Igniter CMS Documentation

Requirements

• PHP (recommended version: 8.0 or higher)
• Enable `zip`, `gd`, and `intl` extension in php ini
• Composer installed.
• MySQL, Postgre, SQLite or another supported database
• Web server (Apache, Nginx, etc.)

Installation Steps

1. Clone or download the project from the repository (GitHub).
2. Navigate to the project folder and run composer install to install dependencies.
3. Set the database config in the .env file to configure environment and database settings.
   database.default.hostname = localhost
database.default.database = igniter_cms_db
database.default.username = root
database.default.password = db_password
database.default.DBDriver = MySQLi
database.default.DBPrefix =
database.default.port = 3306

4. Set the base URL in .env file. app.baseURL = 'http://localhost/igniter-cms/'
5. Make sure you create the database in your local server.
6. Generate App Key: php spark generate:key. This command will generate/update the application key (APP_KEY) in .env file.
7. Run database migrations with php spark recreate:tables.
8. Open the base url in browser. E.g. https://localhost/igniter-cms/.

Note: To reset database you can use these commands php spark recreate:tables

Using the Installer

1. Download the Igniter CMS (zip) from this zip file.
2. Extract the contents into your local web server directory (e.g., htdocs, www, or public_html).
3. Alternatively, clone to repo into your local web server directory.
4. Open the installer in your browser (for example: http://localhost/igniter-cms-installer/).
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to provide your database and application details.
6. Once installation is complete, the installer will configure your application, generate the .env file, set up the database, install dependencies
7. The /install folder should be deleted after installation. Note it would be automatically removed in "production" environment for security.
8. You can now access your site at the base URL you configured during installation.

Permissions

Ensure writable and public/uploads directories are writable by the web server.

Themes

Manage application themes here. Add, Active or remove themes.

Theme Editor

Edit theme files here. Uses code editor to edit file contents.

Theme Revisions & Version Control

The CMS includes a built-in versioning system for your theme files, allowing you to experiment with code changes safely and revert to previous versions if something goes wrong.

1. Creating a Revision

Revisions are created automatically whenever you save a file in the Theme Editor:

1. Go to Appearance > Theme Editor (/account/appearance/theme-editor).
2. Select the file you wish to edit (e.g., _layout.php or site.css).
3. Make your changes and click the "Save File" button. The system will instantly archive the previous version of the code as a new revision.

2. Managing & Restoring Revisions

To view your history or restore an old version of your theme, navigate to Appearance > Revisions (/account/appearance/theme-editor/revisions).

• View History: You will see a list of all saved versions, timestamped and organized by file name.
• Copy & Restore: Click on a revision to view the code. You can copy the code from a previous version and paste it back into the active Theme Editor to restore your site's appearance.

Update Details

Update your account information (name, bio, etc.).

Change Password

Change your account password.

Installed Plugins

Manage installed plugins.

Plugin Configs

Manage plugin's configuration data.

Ask AI

Get instant AI-powered assistance for any questions related to Igniter CMS. Features include:

• AI-powered responses for troubleshooting and best practices.
• Instant answers for common CMS-related queries.
• Guidance on module usage and integrations.
• Recommendations for optimizing CMS performance.
• Interactive search for documentation and support topics.

AI Text Generation

Generate content dynamically to improve site efficiency and SEO ranking. Features include:

• Generate CMS titles based on best practices.
• Automate description generation for pages and posts.
• Create dynamic SEO metadata to improve search visibility.
• Suggest relevant tags for categorization.
• Enhance user engagement with AI-crafted summaries.

AI Analysis

Leverage AI to gain insights into site performance and operational data. Features include:

• Analyze site statistics for visitor trends.
• Review and interpret error logs for debugging.
• Track file logs for audit trails and security monitoring.
• Evaluate activity logs to monitor user engagement.
• Provide actionable insights for site optimization.

FTP Deployment

Deploying via FTP involves manually transferring files and setting up your database.

