API Reference

ViewDataTable

Piwik\Plugin\

ViewDataTable

The base class of all report visualizations.

ViewDataTable instances load analytics data via Matomo (formerly Piwik)'s Reporting API and then output some type of visualization of that data.

Visualizations can be in any format. HTML-based visualizations should extend Visualization. Visualizations that use other formats, such as visualizations that output an image, should extend ViewDataTable directly.

Creating ViewDataTables

ViewDataTable instances are not created via the new operator, instead the Factory class is used.

The specific subclass to create is determined, first, by the viewDataTable query parameter. If this parameter is not set, then the default visualization type for the report being displayed is used.

Configuring ViewDataTables

Display properties

ViewDataTable output can be customized by setting one of many available display properties. Display properties are stored as fields in Config objects. ViewDataTables store a Config object in the $config field.

Display properties can be set at any time before rendering.

Request properties

Request properties are similar to display properties in the way they are set. They are, however, not used to customize ViewDataTable instances, but in the request to Matomo's API when loading analytics data.

Request properties are set by setting the fields of a RequestConfig object stored in the $requestConfig field. They can be set at any time before rendering. Setting them after data is loaded will have no effect.

Customizing how reports are displayed

Each individual report should be rendered in its own controller method. There are two ways to render a report within its controller method. You can either:

  1. manually create and configure a ViewDataTable instance
  2. invoke Piwik\Plugin\Controller::renderReport and configure the ViewDataTable instance in the ViewDataTable.configure event.

ViewDataTable instances are configured by setting and modifying display properties and request properties.

Creating new visualizations

New visualizations can be created by extending the ViewDataTable class or one of its descendants. To learn more read our guide on creating new visualizations.

Examples

Manually configuring a ViewDataTable

// a controller method that displays a single report
public function myReport()
{
    $view = \Piwik\ViewDataTable\Factory::build('table', 'MyPlugin.myReport');
    $view->config->show_limit_control = true;
    $view->config->translations['myFancyMetric'] = "My Fancy Metric";
    // ...
    return $view->render();
}

Using Piwik\Plugin\Controller::renderReport

First, a controller method that displays a single report:

public function myReport()
{
    return $this->renderReport(__FUNCTION__);`
}

Then the event handler for the ViewDataTable.configure event:

public function configureViewDataTable(ViewDataTable $view)
{
    switch ($view->requestConfig->apiMethodToRequestDataTable) {
        case 'MyPlugin.myReport':
            $view->config->show_limit_control = true;
            $view->config->translations['myFancyMetric'] = "My Fancy Metric";
            // ...
            break;
    }
}

Using custom configuration objects in a new visualization

class MyVisualizationConfig extends Piwik\ViewDataTable\Config
{
    public $my_new_property = true;
}

class MyVisualizationRequestConfig extends Piwik\ViewDataTable\RequestConfig
{
    public $my_new_property = false;
}

class MyVisualization extends Piwik\Plugin\ViewDataTable
{
    public static function getDefaultConfig()
    {
        return new MyVisualizationConfig();
    }

    public static function getDefaultRequestConfig()
    {
        return new MyVisualizationRequestConfig();
    }
}

Properties

This abstract class defines the following properties:

  • $config — Contains display properties for this visualization.
  • $requestConfig — Contains request properties for this visualization.

$config

Contains display properties for this visualization.

Signature

$requestConfig

Contains request properties for this visualization.

Signature

Methods

The abstract class defines the following methods:

__construct()

Constructor. Initializes display and request properties to their default values.

Posts the ViewDataTable.configure event which plugins can use to configure the way reports are displayed.

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):

    • $controllerAction

    • $apiMethodToRequestDataTable

    • $overrideParams

getDefaultConfig()

Returns the default config instance.

Visualizations that define their own display properties should override this method and return an instance of their new Config descendant.

See the last example here for more information.

Signature

getDefaultRequestConfig()

Returns the default request config instance.

Visualizations that define their own request properties should override this method and return an instance of their new RequestConfig descendant.

See the last example here for more information.

Signature

getViewDataTableId()

Returns the viewDataTable ID for this DataTable visualization.

Derived classes should not override this method. They should instead declare a const ID field with the viewDataTable ID.

Signature

  • It returns a string value.
  • It throws one of the following exceptions:

isViewDataTableId()

Returns true if this instance's or any of its ancestors' viewDataTable IDs equals the supplied ID, false if otherwise.

Can be used to test whether a ViewDataTable object is an instance of a certain visualization or not, without having to know where that visualization is.

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):
    • $viewDataTableId (string) — The viewDataTable ID to check for, eg, 'table'.
  • It returns a bool value.

getDataTable()

Returns the DataTable loaded from the API.

Signature

  • It returns a DataTable value.
  • It throws one of the following exceptions:

setDataTable()

To prevent calling an API multiple times, the DataTable can be set directly.

It won't be loaded from the API in this case.

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):
    • $dataTable (DataTable) — The DataTable to use.
  • It returns a void value.

render()

Requests all needed data and renders the view.

Signature

  • Returns: string — Serialized data, eg, (image, array, html...).

isRequestingSingleDataTable()

Returns true if this instance will request a single DataTable, false if requesting more than one.

Signature

  • It returns a bool value.

canDisplayViewDataTable()

Returns true if this visualization can display some type of data or not.

New visualization classes should override this method if they can only visualize certain types of data. The evolution graph visualization, for example, can only visualize sets of DataTables. If the API method used results in a single DataTable, the evolution graph footer icon should not be displayed.

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):
    • $view (ViewDataTable) — Contains the API request being checked.
  • It returns a bool value.

throwWhenSettingNonOverridableParameter()

Display a meaningful error message when any invalid parameter is being set.

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):

    • $overrideParams

  • It does not return anything or a mixed result.

  • It throws one of the following exceptions:
    • ``

getNonOverridableParams()

Signature

  • It accepts the following parameter(s):

    • $overrideParams

  • It returns a array value.

isComparing()

Returns true if both this current visualization supports comparison, and if comparison query parameters are present in the URL.

Signature

  • It returns a bool value.

supportsComparison()

Implementations should override this method if they support a special comparison view. By default, it is assumed visualizations do not support comparison.

Signature

  • It returns a bool value.

getRequestArray()

Signature

  • It does not return anything or a mixed result.