Dynamic Sidebar Functionality

sidebar_helper.php

// This version does a simple file include
// Like you would in your template view file
// Using the standard CI Views functionality
function get_sidebar($slug = '')
{
    // No slug? Just get sidebar.php then
    if ($slug == '')
    {
        include_once APPPATH.'views/sidebar.php';
    }
    else
    {
        include_once APPPATH.'views/sidebar-'.$slug.'.php';
    }
}

// This function will include the sidebar file silently
// Then store the returned data into a variable
// And then echo it's contents
function get_sidebar($slug = '')
{
    // No slug? Just get sidebar.php then
    if ($slug == '')
    {
        ob_start();
        include_once APPPATH.'views/sidebar.php';
        $sidebar = ob_get_clean();
    }
    else
    {
        ob_start();
        include_once APPPATH.'views/sidebar-'.$slug.'.php';
        $sidebar = ob_get_clean();
    }

    echo $sidebar;   
}