Url

class Cake\View\Helper\UrlHelper(View $view, array $config = [])

The UrlHelper makes it easy for you to generate URLs from your other helpers. It also gives you a single place to customize how URLs are generated by overriding the core helper with an application one. See the Aliasing Helpers section for how to do this.

Generating URLs

method Cake\View\Helper\UrlHelper::build(mixed $url = null, boolean|array $full = false)

Returns a URL pointing to a combination of controller and action. If $url is empty, it returns the REQUEST_URI, otherwise it generates the URL for the controller and action combo. If full is true, the full base URL will be prepended to the result:

php

echo $this->Url->build([
    "controller" => "Posts",
    "action" => "view",
    "bar",
]);

// Output
/posts/view/bar

Here are a few more usage examples:

URL with extension:

php

echo $this->Url->build([
    "controller" => "Posts",
    "action" => "list",
    "_ext" => "rss",
]);

// Output
/posts/list.rss

URL (starting with '/') with the full base URL prepended:

php

echo $this->Url->build('/posts', true);

// Output
http://somedomain.com/posts

URL with GET parameters and fragment anchor:

php

echo $this->Url->build([
    "controller" => "Posts",
    "action" => "search",
    "?" => ["foo" => "bar"],
    "#" => "first",
]);

// Output
/posts/search?foo=bar#first

The above example uses the ? key which is useful when you want to be explicit about the query string parameters you are using, or if you want a query string parameter that shares a name with one of your route placeholders.

URL for named route:

php

// Assuming a route is setup as a named route:
// $router->connect(
//     '/products/:slug',
//     [
//         'controller' => 'Products',
//         'action' => 'view',
//     ],
//     [
//         '_name' => 'product-page',
//     ]
// );

echo $this->Url->build(['_name' => 'product-page', 'slug' => 'i-m-slug']);
// Will result in:
/products/i-m-slug

The 2nd parameter allows you to define options controlling HTML escaping, and whether or not the base path should be added:

php

$this->Url->build('/posts', [
    'escape' => false,
    'fullBase' => true,
]);

URL with asset timestamp wrapped by a <link rel="preload"/>, here pre-loading a font. Note: The file must exist and Configure::read('Asset.timestamp') must return true or 'force' for the timestamp to be appended:

php

echo $this->Html->meta([
    'rel' => 'preload',
    'href' => $this->Url->assetUrl(
        '/assets/fonts/yout-font-pack/your-font-name.woff2'
    ),
    'as' => 'font',
]);

Added in version 3.3.5

build() accepts an array as the 2nd argument as of 3.3.5

Added in version 3.6.0

The timestamp option was added to build().

If you are generating URLs for CSS, Javascript or image files there are helper methods for each of these asset types:

php

// Outputs /img/icon.png
$this->Url->image('icon.png');

// Outputs /js/app.js
$this->Url->script('app.js');

// Outputs /css/app.css
$this->Url->css('app.css');

// Force timestamps for one method call.
$this->Url->css('app.css', ['timestamp' => 'force']);

// Or disable timestamps for one method call.
$this->Url->css('app.css', ['timestamp' => false]);

Added in version 3.2.4

The asset helper methods were added in 3.2.4.

Added in version 3.6.0

The timestamp option was added to asset helper methods.

For further information check Router::url in the API.

Url ​

Generating URLs ​

Url

Generating URLs