Paginator

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

The PaginatorHelper is used to output pagination controls such as page numbers and next/previous links. It works in tandem with PaginatorComponent.

See also Pagination for information on how to create paginated datasets and do paginated queries.

PaginatorHelper Templates

Internally PaginatorHelper uses a series of simple HTML templates to generate markup. You can modify these templates to customize the HTML generated by the PaginatorHelper.

Templates use style placeholders. It is important to not add any spaces around the or the replacements will not work.

Loading Templates from a File

When adding the PaginatorHelper in your controller, you can define the 'templates' setting to define a template file to load. This allows you to customize multiple templates and keep your code DRY:

php

// In your AppView.php
public function initialize(): void
{
    ...
    $this->loadHelper('Paginator', ['templates' => 'paginator-templates']);
}

This will load the file located at config/paginator-templates.php. See the example below for how the file should look like. You can also load templates from a plugin using plugin syntax:

php

// In your AppView.php
public function initialize(): void
{
    ...
    $this->loadHelper('Paginator', ['templates' => 'MyPlugin.paginator-templates']);
}

Whether your templates are in the primary application or a plugin, your templates file should look something like:

text

return [
    'number' => '<a href="{{url}}">{{text}}</a>',
];

Changing Templates at Run-time

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::setTemplates($templates)

This method allows you to change the templates used by PaginatorHelper at runtime. This can be useful when you want to customize templates for a particular method call:

php

// Read the current template value.
$result = $this->Paginator->getTemplates('number');

// Change a template
$this->Paginator->setTemplates([
    'number' => '<em><a href="{{url}}">{{text}}</a></em>'
]);

WARNING

Template strings containing a percentage sign (%) need special attention, you should prefix this character with another percentage so it looks like %%. The reason is that internally templates are compiled to be used with sprintf(). Example: '<div style="width:%%"></div>'

Template Names

PaginatorHelper uses the following templates:

nextActive The active state for a link generated by next().
nextDisabled The disabled state for next().
prevActive The active state for a link generated by prev().
prevDisabled The disabled state for prev()
counterRange The template counter() uses when format == range.
counterPages The template counter() uses when format == pages.
first The template used for a link generated by first().
last The template used for a link generated by last()
number The template used for a link generated by numbers().
current The template used for the current page.
ellipsis The template used for ellipses generated by numbers().
sort The template for a sort link with no direction.
sortAsc The template for a sort link with an ascending direction.
sortDesc The template for a sort link with a descending direction.

Creating Sort Links

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::sort($key, $title = null, $options = [])

Generates a sorting link. Sets querystring parameters for the sort and direction. Links will default to sorting by asc. After the first click, links generated with sort() will handle direction switching automatically. If the resultset is sorted 'asc' by the specified key the returned link will sort by 'desc'. Uses the sort, sortAsc, sortDesc, sortAscLocked and sortDescLocked templates.

Accepted keys for $options:

escape Whether you want the contents HTML entity encoded, defaults to true.
model The model to use, defaults to PaginatorHelper::defaultModel().
direction The default direction to use when this link isn't active.
lock Lock direction. Will only use the default direction then, defaults to false.

Assuming you are paginating some posts, and are on page one:

php

echo $this->Paginator->sort('user_id');

Output:

html

<a href="/posts/index?page=1&amp;sort=user_id&amp;direction=asc">User Id</a>

You can use the title parameter to create custom text for your link:

php

echo $this->Paginator->sort('user_id', 'User account');

Output:

html

<a href="/posts/index?page=1&amp;sort=user_id&amp;direction=asc">User account</a>

If you are using HTML like images in your links remember to set escaping off:

php

echo $this->Paginator->sort(
  'user_id',
  '<em>User account</em>',
  ['escape' => false]
);

Output:

html

<a href="/posts/index?page=1&amp;sort=user_id&amp;direction=asc"><em>User account</em></a>

The direction option can be used to set the default direction for a link. Once a link is active, it will automatically switch directions like normal:

php

echo $this->Paginator->sort('user_id', null, ['direction' => 'desc']);

Output:

html

<a href="/posts/index?page=1&amp;sort=user_id&amp;direction=desc">User Id</a>

The lock option can be used to lock sorting into the specified direction:

php

echo $this->Paginator->sort('user_id', null, ['direction' => 'asc', 'lock' => true]);

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::sortDir(string $model = null, mixed $options = [])

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::sortKey(string $model = null, mixed $options = [])

Creating Page Number Links

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::numbers($options = [])

Returns a set of numbers for the paged result set. Uses a modulus to decide how many numbers to show on each side of the current page By default 8 links on either side of the current page will be created if those pages exist. Links will not be generated for pages that do not exist. The current page is also not a link. The number, current and ellipsis templates will be used.

