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In CodeIgniter 4, custom libraries serve as powerful tools to encapsulate and reuse application-specific functionalities. Incorporating database access within a custom library streamlines code organization and reusability, allowing seamless database interactions throughout the application.

In this tutorial, we’ll see the comprehensive process of loading and utilizing a database within a custom library in CodeIgniter 4. This functionality empowers developers to create reusable components that encapsulate database operations.

Let’s get started.

CodeIgniter 4 Installation

To create a CodeIgniter 4 setup run this given command into your shell or terminal. Please make sure composer should be installed.

composer create-project codeigniter4/appstarter codeigniter-4

Assuming you have successfully installed application into your local system.

Create Database

To create a database, either we can create via Manual tool of PhpMyadmin or by means of a mysql command.

We will use MySQL command to create database. Run this command into Sql tab of PhpMyAdmin.

CREATE DATABASE codeigniter4_app;

Successfully, we have created a database.

Environment (.env) Setup

When we install CodeIgniter 4, we will have env file at root. To use the environment variables means using variables at global scope we need to do env to .env

Either we can do via renaming file as simple as that. Also we can do by terminal command.

Open project in terminal

cp env .env

Above command will create a copy of env file to .env file. Now we are ready to use environment variables.

Enable Development Mode

CodeIgniter starts up in production mode by default. You need to make it in development mode to see any error if you are working with application.

Open .env file from root.

# CI_ENVIRONMENT = production

 // Do it to 
 
CI_ENVIRONMENT = development

Now application is in development mode.

Database Connection

Open .env file from project root.

Search for DATABASE. You should see the connection environment variables into it. Put your updated details of database connection string values.

 
#--------------------------------------------------------------------
# DATABASE
#--------------------------------------------------------------------

database.default.hostname = localhost
database.default.database = codeigniter4_app
database.default.username = admin
database.default.password = admin
database.default.DBDriver = MySQLi
database.default.DBPrefix =
database.default.port = 3306

Now, database successfully connected with the application.

Custom Library in CodeIgniter 4

When we create a custom library in CodeIgniter 4, It will be stored into /app/Libraries directory.

Let’s create a library which simply fetch data from a employees table.

Create a Employee.php class into /app/Libraries folder. This will be a custom library. Inside this library we will load database and fetch employees data from database table.

Open Employee.php file and write this code into it.

<?php

namespace App\Libraries;

class Employee
{
    // This function fetch data from db table
    public function getData()
    {
        $db = db_connect(); // Load database, it loads the default database

        $tbl = $db->table("employees");

        $all_emps = $tbl->get()->getResult();

		return $all_emps;
    }
}

Load Database to Library

To load database we use this given method.

$db = db_connect();

It loads default database of application.

If your application have more than 1 database. To load different database you have to do –

$db = db_connect("otherDb");

By using $db variable you can execute queries from database.

Loading Library into Controller

Let’s say we have a controller file inside application Site.php.

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use App\Libraries\Employee; // Load library

class Site extends BaseController
{
    public function getEmployeesData()
    {
        $emp = new Employee(); // create an instance of Library

        print_r($emp->getData()); // calling method
    }
}

When we call getEmployeesData(), it returns all employees data.

That’s it.

We hope this article helped you to learn about CodeIgniter 4 How To Load Database in Custom Library Tutorial in a very detailed way.

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