Create Magento 2 frontend controller

We have declared and created our new custom module. We will learn how to create a frontend controller. The controller can call our module with an URL like :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld
http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say
http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say/hello

Router declaration

In order to tell Magento the routes you want to create, we will create a XML file :
app/code/Maxime/Helloworld/etc/frontend/routes.xml

Put the following content :

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:App/etc/routes.xsd">
	<router id="standard">
		<route id="helloworld" frontName="helloworld">
			<module name="Maxime_Helloworld" before="Magento_Core" after="Magento_Sales" />
		</route>
	</router>
</config>

As you can see, we precise a XSD file which define the XML structure.

After, we have the sequence router id="standard", which says it’s a frontend controller, contrary to the admin controller for the Magento backoffice.

The composition of the node route is :
– id : unique identifier for your router
– frontName : the string which be used on the front URL

Then, there is the module node with these attributes:
– name : module name to call
– before : your module have to be called before the module defined inside
– after : you module have to be called after the module defined inside

“before” et “after” fields are NOT required

Controller creation

We have explained to Magento the road to take, so let’s create it now. We will create an URL like :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld

Create required folders to create the following file :
app/code/Maxime/Helloworld/Controller/Index/Index.php

Put this content inside :

<?php
namespace Maxime\Helloworld\Controller\Index;
class Index extends \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action
{
    public function execute()
    {
       echo 'Execute Action Index_Index OK';
       die();
    }
}

The namespace is the path of your controller inside the app/code folder.
The class name is the name of your PHP file.

Now, type this URL on your browser :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld

You’ll have a blank page with the message : Execute Action Index_Index OK

If you have an error like :
Please upgrade your database: Run "bin/magento setup:upgrade" from the Magento root directory.
Go on your Magento root folder and execute this command :

./bin/magento setup:upgrade

Customize URL

Our previous URL is very simple :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld
But Magento 2 convert it to :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld/index/index

The first “index” is the folder “Index” inside “Controller”
The second “index” is the file “Index.php” on the “Index” folder.

You can guess how to create the following pathes :
http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say
http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say/hello

You can search from yourself in a first time, and get the solution below :

For URL http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say

– Create a folder named “Say” and a “Index” PHP file inside :
app/code/Maxime/Helloworld/Controller/Say/Index.php

We will put this code :

<?php
namespace Maxime\Helloworld\Controller\Say;
class Index extends \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action
{
    public function execute()
    {
       echo 'Execute Action Say_Index OK';
       die();
    }
}

For URL http://magento2.lan/helloworld/say/hello

– Create a folder named “Say” and a “Hello” PHP file inside
app/code/Maxime/Helloworld/Controller/Say/Hello.php

We will put this code :

<?php
namespace Maxime\Helloworld\Controller\Say;
class Hello extends \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action
{
    public function execute()
    {
       echo 'Execute Action Say_Hello OK';
       die();
    }
}

This is not very beautiful, but in the next lesson, we will learn how to create a block with Magento 2.