Developing a new module - not getting far

> I'm simply running the module by typing the url http://www.example.com/main.php?g2_view=publiclink.MyPage

you want the itemId to be part of the request but obviously there's no itemId parameter in that URL.

> However I need the option to allow certain images/albums to be viewed by everyone, chosen by the user, so it needs to be in a link.

so you don't want to give the owner the "change permission" permission, right? else they could change this on their own with the "edit permissions" link.

you'll want to use GalleryCoreApi::addGroupPermission(....) and GalleryCoreApi::removeGroupPermission(....)for this.

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Documentation: Support / Troubleshooting | Installation, Upgrade, Configuration and Usage

> When accessing the url I have tried http://www.example.com/main.php?g2_view=publiclink.MyPage?itemId=xxx, doesn't seem to get me any further, just loads the same page (modules/publiclink/templates/MyPage.tpl).

should be g2_itemId= and not itemId=

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Documentation: Support / Troubleshooting | Installation, Upgrade, Configuration and Usage

Well it's been a while since I was here (other work got the better of me) but I've started developing this module again, got it working quite nicely, although not exactly how I originally wanted it.
Basically I have 2 questions, the first being, is there any way I can perform actions in a block without ever going to a view? I want the user to be able to click a button/link in the block, and have it set certain permissions (in this case 'Everybody.viewAll'), and take the user straight back to the page they were viewing.
Right now they must click a link, which takes them to a view, from there they click a button which sets the permissions and takes them back to the original page they were viewing.

My other question is, can anyone see any improvements I can make to the following code, I'm sure there will be some, as I'm still not too familiar with the G2 framework and this is just a hacked up version of ItemPermissions.inc so I'm not 100% sure of what all the lines do.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help, and also to the Dev team, fantastic product!

class SetPermsController extends GalleryController {

    /**
     * @see GalleryController::handleRequest
     */
    function handleRequest($form) {

	global $gallery;
	$itemId = GalleryUtilities::getRequestVariables('itemId');
	$applyToChildren = isset($form['applyToSubItems']);

	/* Make sure we have permission to change permissions of this item */
	//$ret = GalleryCoreApi::assertHasItemPermission($itemId, 'core.changePermissions');
	/*if ($ret) {
		$ret = GalleryCoreApi::addUserPermission($itemId, $gallery->getActiveUserId(),
		'core.changePermissions', $applyToChildren);
	    return array($ret, null);
	}*/

	$status = $error = array();

	if (isset($form['action']['deleteGroupPermission'])) {
	    /* Figure out which one we're working with */
	    $deleteGroupPermission = array_keys($form['action']['deleteGroupPermission']);
	    $index = array_pop($deleteGroupPermission);

	    /* Handle delete group perm actions */
	    list ($groupId, $permissionId) = explode(',', $form['group']['delete'][$index]);
	    $ret = GalleryCoreApi::removeGroupPermission($itemId, $groupId,
		$permissionId, $applyToChildren);
	    if ($ret) {
		return array($ret, null);
	    }

	    /* Figure out where to redirect upon success */
	    $redirect['view'] = '';
	    $redirect['subView'] = '';
	    $redirect['itemId'] = $itemId;
	    $status['deletedGroupPermission'] = 1;
	    $verifySelfPermissions = true;

	} else if (isset($form['action']['addGroupPermission'])) {

	    /* Handle add group permission actions */
	    if (empty($form['group']['groupName'])) {
			$error[] = 'form[error][group][missingGroup]';
	    } else {
			/* Validate the group */
			list ($ret, $group) =
		    GalleryCoreApi::fetchGroupByGroupName($form['group']['groupName']);
			if ($ret) {
		    	if ($ret->getErrorCode() & ERROR_MISSING_OBJECT) {
					$error[] = 'form[error][group][invalidGroup]';
		    	} else {
					return array($ret, null);
		   		}
			}
	    }