Supported options are:

before Content to be inserted before the numbers.
after Content to be inserted after the numbers.
model Model to create numbers for, defaults to PaginatorHelper::defaultModel().
modulus how many numbers to include on either side of the current page, defaults to 8.
first Whether you want first links generated, set to an integer to define the number of 'first' links to generate. Defaults to false. If a string is set a link to the first page will be generated with the value as the title:
php
```
echo $this->Paginator->numbers(['first' => 'First page']);
```
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last Whether you want last links generated, set to an integer to define the number of 'last' links to generate. Defaults to false. Follows the same logic as the first option. There is a ~PaginatorHelper::last() method to be used separately as well if you wish.

While this method allows a lot of customization for its output. It is also ok to just call the method without any parameters. :

php

echo $this->Paginator->numbers();

Using the first and last options you can create links to the beginning and end of the page set. The following would create a set of page links that include links to the first 2 and last 2 pages in the paged results:

php

echo $this->Paginator->numbers(['first' => 2, 'last' => 2]);

Creating Jump Links

In addition to generating links that go directly to specific page numbers, you'll often want links that go to the previous and next links, first and last pages in the paged data set.

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::prev($title = '<< Previous', $options = [])

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::next($title = 'Next >>', $options = [])

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::first($first = '<< first', $options = [])

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::last($last = 'last >>', $options = [])

Creating Header Link Tags

PaginatorHelper can be used to create pagination link tags in your page <head> elements:

php

// Create next/prev links for the current model.
echo $this->Paginator->meta();

// Create next/prev & first/last links for the current model.
echo $this->Paginator->meta(['first' => true, 'last' => true]);

Checking the Pagination State

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::current(string $model = null)

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::hasNext(string $model = null)

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::hasPrev(string $model = null)

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::hasPage(int $page = 1, string $model = null)

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::total(string $model = null)

Creating a Page Counter

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::counter(string $format = 'pages', array $options = [])

Returns a counter string for the paged result set. Using a provided format string and a number of options you can create localized and application specific indicators of where a user is in the paged data set. Uses the counterRange, and counterPages templates.

Supported formats are 'range', 'pages' and custom. Defaults to pages which would output like '1 of 10'. In the custom mode the supplied string is parsed and tokens are replaced with actual values. The available tokens are:

- the current page displayed.
- total number of pages.
- current number of records being shown.
- the total number of records in the result set.
- number of the first record being displayed.
- number of the last record being displayed.
- The pluralized human form of the model name. If your model was 'RecipePage', would be 'recipe pages'.

You could also supply only a string to the counter method using the tokens available. For example:

php

echo $this->Paginator->counter(
    'Page {{page}} of {{pages}}, showing {{current}} records out of
     {{count}} total, starting on record {{start}}, ending on {{end}}'
);

Setting 'format' to range would output like '1 - 3 of 13':

php

echo $this->Paginator->counter('range');

Generating Pagination URLs

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::generateUrl(array $options = [], ?string $model = null, array $url = [], array $urlOptions = [])

By default returns a full pagination URL string for use in non-standard contexts (i.e. JavaScript). :

php

// Generates a URL similar to: /articles?sort=title&page=2
echo $this->Paginator->generateUrl(['sort' => 'title']);

// Generates a URL for a different model
echo $this->Paginator->generateUrl(['sort' => 'title'], 'Comments');

// Generates a URL to a different controller.
echo $this->Paginator->generateUrl(
    ['sort' => 'title'],
    null,
    ['controller' => 'Comments']
);

Creating a Limit Selectbox Control

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::limitControl(array $limits = [], $default = null, array $options = [])

Create a dropdown control that changes the limit query parameter:

php

// Use the defaults.
echo $this->Paginator->limitControl();

// Define which limit options you want.
echo $this->Paginator->limitControl([25 => 25, 50 => 50]);

// Custom limits and set the selected option
echo $this->Paginator->limitControl([25 => 25, 50 => 50], $user->perPage);

The generated form and control will automatically submit on change.

