Small improvements to JViewHtml

docs/manual/en-US/chapters/classes/jviewhtml.xml

@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ try
 	$view = new MyView(new MyDatabaseModel, new MyController, $paths);
 	$view->setLayout('count');
 	echo $view->render();
+
+	// Alternative approach.
+	$view = new MyView(new MyDatabaseModel);
+
+	// Use some chaining.
+	$view->setPaths($paths)
+		->setLayout('count');
+
+	// Take advantage of the magic __toString method.
+	echo $view;
 }
 catch (RuntimeException $e)
 {

libraries/joomla/view/html.php

@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ public function __construct(JModel $model, SplPriorityQueue $paths = null)
 		$this->paths = isset($paths) ? $paths : $this->loadPaths();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Magic toString method that is a proxy for the render method.
+	 *
+	 * @return  string
+	 *
+	 * @since   12.1
+	 */
+	public function __toString()
+	{
+		return $this->render();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Method to escape output.
 	 *
@@ -148,27 +160,31 @@ public function render()
 	 *
 	 * @param   string  $layout  The layout name.
 	 *
-	 * @return  void
+	 * @return  JViewHtml  Method supports chaining.
 	 *
 	 * @since   12.1
 	 */
 	public function setLayout($layout)
 	{
 		$this->layout = $layout;
+
+		return $this;
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Method to set the view paths.
 	 *
 	 * @param   SplPriorityQueue  $paths  The paths queue.
 	 *
-	 * @return  void
+	 * @return  JViewHtml  Method supports chaining.
 	 *
 	 * @since   12.1
 	 */
 	public function setPaths(SplPriorityQueue $paths)
 	{
 		$this->paths = $paths;
+
+		return $this;
 	}
 
 	/**

tests/suites/unit/joomla/view/JViewHtmlTest.php

@@ -45,6 +45,24 @@ public function test__construct()
 		$this->assertAttributeSame($paths, 'paths', $this->_instance, 'Check default paths.');
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Tests the __toString method.
+	 *
+	 * @return  void
+	 *
+	 * @covers  JViewHtml::__toString
+	 * @since   12.1
+	 */
+	public function test__toString()
+	{
+		// Set up a priority queue.
+		$paths = $this->_instance->getPaths();
+		$paths->insert(__DIR__ . '/layouts1', 1);
+
+		$this->_instance->setLayout('olivia');
+		$this->assertEquals($this->_instance->setLayout('olivia'), (string) $this->_instance);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Tests the escape method.
 	 *
@@ -159,8 +177,9 @@ public function testRender_exception()
 	 */
 	public function testSetLayout()
 	{
-		$this->_instance->setLayout('fringe/division');
+		$result = $this->_instance->setLayout('fringe/division');
 		$this->assertAttributeSame('fringe/division', 'layout', $this->_instance);
+		$this->assertSame($this->_instance, $result);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -176,8 +195,9 @@ public function testSetPaths()
 		$paths = new SplPriorityQueue;
 		$paths->insert('bar', 99);
 
-		$this->_instance->setPaths($paths);
+		$result = $this->_instance->setPaths($paths);
 		$this->assertAttributeSame($paths, 'paths', $this->_instance);
+		$this->assertSame($this->_instance, $result);
 	}
 
 	/**