Symfony2: Backward Uri (Referrer) during switching locale

Question

I'd like to implement locale switcher, but it seems with no luck...

The code below doesn't work because the (Referrer) contains the old value of locale...

How can I redirect to the old Referrer URI with a new value of locale?

-- routing.yml

hello:
  pattern:  /{_locale}/hello/{name}
  defaults: { _controller: JetInformBundle:Default:index, name: 'alexander' }
  requirements:
    _locale: ^en|de|ru|uk$

about:
  pattern:  /{_locale}/about
  defaults: { _controller: JetInformBundle:Default:about }
  requirements:
    _locale: ^en|de|ru|uk$

locale:
  pattern:  /locale/{locale}
  defaults: { _controller: JetInformBundle:Locale:index }

-- DefaultController.php

<?php

namespace Jet\InformBundle\Controller;

use Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Controller\Controller;
use Sensio\Bundle\FrameworkExtraBundle\Configuration\Route;
use Sensio\Bundle\FrameworkExtraBundle\Configuration\Template;
use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;

class DefaultController extends Controller
{
    public function indexAction($name, Request $request)
    {
        $request->getSession()->set('referrer', $request->getRequestUri());
        return $this->render('JetInformBundle:Default:index.html.twig',
                             array('name' => $name));
    }

    public function aboutAction(Request $request)
    {
        $request->getSession()->set('referrer', $request->getRequestUri());
        return $this->render('JetInformBundle:Default:about.html.twig'));
    }
}

-- LocaleController.php

<?php

namespace Jet\InformBundle\Controller;

use Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Controller\Controller;
use Sensio\Bundle\FrameworkExtraBundle\Configuration\Route;
use Sensio\Bundle\FrameworkExtraBundle\Configuration\Template;
use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;

class LocaleController extends Controller
{
    public function indexAction($locale, Request $request)
    {
        $session = $request->getSession();

        if ($request->hasSession())
            $session->setLocale($locale);

        return $this->redirect($session->get('referrer'));
    }
}

-- index.html.twig

{% extends '::base.html.twig' %}

{% block body %}
<h1>{% trans %}hello.name{% endtrans %} {{ name }}!</h1>
<h3>{% trans %}your.locale{% endtrans %} [{{ app.request.get('_locale') }}]</h3>

{% include 'JetInformBundle:Default:locales.html.twig' %}

<div>
    <p>{% trans%}return.to{% endtrans%} <a href="{{ path('about', { '_locale':   app.request.get('_locale') }) }}">About</a></p>
</div>
{% endblock %}

-- locales.html.twig

<div class="langs">
    <ul>
        <li>
            {% if app.request.get('_locale') == 'ru' %}
                Русский
            {% else %}
                <a href="{{ path('locale', { 'locale': 'ru' }) }}">Русский</a>
            {% endif %}
        </li>
        <li>
            {% if app.request.get('_locale') == 'en' %}
                English
            {% else %}
                <a href="{{ path('locale', { 'locale': 'en' }) }}">English</a>
            {% endif %}
        </li>
        <li>
            {% if app.request.get('_locale') == 'uk' %}
                Украiнська
            {% else %}
                <a href="{{ path('locale', { 'locale': 'uk' }) }}">Украiнська</a>
            {% endif %}
        </li>
        <li>
            {% if app.request.get('_locale') == 'de' %}
                Deutsch
            {% else %}
                <a href="{{ path('locale', { 'locale': 'de' }) }}">Deutsch</a>
            {% endif %}
        </li>
    </ul>
</div>

Answer 1

Let me show you my solution. I've written kernel event listener:

<service id="expedio.simple.listener" class="Expedio\SimpleBundle\Listener\Kernel">
      <tag name="kernel.event_listener" event="kernel.request" method="onKernelRequest" />
      <argument type="service" id="router" />
  </service>

like the following:

namespace Expedio\SimpleBundle\Listener;

use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Event\GetResponseEvent;

class Kernel {

    /**
     * @var \Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface
     */
    private $router;

    public function __construct(\Symfony\Component\Routing\Router $router) {
        $this->router = $router;
    }

    public function onKernelRequest(GetResponseEvent $event) {
        if ($event->getRequestType() !== \Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel::MASTER_REQUEST) {
            return;
        }

        /** @var \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request $request  */
        $request = $event->getRequest();
        /** @var \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Session $session  */
        $session = $request->getSession();

        $routeParams = $this->router->match($request->getPathInfo());
        $routeName = $routeParams['_route'];
        if ($routeName[0] == '_') {
            return;
        }
        unset($routeParams['_route']);
        $routeData = array('name' => $routeName, 'params' => $routeParams);