1. Database Setup:
   1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).
   2. Create a new database and a new database user.
   3. Grant the newly created user all necessary permissions on the database.
   4. Export your local Igniter CMS database from phpMyAdmin (or your preferred database management tool).
   5. Access phpMyAdmin in your hosting control panel and import the exported database file into the newly created database.
2. FTP Connection:
   1. If you don't already have one, create an FTP user in your hosting control panel.
   2. Connect to your server using an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) with your FTP credentials.
   3. Navigate to the desired directory on your server where your website files will reside (e.g., public_html or a subdirectory).
3. File Transfer:
   1. Upload all Igniter CMS project files from your local machine to the chosen server directory.
4. Configuration Updates:
   1. Open the .env file in your uploaded project root on the server and update the database connection details (database name, username, password).
   2. Open app/Config/Database.php on the server and ensure the database connection settings are correct.
   3. Open app/Config/App.php on the server and set the baseURL to your domain (e.g., https://your-domain.com/).

CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)

This method leverages a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipeline using GitHub Actions for automated deployment.

1. Workflow File Preparation:
   1. Navigate to the .github/workflows/ directory in your local Igniter CMS project.
   2. Rename main.yaml.txt to main.yaml.
   3. Open the main.yaml file.
   4. Uncomment the YAML configuration by removing the # symbol from the beginning of relevant lines.
   5. Update the server key with your FTP server address (e.g., server: ftp.your-domain.com).
   6. Update the server-dir key with the path to your website's directory on the server (e.g., server-dir: /your-site-path).
2. GitHub Repository Setup:
   1. Create a new Git repository on GitHub.
   2. Add two repository secrets: FTPUSERNAME and FTPPASSWORD, using your FTP account details.
3. Local Configuration Updates:
   1. Update your local .env file with the production database connection details.
   2. Update app/Config/Database.php with the production database connection settings.
   3. Set the baseURL in your local app/Config/App.php to your domain.
4. Vendor Folder Handling:
   1. Zip your local vendor folder (e.g., vendor.zip).
   2. Manually upload vendor.zip to your server's deployment directory (e.g., using FTP or File Manager).
   3. Extract the vendor.zip file in the server's deployment directory. The vendor folder is typically not pushed to Git due to its size and dynamic nature.
5. Server .env File:
   1. Create an .env file directly on your server in the root of your deployed application directory. This file will not be pushed by Git. Configure it with your production environment variables, especially database credentials.
6. Push to GitHub:
   1. Commit all your local changes (including the renamed main.yaml and updated configurations).
   2. Push your committed changes to your GitHub repository. The CI/CD pipeline will automatically trigger and deploy your application.
7. Database Setup: (Same as step 1.a-d in FTP Deployment)
   1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).
   2. Create a new database and a new database user.
   3. Grant the newly created user all necessary permissions on the database.
   4. Export your local Igniter CMS database from phpMyAdmin (or your preferred database management tool).
   5. Access phpMyAdmin in your hosting control panel and import the exported database file into the newly created database.

File Upload (cPanel File Manager)

This method utilizes your hosting provider's file manager to upload your entire project as a compressed archive.

1. Local Configuration Updates:
   1. Update your local .env file with the production database connection details.
   2. Update app/Config/Database.php with the production database connection settings.
   3. Set the baseURL in your local app/Config/App.php to your domain.
2. Compress Project:
   1. Zip your entire Igniter CMS project folder on your local machine. Ensure the zip file contains all necessary files and folders.
3. Database Setup: (Same as step 1.a-d in FTP Deployment)
   1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).
   2. Create a new database and a new database user.
   3. Grant the newly created user all necessary permissions on the database.
   4. Export your local Igniter CMS database from phpMyAdmin (or your preferred database management tool).
   5. Access phpMyAdmin in your hosting control panel and import the exported database file into the newly created database.
4. Upload and Extract:
   1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).
   2. Open the "File Manager".
   3. Navigate to the directory where you want to deploy your website (e.g., public_html or a specific subdirectory).
   4. Click on the "Upload" button and select your zipped Igniter CMS project file.
   5. Once the upload is complete, select the uploaded zip file in the File Manager.
   6. Click on the "Extract" button and choose the target directory for extraction (usually the current directory).
   7. Make sure that the file permissions are set correctly. 0755 for directories and 0644 for files

Frontend Format (Headless/MVC)

You can set the CMS as a headless CMS or use the Views to render data. To set the format for frontend, got the Admin > Configurations and search FrontEndFormat. Set it to either MVC or API

Endpoints

The app includes fetch-only APIs for retrieving CMS data.

