Trouble calling a plugin's controller function from within an event listener function

Question

I am working on extending the formbuilder2 plugin to call and pass the $event variable to a custom Controller after FormBuilder2 has initialized the "onBeforeSave" event within the FormBuilder2 Entry_Controller.

Background Info

• Trying to extend the Formbuilder2 plugin
• My plugin is called FormBuilder2ExtensionPlugin
• Trying to call a Controller Function from within my FormBuilder2Extension_NotifyController and pass $event variables.
• Within my FormBuilder2Extension_NotifyController, I am calling the actionNotifyAdmin($event) function.

My Plugin Logic:

1. FormBuilder2 Plugin saves entry and initializes the "onBeforeSave" event.

2. FormBuilder2Extension Plugin listens for "onBeforeSave" event, and triggers a custom controller function to run. Note: Must be able to pass the $event variables to the new FormBuilder2Extension controller function as well.

3. FormBuilder2Extension Controller will then parse $event data, and run other FormBuilder2 Controller & Service functions using the $data, so I will need to link from FormBuilder2Extension Controller functions to Formuilder2 Controller functions.

My Problem:

• Cannot figure out how to run a Controller Function from within the init() event listener and pass the $event variables as well.

My Current Code: (within main plugin file)

 public function init()
   {
       parent::init();

       craft()->on('formBuilder2_entry.beforeSave', function(Event $event)
       {

         $url = UrlHelper::getActionUrl('formBuilder2Extension/notify/notifyAdmin', array('event' => $event));

         return;
       });
   }

Closing Remarks:

It works if I use a service function.

Example: craft()->formBuilder2Extension_notify->notifySubmitterOfSubmission($event);

But I would rather not rewrite the same Controller & Service functions that formbuilder2 has already written and place it within my service folder.

Any thoughts…? Thanks!

Answer 1

You really, really shouldn't do this.

I'm not familiar with FormBuilder, but if it is well-built, its controllers will comprise thin methods calling services to do the grunt work; services which you can also call.

If there isn't a service method which does what you want (still assuming everything is well-architected), that means the author chose not to make that functionality part of FormBuilder's API, presumably for a good reason.

If FormBuilder isn't well-built, and instead shoves a load of code in its controllers, well, that's still not a reason for you to do something similarly ill-considered.