        //Skipping duplicates
        $thisRoute = $session->get('this_route', array());
        if ($thisRoute == $routeData) {
            return;
        }
        $session->set('last_route', $thisRoute);
        $session->set('this_route', $routeData);
    }
}

It just saves last request route data each time user opens a page. And in controller when user wants to change locale I do this:

/**
 * @Route("/setlocale/{locale}", name="set_locale")
 * @param string $locale
 * @return array
 */
public function setLocaleAction($locale) {
    /** @var \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Session $session  */
    $session = $this->get('session');
    $session->setLocale($locale);
    $last_route = $session->get('last_route', array('name' => 'index'));
    $last_route['params']['_locale'] = $locale;
    return ($this->redirect($this->generateUrl($last_route['name'], $last_route['params'])));
}

Answer 2

I provide my solution using the approach with

$request->headers->get('referer');

as suggested by gilden

/**
 * Your locale changing controller
 */
public function localeAction($locale)
{
    $request = $this->get('request');
    $router = $this->get('router');
    $context = $router->getContext();
    $frontControllerName = basename($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']);

    if($request->hasSession())
    {
        $session = $request->getSession();
        $session->setLocale($locale);
        $context->setParameter('_locale', $locale);

        //reconstructs a routing path and gets a routing array called $route_params
        $url = $request->headers->get('referer');
        $urlElements = parse_url($url);
        $routePath = str_replace('/' . $frontControllerName, '', $urlElements['path']); //eliminates the front controller name from the url path
        $route_params = $router->match($routePath);

        // Get the route name
        $route = $route_params['_route'];

        // Some parameters are not required to be used, filter them
        // by using an array of ignored elements.
        $ignore_params = array('_route' => true, '_controller' => true, '_locale' => true);
        $route_params = array_diff_key($route_params, $ignore_params);

        $url = $this->get('router')->generate($route, $route_params);

        return $this->redirect($url);
    }
}

Answer 3

You must store an array of your route attributes in the session instead of a single url.

/**
 * You should set the 'referrer' in every controller in your application. This
 * should probably be handled as an event to save all the hassle.
 */
public function anyAction(Request $request)
{
    $request->getSession()->set('referrer', $request->attributes->all());

    // ...
}

/**
 * Your locale changing controller
 */
public function localeAction($locale, Request $request)
{
    if($request->hasSession())
    {
        $session = $request->getSession();
        $session->setLocale($locale);

        $route_params = $session->get('referrer');

        // Get the route name
        $route = $route_params['_route'];

        // Some parameters are not required to be used, filter them
        // by using an array of ignored elements.
        $ignore_params = array('_route' => true, '_controller' => true);
        $route_params = array_diff_key($route_params, $ignore_params);

        $url = $this->get('router')->generate($route, $route_params);
        return $this->redirect($url);
    }
}

For future reference and to anyone stumbling over this: you don't have to store the referrer attribute in your session by setting it in EVERY controller. You can retrieve the previous url from the headers property:

$request->headers->get('referer'); // Single 'r' everywhere!

For additional info, consult:

• Symfony2 Request class on github
• Symfony2 ParameterBag class on github

Answer 4

Gilden, thanks a lot for idea, but it's doesn't work anyway...

Here is the controller LOCALE SWITCHER:

class LocaleController extends Controller
{
public function changeAction($locale, Request $request)
{
    if ($request->hasSession())
    {
        $session = $request->getSession();
        $session->setLocale($locale);

        $route_params = $session->get('jet_referrer');
        $route_name = $route_params['_route'];

        // Some parameters are not required to be used, filter them
        // by using an array of ignored elements.
        $ignore_params = array('_route' => true, '_controller' => true,
                               '_template_default_vars' => true);
        $route_params = array_diff_key($route_params, $ignore_params);

        $url = $this->get('router')->generate($route_name, $route_params);
        return $this->redirect($url);
    }
}
}

Here is the controller of BUSINESS LOGIC:

/**
 * @Route("/{_locale}")
 */
class TestController extends Controller
{
/**
 * @Route("/", name="_test")
 * @Template()
 */
public function indexAction(Request $request)
{
    $request->getSession()->set('jet_referrer', $request->attributes->all());
    return array();
}

/**
 * @Route("/hello/{name}", name="_test_hello")
 * @Template()
 */
public function helloAction($name, Request $request)
{
    $request->getSession()->set('jet_referrer', $request->attributes->all());
    return array('name' => $name);
}
}

Regarding IGNORED params for array_key_diff()...

_controller
_locale
_route
_template
_template_default_vars
_template_vars

I've tried to include few of them for the new route generation, but with no luck... Don't understand what is going on...

It's seems just a hack... Do we have more sofisticated way to realize this simple feature in Symfony2 ?? RAW PHP allows me to do that much & much more easily...

Thanks again.