• Generic Model Data
• /api/{api-key}/get-model-data?model=navigations&take=10&skip=0: Generic - Fetch navigations (10 items, skip 0).
• /api/{api-key}/get-model-data?model=categories&where_clause={"status":1}: Generic - Fetch filtered categories (e.g., status = 1).
• /api/{api-key}/get-model-data?model=blogs&where_clause={"blog_id":"{blog-id}"}: Generic - Fetch filtered blogs (e.g., blog_id = {blog-id}).
• /api/{api-key}/get-model-data?model=blogs&where_clause={"blog_id":"{blog-id}","status":1}: Generic - Fetch multiple filtered blogs (e.g., blog_id = {blog-id} and status = 1).

Model Names

Model Attributes

App Messages

Customize the messages in the app in app/Config/CustomConfig.php.

class CustomConfig extends BaseConfig
{
        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        # MESSAGES
        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        public $wrongCredentialsMsg = 'Sign In Failed. The provided username/email or password is incorrect.';
        public $loginSuccessMsg = 'Login successful.';
        public $logoutSuccessMsg = 'You have been successfully logged out.';
        public $pendingActivationMsg = 'Your account has not been activated yet or is no longer active. Please contact the administrator.';
        public $tooManyFailedLogins = 'Too many failed login attempts. Your IP has been blocked for 1 hour.';
        public $invalidAccessMsg = 'You do not have access to this area.';
        public $createSuccessMsg = 'Record created successfully.';
        public $editSuccessMsg = 'Record updated successfully.';
        public $deleteSuccessMsg = 'Record removed successfully.';
        public $missingRequiredInputsMsg = 'There are validation errors. Possible missing required inputs.';
        public $sentContactMsg = 'Message sent successfully.';
        public $failedContactMsg = 'Form submission failed.';
        public $notFoundMsg = 'Record not found.';
        public $alreadyExistMsg = '[Record] already exists in table.';
        public $errorMsg = 'Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later.';
        public $resetLinkMsg = 'A password reset link has been sent to your email address. Please check your inbox and follow the instructions to reset your password. If you do not see the email in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folder.';
        public $invalidResetLinkMsg = 'Invalid or expired password reset link.';
        public $passwordResetRequiredMsg = 'For security reasons, you need to change your password before continuing. Your current password was either set by an administrator or is a default password.';
        public $passwordResetSuccessfulMsg = 'Your password has been reset successfully. You can now log in with your new password.';
        public $passwordResetFailedMsg = 'Unable to reset password. Please try again';
        public $nonExistingResetEmailMsg = 'We are sorry, but the email address you entered is not associated with any account. Please check the email address and try again.';
        public $exceptionMsg = 'There was an error processing your request. Please try again. If this error persists, please see or send an email to system administrator.';
        public $contactMessageSuccessful = 'Your message has been sent successfully.';
        public $contactMessageFailed = 'Oops! Something went wrong with your message submission. Please try again later.';
        public $bookingSuccessful = 'Your booking has been made successfully.';
        public $bookingFailed = 'Oops! Something went wrong with your booking submission. Please try again later.';
        public $subscriptionSuccessful = 'You have successfully subscribed!';
        public $subscriptionFailed = 'Sorry, something went wrong with your subscription. Please try again.';

