Use config variables in templates?

Question

Is there a place in EE to store custom config variables and access them in the templates? I need to be able to use these variables in conditionals as well as output them. Furthermore, I need to have different sets of config values depending on which domain EE is on (e.g. if site_url = 'foo.com' ...).

Currently, I'm using globals, but it's not really ideal.

Answer 1

If by config variables, you mean the ones on config.php, it's pretty easy to do.

On your config.php add the following code:

global $assign_to_config;
if(!isset($assign_to_config['global_vars']))
$assign_to_config['global_vars'] = array();

Now, you can create early parsed template variables.

Let's say you set the mail protocol used by a System Config Override:

$config['mail_protocol'] = 'sendmail';

If you need to access this info on templates, you need to create a template variable:

$config['mail_protocol'] =
$assign_to_config['global_vars']['cv-mail_protocol'] = 'sendmail';

On templates, you can use {cv-mail_protocol}:

{if cv-mail_protocol == 'sendmail'}
  The emails are being send by SendMail
{/if}

You can use a PHP conditional too to set them:

if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'www.domain.com')

These variables are parsed even before Preload Text Replacements, which gives you a lot of flexibility.

{if cv-language == "en"}
    {preload_replace:pr-name_label="Name"}
    {preload_replace:pr-tel_label="Phone number"}
[...]
{/if}

<label for="name">{pr-name_label}
  <input type="text" id="name" name="required[]" size="50" />
</label>
[...]

Answer 2

I tend to use index.php for this.

On about line 72 you can add Custom Config Variables as an associative array.

$assign_to_config['global_vars'] = array('pv_country_id' => 3);

You can now use this in your template as {pv_country_id} (I prefix with pv_ so I can identify them when I view my templates in the future.)

The reason I use this method is that if you're a MSM user ('Multi Site Manager' for the uninitiated) you can override your variables on a per site basis.