Blog Module
The Blog module lives in modules/Blog/ and provides a full public-facing blog with categories, paginated post listings, individual post pages with a comment system, and a complete admin interface for managing posts, categories, and comments.
Enabling the Module
In .env:
MODULES_BLOG_STATUS=onWhen off, all frontend blog routes redirect to the home page.
Database Tables
| Table | Primary Key | Description |
|---|---|---|
blog_posts |
post_id |
Posts: title, slug, body, excerpt, status, author, cover image, category, timestamps |
blog_categories |
category_id |
Categories with name and slug |
blog_comments |
comment_id |
Comments: author, email, body, status (pending/approved), linked to a post |
Routes
Public
| Method | URI | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /blog |
BlogController@index |
Paginated post listing |
| GET | /blog/post?slug={slug} |
BlogController@post |
Single post page |
| POST | /blog/comment |
BlogController@comment |
Submit a comment |
Admin
| Method | URI | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /admin/blog |
BlogController@managePosts |
Manage all posts and categories |
| GET/POST | /admin/blog/create |
BlogController@createPost |
Create a post |
| GET/POST | /admin/blog/edit?postId={id} |
BlogController@editPost |
Edit a post |
| GET | /admin/blog/delete?postId={id} |
BlogController@deletePost |
Delete a post |
| POST | /admin/blog/saveCategory |
BlogController@saveCategory |
Add a category |
| GET | /admin/blog/deleteCategory?categoryId={id} |
BlogController@deleteCategory |
Delete a category |
| GET | /admin/blog/comments |
BlogController@manageComments |
Manage all comments |
| GET | /admin/blog/approveComment?commentId={id} |
BlogController@approveComment |
Approve a comment |
| GET | /admin/blog/deleteComment?commentId={id} |
BlogController@deleteComment |
Delete a comment |
BlogService (Frontend)
| Method | Returns | Description |
|---|---|---|
blogIndexPayload(int $page, ?int $categoryId, ?string $search) |
array |
Paginated published posts (6/page), category filter, keyword search |
blogPostPayload(string $slug) |
?array |
Single published post with comments, recent posts, captcha |
saveComment(int $postId, array $data) |
array |
Validates and saves a comment in pending status |
BlogAdminService (Admin)
| Method | Returns | Description |
|---|---|---|
managePostsPayload() |
array |
All posts and categories for admin listing |
createPostPayload(?array $data) |
array |
Categories for create/edit form |
editPostPayload(int $postId) |
?array |
Post row plus categories for edit form |
manageCommentsPayload() |
array |
All comments with post info, plus pending count |
handleCoverImageUpload() |
?string |
Uploads cover image via DGZ_Uploader to assets/images/blog/ |
savePost(array $data) |
int\|false |
Creates post with auto-generated unique slug |
updatePost(int $postId, array $data) |
bool |
Updates post; sets published_at on first publish |
deletePost(int $postId) |
?array |
Deletes comments, then post, then cover image files |
approveComment(int $id) |
bool |
Sets comment status to approved |
File Storage
Cover images are stored flat in assets/images/blog/. DGZ_Uploader creates an _thb thumbnail alongside the original.
Comment Captcha
blogPostPayload() generates two random integers and stores their sum in $_SESSION['_blog_captcha']. The view renders a "What is N1 + N2?" field, and saveComment() validates the answer.
Architecture Notes
- Deleting a post cascades: comments deleted first, then the DB record, then the image files — in that order.
- Slug generation is collision-safe: loops until a unique slug is found.
- All file I/O lives in
BlogAdminService. The controller never accesses$_FILESdirectly.