        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        # THEME CATEGORIES
        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        public $themeCategories = [
            'Business' => 'Business & Corporate',
            'Ecommerce' => 'Ecommerce',
            'Portfolio' => 'Portfolio & Resume',
            'News' => 'Blog & News',
            'Events' => 'Event & Booking Websites',
            'Educational' => 'Educational & Membership Websites',
            'Restaurant' => 'Restaurant & Hospitality Websites',
            'Health' => 'Health & Wellness Websites',
            'Directory' => 'Directory & Listing Websites',
            'Entertainment' => 'Entertainment Websites',
            'General' => 'General',
        ];


        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        # USER ROLES
        #--------------------------------------------------------------------
        public $userRoles = [
            'Admin' => 'Admin',
            'Manager' => 'Manager',
            'User' => 'User',
        ];
    }
                                    

Activity Types Message

Customize the data for activity types in logs in app/Constants/ActivityTypes.php.

class ActivityTypes 
{
    //AUTH LOGS
    const USER_REGISTRATION = 'user_registration';
    const FAILED_USER_REGISTRATION = 'failed_user_registration';
    const USER_LOGIN = 'user_login';
    const USER_LOGOUT = 'user_logout';
    const FAILED_USER_LOGIN = 'failed_user_login';

    //CONTACT LOGS
    const CONTACT_CREATION = 'contact_created';
    const FAILED_CONTACT_CREATION = 'failed_contact_creation';
    const CONTACT_UPDATE = 'contact_updated';
    const FAILED_CONTACT_UPDATE = 'failed_contact_update';
    const CONTACT_DELETION = 'contact_delete';

    //USER LOGS
    const USER_CREATION = 'user_created';
    const FAILED_USER_CREATION = 'failed_user_creation';
    const USER_UPDATE = 'user_updated';
    const FAILED_USER_UPDATE = 'failed_user_update';
    const USER_DELETION = 'user_delete';

    .........................................................

    /**
        * Gets the description for a given activity type.
        *
        * @param string $type The activity type.
        * @return string The description of the activity type, or "Unknown Activity" if not found.
        */
    public static function getDescription($type)
    {
        $descriptions = [
            //Auth
            self::USER_REGISTRATION => 'User Registration',
            self::FAILED_USER_REGISTRATION => 'User Registration Failed',
            self::USER_LOGIN => 'User Login',
            self::USER_LOGOUT => 'User Logout',
            self::FAILED_USER_LOGIN => 'Failed User Login',

            //Contact
            self::CONTACT_CREATION => 'Contact Creation',
            self::FAILED_CONTACT_CREATION => 'Contact Creation Failed',
            self::CONTACT_UPDATE => 'Contact Update',
            self::FAILED_CONTACT_UPDATE => 'Contact Update Failed',
            self::CONTACT_DELETION => 'Contact Deletion',

            //User
            self::USER_CREATION => 'User Creation',
            self::FAILED_USER_CREATION => 'User Creation Failed',
            self::USER_UPDATE => 'User Update',
            self::FAILED_USER_UPDATE => 'User Update Failed',
            self::USER_DELETION => 'User Deletion',

            .........................................................
        ];

        return $descriptions[$type] ?? 'Unknown Activity';
    }
}
                                

Theme Files

Customize the files by going to app/Views/front-end/themes/{theme-folder}.

CRON Jobs/Scheduler

Igniter CMS includes a built-in CRON controller to automate background tasks. These tasks are managed in app/Controllers/CronController.php.

1. Security Configuration

Define a strong secret key in your .env file to prevent unauthorized access:

CRON_SECRET_KEY = "your-strong-secret-key-here-12345"

2. Automation Methods

Choose one of the following methods to trigger your CRON tasks every minute:

Method A: Using an External Web Cron Service (Easiest)

If you are on shared hosting or don't want to touch server logs, use a free service like cron-job.org or EasyCron.

• URL to call: https://yourdomain.com/cron/run?key=your-secret-key
• Execution interval: Every 1 minute (or as desired).
• Request Method: GET

Method B: Server-Side Crontab (Recommended for VPS)

Add this line to your server's crontab file to trigger the script internally:

3. Verifying Execution

When the CRON runs successfully, it returns a JSON response and logs the activity:

{
	"status": "success",
	"message": "Cron job(s) executed successfully",
	"timestamp": "2026-02-17 13:22:23"
}

AI Configuration (Gemini)

Igniter CMS integrates with Google Gemini to provide advanced AI features, including blog generation assistance and automated data analysis for site logs and visits.

