
        </para>

        <para>
            The primary purpose, and the purpose most immediately used by existing providers is to
            allow developers to customize the way the "out of the box" providers do work.
        </para>

        <para>
            One of the more commonly requested features is to be able to provide custom project
            profiles to <classname>Zend_Tool_Project</classname>'s Project Provider. This would
            allow developers to store a custom profile in a special place that can be used
            repeatedly by the <classname>Zend_Tool</classname> system in order to build custom
            profiles. Another commonly requested feature is to be able to configure the behavior of
            providers with a configuration setting. In order to achieve this, not only do we have to
            have a <classname>Zend_Tool</classname> configuration file, but we also have to have a
            place to find this configuration file.
        </para>

        <sect3 id="zend.tool.framework.console-client.home-directory">
            <title>The Home Directory</title>

            <para>
                Before the Console Client can start searching for a <classname>Zend_Tool</classname>
                configuration file or a local storage directory, it must first be able to identify
                where the "home directory" is located.
            </para>

            <para>
                On *nix-based machines, <acronym>PHP</acronym> will be populated with an environment
                variable named <constant>HOME</constant> with a path to the current users home
                directory. Typically, this path will be very similar to
                <filename>/home/myusername</filename>.
            </para>

            <para>
                On Windows-based machines, <acronym>PHP</acronym> will typically be populated with
                an environment variable named <constant>HOMEPATH</constant> with the current users
                home directory. This directory is usually found in either
                <filename>C:\Documents and Settings\Username\</filename>, or in Vista at
                <filename>C:\Users\Username</filename>.
            </para>

            <para>
                If either a home directory cannot be found, or you wish to change the location of
                where <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname> Console Client finds the home
                directory, you can provide an environment variable named
                <constant>ZF_HOME</constant> to specify where to find the home directory.
            </para>
        </sect3>

        <sect3 id="zend.tool.framework.console-client.local-storage">
            <title>Local Storage</title>

            <para>
                Once a home directory can be located, <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname>'s
                Console Client can either autodiscover the local storage directory, or it can be
                told where to expect the local storage directory.
            </para>

            <para>
                Assuming the home directory has been found (here noted as <varname>$HOME</varname>),
                the Console Client will then look for the local storage directory in
                <filename>$HOME/.zf/</filename>. If found, it will set the local storage directory
                to this location.
            </para>

            <para>
                If the directory cannot be found, or the developer wishes to override this location,
                that can be done by setting an environment variable. Regardless if
                <varname>$HOME</varname> has been previously set or not, the developer may supply
                the environment variable <constant>ZF_STORAGE_DIR</constant>.
            </para>

            <para>
                Once the path to a local storage directory is found, the directory
                <emphasis>must</emphasis> exist for it to be passed into the
                <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname> runtime, as it will not be created for
                you.
            </para>
        </sect3>

        <sect3 id="zend.tool.framework.console-client.configuration-file">
            <title>User Configuration</title>

            <para>
                Like local storage, once a home directory can be located,
                <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname>'s Console Client can then either attempt
                to autodiscover the path to a configuration file, or it can be told specifically
                where to find the configuration file.
            </para>

            <para>
                Assuming the home directory has been found (here noted as <varname>$HOME</varname>),
                the Console Client will then attempt to look for the existence of a configuration
                file located at <filename>$HOME/.zf.ini</filename>. This file, if found, will be
                used as the configuration file for <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname>.
            </para>

            <para>
                If that location does not exist, but a local storage directory does, then the
                Console Client will then attempt to locate the configuration file within the local
                storage directory. Assuming the local storage directory exists in
                <varname>$LOCAL_STORAGE</varname>, then if a file exists as
                <filename>$LOCAL_STORAGE/zf.ini</filename>, it will be found by the Console Client
                and utilized as the <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname> configuration file.
            </para>

            <para>
                If the file cannot be autodiscovered or the developer wishes to specify the location
                of location of the configuration file, the developer can do so by setting an
                environment variable. If the environment variable
                <constant>ZF_CONFIG_FILE</constant> is set, then its value will be used as the
                location of the configuration file to use with the Console Client. The
                <constant>ZF_CONFIG_FILE</constant> can point to any
                <classname>Zend_Config</classname> readable <acronym>INI</acronym>,
                <acronym>XML</acronym> or <acronym>PHP</acronym> File.
            </para>

            <para>
                If the file does not exist in either the autodiscovered or the provided location, it
                will not be used as <classname>Zend_Tool_Framework</classname> does not attempt to
                create the file automatically.
            </para>
        </sect3>

        <sect3 id="zend.tool.framework.console-client.configuration-content">
            <title>User Configuration File Content</title>

            <para>
                The configuration file should be structured as a <classname>Zend_Config</classname>
                configuration file, in <acronym>INI</acronym> format, and without any sections being
                defined. First level keys should be used by the provider searching for a specific
                value. For example, if the "Project" provider is expecting a "profiles" directory,
                then it should typically be understood that it will search for the following
                <acronym>INI</acronym> key value pair:
            </para>

            <programlisting language="php"><![CDATA[
project.profile = some/path/to/some-directory
]]></programlisting>

            <para>
                The only reserved <acronym>INI</acronym> prefix is the value "php". The "php" prefix
                to values will be reserved to store names and values of runtime settable
                <acronym>PHP</acronym> values, such as <property>include_path</property> or
                <property>error_reporting</property>. To override the
                <property>include_path</property> and <property>error_reporting</property> with an
                <acronym>INI</acronym> value, a developer would set:
            </para>

            <programlisting language="php"><![CDATA[
php.include_path = "/path/to/includes1:/path/to/includes2"
php.error_reporting = 1
]]></programlisting>

            <important>
                <para>
                    The reserved prefix "php" only works with <acronym>INI</acronym> files. You
                    can't set <acronym>PHP</acronym> <acronym>INI</acronym> values with
                    <acronym>PHP</acronym> or <acronym>XML</acronym> config.
                </para>
            </important>
        </sect3>
    </sect2>
</sect1>