Laravel base controller

gistfile1.php

<?php
use Illuminate\Routing\Controller;

class BaseController extends Controller {

    /**
     * container for data, assets, js variables etc
     * @var array
     */
    protected $data     = array();

    /**
     * prepare data placeholder to be thrown to the view
     */
    public function __construct(){
        /** default title */
        $this->data['title'] = '';

        /** meta tag and information */
        $this->data['meta'] = array();

        /** queued css files */
        $this->data['css'] = array(
            'internal'  => array(),
            'external'  => array()
        );

        /** queued js files */
        $this->data['js'] = array(
            'internal'  => array(),
            'external'  => array()
        );

        /** prepared message info */
        $this->data['message'] = array(
            'error'    => array(),
            'info'    => array(),
            'debug'    => array(),
        );

        /** global javascript var */
        $this->data['global'] = array();

        /** base dir for asset file */
        $this->data['asset_base_dir'] = 'assets/website/';

        $this->loadBaseCss();
        $this->loadBaseJs();
        $this->registerGlobal('baseDir',asset(''));
        $this->registerGlobal('trackerApiCall', URL::to('track'));
        $this->registerGlobal('track', 1);
    }


    /**
     * Setup the layout used by the controller.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    protected function setupLayout()
    {
        if ( ! is_null($this->layout))
        {
            $this->layout = View::make($this->layout);
        }
    }

    /**
     * enqueue css asset to be loaded
     * @param  [string] $css     [css file to be loaded relative to base_asset_dir]
     * @param  [array]  $options [location=internal|external, position=first|last|after:file|before:file]
     */
    protected function loadCss($css, $options=array())
    {
        $location = (isset($options['location'])) ? $options['location']:'internal';

        //after:file, before:file, first, last
        $position = (isset($options['position'])) ? $options['position']:'last';
        
        if(!in_array($css,$this->data['css'][$location])){
            if($position=='first' || $position=='last'){
                $key = $position;
                $file='';
            }else{
                list($key,$file) =  explode(':',$position);
            }
            
            switch($key){
                case 'first':
                    array_unshift($this->data['css'][$location],$css);
                break;
                
                case 'last':
                    $this->data['css'][$location][]=$css;
                break;
                
                case 'before':
                case 'after':
                    $varkey = array_keys($this->data['css'][$location],$file);
                    if($varkey){
                        $nextkey = ($key=='after') ? $varkey[0]+1 : $varkey[0];
                        array_splice($this->data['css'][$location],$nextkey,0,$css);
                    }else{
                        $this->data['css'][$location][]=$css;
                    }
                break;
            }
        }
    }


    /**
     * enqueue js asset to be loaded
     * @param  [string] $js      [js file to be loaded relative to base_asset_dir]
     * @param  [array]  $options [location=internal|external, position=first|last|after:file|before:file]
     */
    protected function loadJs($js, $options=array())
    {
        $location = (isset($options['location'])) ? $options['location']:'internal';

        //after:file, before:file, first, last
        $position = (isset($options['position'])) ? $options['position']:'last';
        
        if(!in_array($js,$this->data['js'][$location])){
            if($position=='first' || $position=='last'){
                $key = $position;
                $file='';
            }else{
                list($key,$file) =  explode(':',$position);
            }
            
            switch($key){
                case 'first':
                    array_unshift($this->data['js'][$location],$js);
                break;
                
                case 'last':
                    $this->data['js'][$location][]=$js;
                break;
                
                case 'before':
                case 'after':
                    $varkey = array_keys($this->data['js'][$location],$file);
                    if($varkey){
                        $nextkey = ($key=='after') ? $varkey[0]+1 : $varkey[0];
                        array_splice($this->data['js'][$location],$nextkey,0,$js);
                    }else{
                        $this->data['js'][$location][]=$js;
                    }
                break;
            }
        }
    }
    
    /**
     * clear enqueued css asset
     */
    protected function resetCss()
    {
        $this->data['css']         = array(
            'internal'  => array(),
            'external'  => array()
        );
    }
    
    /**
     * clear enqueued js asset
     */
    protected function resetJs()
    {
        $this->data['js']         = array(
            'internal'  => array(),
            'external'  => array()
        );
    }
    
    /**
     * remove individual css file from queue list
     * @param  [string] $css [css file to be removed]
     */
    protected function removeCss($css)
    {
        $key=array_keys($this->data['css']['internal'],$css);
        if($key){
            array_splice($this->data['css']['internal'],$key[0],1);
        }
        
        $key=array_keys($this->data['css']['external'],$css);
        if($key){
            array_splice($this->data['css']['external'],$key[0],1);
        }
    }
    
    /**
     * remove individual js file from queue list
     * @param  [string] $js [js file to be removed]
     */
    protected function remmoveJs($js)
    {
        $key=array_keys($this->data['js']['internal'],$js);
        if($key){
            array_splice($this->data['js']['internal'],$key[0],1);
        }
        
        $key=array_keys($this->data['js']['external'],$js);
        if($key){
            array_splice($this->data['js']['external'],$key[0],1);
        }
    }

    /**
     * addMessage to be viewd in the view file
     */
    public function addMessage($message, $type='info')
    {
        $this->data['message'][$type] = $message;
    }

    /** 
     * register global variable to be accessed via javascript
     */
    public function registerGlobal($key,$val)
    {
        $this->data['global'][$key] =  $val;
    }

    /**
     * add custom meta tags to the page
     */
    public function meta($name, $content)
    {
        $this->data['meta'][$name] = $content;
    }

    /**
     * load base css for the template
     */
    protected function loadBaseCss()
    {

        $this->loadCss('http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:300', array('location' => 'external'));
        $this->loadCss('http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:700', array('location' => 'external'));
        $this->loadCss('http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300', array('location' => 'external'));
        $this->loadCss('http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:700', array('location' => 'external'));
        $this->loadCss('bootstrap.min.css');
        $this->loadCss('bootstrap-responsive.css');
        $this->loadCss('main.css');
        $this->loadCss('home.css');
    }

    /**
     * load base js for the template
     */
    protected function loadBaseJs()
    {
        $this->loadJs('vendor/modernizr-2.6.2-respond-1.1.0.min.js');
        $this->loadJs('vendor/jquery-1.9.1.min.js');
        $this->loadJs('vendor/bootstrap.min.js');
        $this->loadJs('plugins.js');
        $this->loadJs('app/tracker.js');
    }


    /**
     * load jquery validation engine
     */
    protected function enableValidation()
    {
        $this->loadJs('vendor/jquery.validationEngine.js');
        $this->loadJs('vendor/languages/jquery.validationEngine-en.js');
        $this->loadCss('jquery.validationEngine.css');
    }

}