1. Environment Setup

To begin, you must add your Gemini API credentials to your .env file. You can obtain a key from the Google AI Studio.

GEMINI_REQUEST_URL = "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-3-flash-preview:generateContent"
                        GEMINI_REQUEST_KEY = "your-gemini-key-here"

2. System Settings

Once your credentials are set, you must enable the features within the Admin Dashboard:

• Navigate to: Settings > Configurations (or /account/admin/configurations).
• Enable Gemini AI: Set this to Yes to activate the AI "Generate" buttons in the blog and content editors.
• Enable Gemini AI Analysis: Set this to Yes if you want the system to use AI to analyze site traffic, error logs, and user behavior. Set to No to disable data processing while keeping text generation active.

Theme Development

Igniter CMS themes are modular and separated into logic (PHP), presentation (Views), and static assets. Themes are located in app/Views/front-end/themes/{theme-folder}/. You can download the starter template below to begin building your own custom design.

1. Directory Structure

A theme directory consists of three primary components:

theme-name/
├── assets/             # Static files (CSS, JS, Images)
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── site.css   # Theme-specific styles (excludes root variables)
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── site.js    # Theme-specific JavaScript
│   └── images/
│       └── preview.png # Theme preview thumbnail (400x300 recommended)
├── views/             # PHP template files
│   ├── blogs/
│   ├── home/
│   ├── includes/
│   ├── layout/
│   ├── pages/
│   └── search/
└── theme.json         # Theme metadata and configuration

2. theme.json Configuration

The theme.json file defines your theme's metadata, color scheme, and system requirements. This file is required for the theme to appear in the admin panel.

{
  "name": "Default",
  "path": "default",
  "description": "A sleek and modern Igniter theme for businesses.",
  "default_color": "#6c757d",
  "heading_color": "#212529",
  "accent_color": "#0d6efd",
  "surface_color": "#f8f9fa",
  "contrast_color": "#0d6efd",
  "background_color": "#f2f7f7",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "IgniterCMS",
  "email": "info@ignitercms.com",
  "author_url": "https://ignitercms.com/",
  "theme_url": "https://previews.ignitercms.com/default/",
  "image": "preview.png",
  "category": "Business",
  "sub_category": "Agency",
  "use_static_theme_nav": 1,
  "plugins_required": "",
  "license": "GPL",
  "requires": {
    "php": ">=8.0",
    "igniter-cms": ">=2.0"
  }
}

3. Views Breakdown

4. The Layout File (_layout.php)

The layout file is the foundation of your theme. It must include specific elements for the CMS to function correctly.

4.1 Required PHP Setup

<?php
// Get current theme folder name
$theme = getCurrentTheme();

// Fetch site configuration
$siteName = getConfigData("SiteName");

// Get theme color data and custom codes
$themeData = [
    'customCSS' => getTableData('codes', ['code_for' => 'CSS'], 'code'),
    'customJSTop' => getTableData('codes', ['code_for' => 'HeaderJS'], 'code'),
    'customJSFooter' => getTableData('codes', ['code_for' => 'FooterJS'], 'code'),
    'defaultColor' => getThemeData($theme, "default_color"),
    // ... other colors
];

// Load navigation models
$navigationsModel = new \App\Models\NavigationsModel();
$topNavLists = $navigationsModel->where('group', 'top_nav')
    ->orderBy('order', 'ASC')
    ->limit(intval(env('QUERY_LIMIT_DEFAULT', 25)))
    ->findAll();
?>

4.2 Required Includes

<!-- Include theme functions -->
<?= $this->include('front-end/themes/'.$theme.'/includes/_functions.php'); ?>

<!-- Load meta tags and plugin helpers -->
<?=$this->include('front-end/themes/_shared/_load_meta_plugin_helpers.php'); ?>