Configuring Pagination Options

method Cake\View\Helper\PaginatorHelper::options($options = [])

Sets all the options for the PaginatorHelper. Supported options are:

url The URL of the paginating action.
The option allows your to set/override any element for URLs generated by the helper:
php
```
$this->Paginator->options([
    'url' => [
        'lang' => 'en',
        '?' => [
            'sort' => 'email',
            'direction' => 'desc',
            'page' => 6,
        ],
    ]
]);
```
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The example above adds the en route parameter to all links the helper will generate. It will also create links with specific sort, direction and page values. By default PaginatorHelper will merge in all of the current passed arguments and query string parameters.
escape Defines if the title field for links should be HTML escaped. Defaults to true.
model The name of the model being paginated, defaults to PaginatorHelper::defaultModel().

Example Usage

It's up to you to decide how to show records to the user, but most often this will be done inside HTML tables. The examples below assume a tabular layout, but the PaginatorHelper available in views doesn't always need to be restricted as such.

See the details on PaginatorHelper in the API. As mentioned, the PaginatorHelper also offers sorting features which can be integrated into your table column headers:

php

<!-- templates/Posts/index.php -->
<table>
    <tr>
        <th><?= $this->Paginator->sort('id', 'ID') ?></th>
        <th><?= $this->Paginator->sort('title', 'Title') ?></th>
    </tr>
       <?php foreach ($recipes as $recipe): ?>
    <tr>
        <td><?= $recipe->id ?> </td>
        <td><?= h($recipe->title) ?> </td>
    </tr>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</table>

The links output from the sort() method of the PaginatorHelper allow users to click on table headers to toggle the sorting of the data by a given field.

It is also possible to sort a column based on associations:

php

<table>
    <tr>
        <th><?= $this->Paginator->sort('title', 'Title') ?></th>
        <th><?= $this->Paginator->sort('Authors.name', 'Author') ?></th>
    </tr>
       <?php foreach ($recipes as $recipe): ?>
    <tr>
        <td><?= h($recipe->title) ?> </td>
        <td><?= h($recipe->name) ?> </td>
    </tr>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</table>

NOTE

Sorting by columns in associated models requires setting these in the PaginationComponent::paginate property. Using the example above, the controller handling the pagination would need to set its sortableFields key as follows:

php

$this->paginate = [
    'sortableFields' => [
        'Posts.title',
        'Authors.name',
    ],
];

For more information on using the sortableFields option, please see Control Which Fields Used For Ordering.

The final ingredient to pagination display in views is the addition of page navigation, also supplied by the PaginationHelper:

php

// Shows the page numbers
<?= $this->Paginator->numbers() ?>

// Shows the next and previous links
<?= $this->Paginator->prev('« Previous') ?>
<?= $this->Paginator->next('Next »') ?>

// Prints X of Y, where X is current page and Y is number of pages
<?= $this->Paginator->counter() ?>

The wording output by the counter() method can also be customized using special markers:

php

<?= $this->Paginator->counter([
    'format' => 'Page {{page}} of {{pages}}, showing {{current}} records out of
             {{count}} total, starting on record {{start}}, ending on {{end}}'
]) ?>

Paginating Multiple Results

If you are paginating multiple queries you'll need to set the model option when generating pagination related elements. You can either use the model option on every method call you make to PaginatorHelper, or use options() to set the default model:

php

// Pass the model option
echo $this->Paginator->sort('title', ['model' => 'Articles']);

// Set the default model.
$this->Paginator->options(['model' => 'Articles']);
echo $this->Paginator->sort('title');

By using the model option, PaginatorHelper will automatically use the scope defined in when the query was paginated. To set additional URL parameters for multiple pagination you can include the scope names in options():

php

$this->Paginator->options([
    'url' => [
        // Additional URL parameters for the 'articles' scope
        'articles' => [
            '?' => ['articles' => 'yes']
        ],
        // Additional URL parameters for the 'comments' scope
        'comments' => [
            'articleId' => 1234,
        ]
    ]
]);

Paginator ​

PaginatorHelper Templates ​

Loading Templates from a File ​

Changing Templates at Run-time ​

Template Names ​

Creating Sort Links ​

Creating Page Number Links ​

Creating Jump Links ​

Creating Header Link Tags ​

Checking the Pagination State ​

Creating a Page Counter ​

Generating Pagination URLs ​

Creating a Limit Selectbox Control ​

Configuring Pagination Options ​

Example Usage ​

Paginating Multiple Results ​

Paginator

PaginatorHelper Templates

Loading Templates from a File

Changing Templates at Run-time

Template Names

Creating Sort Links

Creating Page Number Links

Creating Jump Links

Creating Header Link Tags

Checking the Pagination State

Creating a Page Counter

Generating Pagination URLs

Creating a Limit Selectbox Control

Configuring Pagination Options

Example Usage

Paginating Multiple Results