	    /* Validate the permission */
	    $permission = $form['group']['permission'];
	    list ($ret, $allPermissions) = GalleryCoreApi::getPermissionIds();
	    if ($ret) {
		return array($ret, null);
	    }
	    if (empty($allPermissions[$permission])) {
		$error[] = 'form[error][group][invalidPermission]';
	    }

	    if (empty($error)) {
		/* Don't add the permission if it already exists */
		list ($ret, $hasIt) =
		    GalleryCoreApi::hasPermission($itemId, $group->getId(), $permission);
		if ($ret) {
		    return array($ret, null);
		}
		if ($hasIt) {
		    $error[] = 'form[error][group][alreadyHadPermission]';
		}
	    }

	    if (empty($error)) {
		$ret = GalleryCoreApi::addGroupPermission($itemId, $group->getId(),
							  $permission, $applyToChildren);
		if ($ret) {
		    return array($ret, null);
		}

		/* Figure out where to redirect upon success */
		$redirect['view'] = '';
		$redirect['subView'] = '';
		$redirect['itemId'] = $itemId;
		$redirect['form[group][groupName]'] = $group->getGroupName();
		$status['addedGroupPermission'] = 1;
	    }
	}

	if (isset($verifySelfPermissions)) {
	    /*
	     * Make sure we don't remove our own ability to change permissions on this item.
	     * If this was a recursive remove we may lose permissions on subitems.
	     */
	    list ($ret, $canEdit) = GalleryCoreApi::hasItemPermission($itemId, 'core.edit');
	    if ($ret) {
		return array($ret, null);
	    }
	    /* if (!$canEdit) {
		$ret = GalleryCoreApi::addUserPermission($itemId, $gallery->getActiveUserId(),
							 'core.edit', $applyToChildren);
		if ($ret) {
		    return array($ret, null);
		}
		$status['addedBackSelfPermission'] = 1;
	    }*/
	    list ($ret, $canChange) =
		GalleryCoreApi::hasItemPermission($itemId, 'core.changePermissions');
	    if ($ret) {
		return array($ret, null);
	    }
	    if (!$canChange) {
		$ret = GalleryCoreApi::addUserPermission($itemId, $gallery->getActiveUserId(),
							 'core.changePermissions', $applyToChildren);
		if ($ret) {
		    return array($ret, null);
		}
		$status['addedBackSelfPermission'] = 1;
	    }
	}

	if (empty($error)) {
	    /*
	     * Try compacting.  Ignore lock timeouts here; if we failed this time we'll try
	     * again next time.
	     */
	    $ret = GalleryCoreApi::maybeCompactAccessLists();
	    if ($ret && !($ret->getErrorCode() & ERROR_LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
		return array($ret, null);
	    }
	}

	if (!empty($redirect)) {
	    $results['redirect'] = $redirect;
	} else {
	    $results['delegate']['view'] = 'core.ItemAdmin';
	    $results['delegate']['subView'] = 'publiclink.SetPerms';
	}
	$results['status'] = $status;
	$results['error'] = $error;

	return array(null, $results);
    }
}

/**
 * This view will prompt for permission settings of an item
 */
class SetPermsView extends GalleryView {

    /**
     * @see GalleryView::loadTemplate
     */
    function loadTemplate(&$template, &$form) {
	global $gallery;
	$itemId = GalleryUtilities::getRequestVariables('itemId');

	/* Make sure we have permission to edit this item */
	/*$ret = GalleryCoreApi::assertHasItemPermission($itemId, 'core.edit');
	if ($ret) {
		$ret = GalleryCoreApi::addUserPermission($itemId, $gallery->getActiveUserId(),
		'core.edit', $applyToChildren);
		$SetPerms = 1;
	    return array($ret, null);
	} */
	list ($ret, $canChange) =
	    GalleryCoreApi::hasItemPermission($itemId, 'core.changePermissions');
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	list ($ret, $item) = GalleryCoreApi::loadEntitiesById($itemId);
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}
	$form['serialNumber'] = $item->getSerialNumber();

	if ($form['formName'] == 'SetPerms') {
	    /* Complain if we have any invalid data */
	} else {
	    /*
	     * First time around, load the form with item data.  Note that
	     * userName and groupName can be passed in to this form so don't
	     * initialize them unless they don't exist.
	     */
	    if (empty($form['user']['userName'])) {
		$form['user']['userName'] = '';
	    }

	    if (empty($form['user']['permission'])) {
		$form['user']['permission'] = '';
	    }

	    if (empty($form['group']['groupName'])) {
		$form['group']['groupName'] = '';
	    }

	    if (empty($form['group']['permission'])) {
		$form['group']['permission'] = '';
	    }

	    $form['owner']['ownerName'] = '';
	    $form['formName'] = 'SetPerms';
	}

	/* Get all available permissions */
	list ($ret, $allPermissions) = GalleryCoreApi::getPermissionIds();
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}
	ksort($allPermissions);

	/* Get all permissions for the item. */
	list ($ret, $permissions) =
	    GalleryCoreApi::fetchAllPermissionsForItem($itemId, true);
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	/* Figure out all the unique user/group ids and load those */
	$userAndGroupEntityIds = array();
	foreach ($permissions as $permission) {
	    if (!empty($permission['userId'])) {
		$userAndGroupEntityIds[$permission['userId']] = 1;
	    }
	    if (!empty($permission['groupId'])) {
		$userAndGroupEntityIds[$permission['groupId']] = 1;
	    }
	}

	list ($ret, $userAndGroupEntities) =
	    GalleryCoreApi::loadEntitiesById(array_keys($userAndGroupEntityIds));
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	/* Convert them into a hash map by entity id */
	foreach ($userAndGroupEntities as $entity) {
	    $userAndGroupEntityMap[$entity->getId()] = (array)$entity;
	}

	/* Figure out the admin group id */
	list ($ret, $adminGroupId) =
	    GalleryCoreApi::getPluginParameter('module', 'core', 'id.adminGroup');
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	/*
	 * Now create the separate user and group permission maps.
	 *
	 * Silently ignore any permissions that we come across that aren't part
	 * of the permission registry.  They may be permission associated with
	 * modules that are not currently active.
	 */
	$userPermissions = $groupPermissions = array();
	foreach ($permissions as $permission) {
	    $permissionId = $permission['permission'];
	    if (!empty($permission['userId']) && isset($allPermissions[$permissionId])) {
		list ($ret, $subPermissions) = GalleryCoreApi::getSubPermissions($permissionId);
		if ($ret) {
		    return array($ret, null);
		}

		$userPermissions[] = array(
		    'permission' => array('id' => $permissionId,
					  'description' => $allPermissions[$permissionId]),
		    'user' => $userAndGroupEntityMap[$permission['userId']],
		    'deleteList' => $subPermissions);
	    }

	    if (!empty($permission['groupId']) && isset($allPermissions[$permissionId])) {
		if ($permission['groupId'] != $adminGroupId) {
		    list ($ret, $subPermissions) = GalleryCoreApi::getSubPermissions($permissionId);
		    if ($ret) {
			return array($ret, null);
		    }
		} else {
		    $subPermissions = array();
		}

		$groupPermissions[] =
		    array('permission' => array('id' => $permissionId,
						'description' => $allPermissions[$permissionId]),
			  'group' => $userAndGroupEntityMap[$permission['groupId']],
			  'deleteList' => $subPermissions);
	    }
	}

	/* Figure out the owner */
	list ($ret, $owner) = GalleryCoreApi::loadEntitiesById($item->getOwnerId());
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	list ($ret, $isAdmin) = GalleryCoreApi::isUserInSiteAdminGroup();
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	/* Figure out what we can display on the form */
	$can['changePermissions'] = $canChange;
	$can['changeOwner'] = $isAdmin;
	$can['applyToSubItems'] = $item->getCanContainChildren();

	$ItemPermissions['owner'] = (array)$owner;
	$ItemPermissions['can'] = $can;
	$ItemPermissions['userPermissions'] = $userPermissions;
	$ItemPermissions['groupPermissions'] = $groupPermissions;
	$ItemPermissions['allPermissions'] = $allPermissions;

	$template->setVariable('SetPerms', $ItemPermissions);
	$template->setVariable('controller', 'publiclink.SetPerms');
	return array(null, array('body' => 'modules/publiclink/templates/SetPerms.tpl'));
    }

    /**
     * @see GalleryView::getViewDescription
     */
    function getViewDescription() {
	list ($ret, $core) = GalleryCoreApi::loadPlugin('module', 'core');
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	list ($ret, $item) = $this->getItem();
	if ($ret) {
	    return array($ret, null);
	}

	$itemTypeNames = $item->itemTypeName(true);

	return array(null, $core->translate(array('text' => 'edit %s permissions',
						  'arg1' => $itemTypeNames[1])));
    }
}