<!-- Load header plugin helpers -->
<?=$this->include('front-end/themes/_shared/_load_header_plugin_helpers.php'); ?>

<!-- Main content section (required) -->
<main class="main" id="template-html">
    <?= $this->renderSection('content') ?>
</main>

<!-- Load footer plugin helpers -->
<?=$this->include('front-end/themes/_shared/_load_footer_plugin_helpers.php'); ?>

4.3 CSS Variable Injection

The layout must conditionally inject CSS variables based on the override_default_style theme setting:

<?php
$overrideStyle = getThemeData($theme, "override_default_style");
if($overrideStyle === "1"){
    // Use theme.json colors
    $defaultColor = $themeData['defaultColor'];
    // ... fetch other colors
?>
    <style>
        :root {
            --default-color: <?php echo $defaultColor; ?>;
            --heading-color: <?php echo $headingColor; ?>;
            --accent-color: <?php echo $accentColor; ?>;
            --surface-color: <?php echo $surfaceColor; ?>;
            --contrast-color: <?php echo $contrastColor; ?>;
            --background-color: <?php echo $backgroundColor; ?>;
        }
    </style>
<?php } else { ?>
    <!-- Fallback to Bootstrap defaults -->
    <style>
        :root {
            --default-color: #6c757d;
            --heading-color: #212529;
            --accent-color: #0d6efd;
            --surface-color: #f8f9fa;
            --contrast-color: #0d6efd;
            --background-color: #ffffff;
        }
    </style>
<?php } ?>

4.4 Navigation Modes

The layout supports two navigation modes controlled by use_static_theme_nav in theme.json:

Static Navigation (Hardcoded):

<?php if ($useStaticThemeNav === "1"): ?>
    <li class="nav-item">
        <a class="nav-link" href="<?= base_url('/') ?>">Home</a>
    </li>
    <!-- Hardcode additional menu items -->
<?php else: ?>
    <!-- Dynamic CMS Navigation -->
    <?php if ($topNavLists): ?>
        <?php foreach ($topNavLists as $navigation): ?>
            <?= themef_renderNavigation($navigation, $navigationsModel) ?>
        <?php endforeach; ?>
    <?php endif; ?>
<?php endif; ?>

4.5 Required Assets

Your layout should load these core assets (load order matters):

1. Bootstrap 5.3.2 CSS from CDN: https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.2/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css
2. Swiper CSS (for sliders): https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/swiper@10/swiper-bundle.min.css
3. Glightbox CSS (for lightboxes): https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/glightbox/3.3.1/css/glightbox.css
4. Animate.css: https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/animate.css/4.1.1/animate.min.css
5. Site Icons: <?=loadSiteIcons()?> (helper function)
6. Theme CSS: <?= base_url('public/front-end/themes/' . $theme . '/assets/css/site.css') ?>

Required JavaScript (load before closing </body>):

1. Bootstrap 5 Bundle with Popper
2. Swiper.js
3. Glightbox
4. CountUp.js (for counters)
5. imagesLoaded
6. SweetAlert2
7. Isotope (for grids)
8. Theme JS: <?= base_url('public/front-end/themes/' . $theme . '/assets/js/site.js') ?>

5. Creating Content Views

All content views must extend the layout and define a content section:

<?php
$theme = getCurrentTheme();
$currentPage = "home"; // Identifies the current page for analytics/menu highlighting
?>

<!-- Extend the theme layout -->
<?= $this->extend('front-end/themes/'.$theme.'/layout/_layout') ?>

<!-- Begin content section -->
<?= $this->section('content') ?>

    <!-- Your page content here -->
    <section class="page py-5">
        <div class="container">
            <h1>Page Title</h1>
            <!-- Content -->
        </div>
    </section>

<?= $this->endSection() ?>

6. Helper Functions

Place reusable theme logic in views/includes/_functions.php. The starter template includes a navigation renderer:

<?php
/**
 * Renders a navigation item with optional dropdown for child items.
 *
 * @param array $navigation The navigation item array from database.
 * @param object $navigationsModel The NavigationsModel instance.
 * @return string HTML output.
 */
function themef_renderNavigation(array $navigation, object $navigationsModel): string
{
    $navigationId = $navigation['navigation_id'];
    $navTitle = $navigation['title'];
    $parent = $navigation['parent'];
    $link = getLinkUrl($navigation['link']);
    $newTab = $navigation['new_tab'];
    $navTarget = $newTab === "1" ? "_blank" : "_self";

    // Skip child items (they are rendered by their parent)
    if (!empty($parent)) {
        return '';
    }

    // Fetch child navigations
    $childNavigations = $navigationsModel->where('parent', $navigationId)
        ->orderBy('order', 'ASC')
        ->limit(intval(env('QUERY_LIMIT_DEFAULT', 25)))
        ->findAll();

    if (empty($childNavigations)) {
        return '<li class="nav-item">
            <a class="nav-link" href="' . $link . '" target="' . $navTarget . '">' . $navTitle . '</a>
        </li>';
    } else {
        // Render dropdown with children
        $dropdown = '<li class="nav-item dropdown">
            <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="dropdown-' . $navigationId . '" 
            data-bs-toggle="dropdown">' . $navTitle . '</a>
            <ul class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-end">';
        
        foreach ($childNavigations as $childNav) {
            $childLink = getLinkUrl($childNav['link']);
            $childTarget = $childNav['new_tab'] === "1" ? "_blank" : "_self";
            $dropdown .= '<li><a class="dropdown-item" href="' . $childLink . '" 
                target="' . $childTarget . '">' . $childNav['title'] . '</a></li>';
        }
        
        $dropdown .= '</ul></li>';
        return $dropdown;
    }
}
?>

7. Available Global Helpers

Your theme views have access to these CMS helper functions:

8. Page-Specific Data Variables

Each view receives specific data from the controller:

Blog Index (blogs/index.php)

• $blogs - Array of blog posts (paginated)
• $pager - CodeIgniter pagination object
• $total_blogs - Total count for pagination logic

Single Blog (blogs/view-blog.php)

• $blog_data - Full blog post array (title, content, featured_image, etc.)
• $categories - Array of all blog categories
• $blogs - Array of recent blog posts (for sidebar)

CMS Page (pages/view-page.php)

• $page_data - Page array with title, content, page_id, etc.

Search Results (search/index.php & search/filter.php)

• $searchQuery - The search term string
• $blogsSearchResults - Array of matching blog posts
• $pagesSearchResults - Array of matching CMS pages
• $type - Filter type: 'category', 'tag', or 'author' (filter.php only)

9. Best Practices

10. Customization Notes

Each starter template view includes HTML comments (visible only in development mode) explaining how to replace helper functions with custom HTML:

<?php if (ENVIRONMENT !== 'production'): ?>
<!-- 
CUSTOMIZATION NOTES:
-------------------
To customize the blogs grid display without using the helper function:

1. REPLACE the helper function call with your custom HTML
2. Available data variables:
   - $blogs: Array of blog posts with pagination
   - $pager: Pagination object
   - $total_blogs: Total number of blogs

Example:
<div class="custom-blogs-grid">
    <?php foreach($blogs as $blog): ?>
        <!-- Your custom blog card HTML -->
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</div>
-->
<?php endif; ?>

11. Quick Start Checklist

1. Copy the default theme folder and rename it (e.g., my-theme)
2. Update theme.json with your theme name, path, and colors
3. Modify assets/css/site.css for your custom styles
4. Customize views/layout/_layout.php with your HTML structure
5. Update navigation and footer content in _layout.php
6. Test all view files: Home, Blog, Single Blog, Page, Search
7. Upload a preview.png (400x300px) for the theme selector
8. Zip the folder and upload via Admin > Themes > Upload Theme

Plugin Development

Plugins allow you to extend the core functionality of Igniter CMS without modifying system files. Every plugin must be self-contained within its own folder.

1. Core Plugin Files

A standard plugin requires the following 6 files to function correctly: