Variable API

Posted by pillarsdotnet on March 21, 2011 at 5:21pm

The vars and the variable modules both show in the module listing as "Variables API". They were created within two months of each other and offer similar functionality.

Feature	Variable	Vars
Machine name	variable	vars
Display name	Variable API	Variable API
Author	Jose Reyero	kiam
Description	Variable API	Implement an API to handle persistent variables.
Tests	0	18
Reported users	953	169
Version reviewed	7.x-1.x	7.x-2.x
Other versions	6.x-1.x	6.x-1.x, 6.x-2.x, 7.x-1.x
Code Size	9k	48k
Installed Size	28k	76k
Unique features	Provides new hooks: `hook_variable_info($options)` Define variables used by a module. `hook_variable_type_info()` Define types of variables or list of values used by a module. `hook_variable_group_info()` Define groups of variables used by a module. Provides new tokens: `[variable:$name]` Supports core modules: forum, locale, menu, node, system, taxonomy, translation, user	Implements hook_node_type_delete() Handles removal of per-node-type variables on node-type deletion.
API	`variable_children($names)` Get list of variables expanding multiple ones `variable_delete($variable)` Delete variable (included children variables) `variable_format_value($variable, $options)` Format printable value `variable_get_child($parent, $key, $options)` Get variable child element from multiple variable `variable_get_default($variable, $options)` Get variable default `variable_get_group($group)` Get variable group information. `variable_get_info($name, $options)` Get variable information `variable_get_option($type)` Get variable option information. `variable_get_type($type)` Get variable type information. `variable_get_value($variable, $options)` Get value for simple scalar variable `variable_include($variable)` Include extended API and files related to specific variable `variable_list($names)` Provide list of variable titles `variable_set_value($name, $value, $options)` Set variable value `variable_static($type, $options)` Get variable static data, try the cache, or invoke the hook to collect it. `variable_type_include($type)` Include variable type files	`Vars::api($minimum, $maximum)` Verifies the current API version is included between two values passed as arguments. `Vars::defaultValue($name)` Returns the default values for the variable passed as argument. `Vars::deleteVariables(array $names)` Deletes the specified persistent variables. `Vars::forceMenuRebuild()` Forces the menu rebuilding. `Vars::getDefaults()` Returns the default value for the variables used by the module. `Vars::getLibraryPath($library)` Returns the list of the directories where library files are looked in. `Vars::loadDefaults($cid, DatabaseCondition $conditions)` Loads the default value for all the variables respecting some conditions. `Vars::offsetExists($offset)` Implements ArrayAccess::offsetExists(). `Vars::offsetGet($offset)` ArrayAccess::offsetGet(). `Vars::offsetSet($offset, $value)` Implements ArrayAccess::offsetSet(). `Vars::offsetUnset($offset)` Implements ArrayAccess::offsetUnset(). `Vars::removeDefaults(array $set)` Removes the default values contained in the table variable_default. `Vars::renameVariables(array $names)` Renames persistent variables. `Vars::saveDefaults()` Saves the default value for the variables defined from the module. `Vars::siteIsOffline()` Checks if the site is offline. `Vars::staticReset($name)` Resets one or all centrally stored static variable(s). `Vars::&staticValue($name, $default_value, $reset)` Central static variable storage.
Form functions	`variable_edit_form($form, $form_state, $list)` Form for variable list `variable_edit_subform($list)` Form elements for variable list `variable_module_form($form, $form_state, $module)` Form for module variables `variable_group_form($form, $form_state, $group)` Form for group variables `variable_form_element($variable, $options)` Build form element for a variable `variable_form_element_array($variable, $options)` Build array form element `variable_form_element_multiple($variable, $options)` Build multiple form element `variable_form_element_default($variable, $options)` Build default form element `variable_form_element_options($variable, $options)` Build options variables `theme_variable_table_select($variables)` Form to select variables
Submodules	Variable admin Variable API - Administration UI Variable realm Variable API - Realms Variable store Variable API - Database storage for variable realms