User Guide CI-Upgrader

Tabel of Contents

Before the Upgrade
Run CI-Upgrader
After the Upgrade

Before the Upgrade

Check if all these requirements are met:

Windows system (Linux and macOS not supported)
Composer has to be installed on your system
- To check if Composer is installed, open 'CMD' and enter composer
- If the command 'composer' was not found, it´s not installed
- In this case, open GetComposer and follow the instructions to install Composer
JRE 1.6.6 (or later)
- To check your Java Version, open 'CMD' and enter java -version
- If nothing displays or your Version is too old, visit Java.com
Executable CodeIgniter 3 project, that you want to upgrade to CodeIgniter 4
- Must be saved locally on the system
- The project structure must be unchanged from the original

---root|---application|---config
       |              |---controllers
       |              |---models
       |              |---views
       |              |...
       |---system
       |...

Run CI-Upgrader

Download CI-Upgrader and unzip folder.

Step 1: Start CI-Upgrader

There are to ways to start CI-Upgrader:

.exe: Just doubleclick on CI-Upgrader.exe
.jar: Open 'CMD' → Navigate to the location you saved 'CI-Upgrader.jar' → Enter > java -jar CI-Upgrader.jar

( If its not working, try 'Run as administrator' )

Step 2: Enter Path to your CodeIgniter 3 Project

The Path has to be in this format: Drive\Path\To\Your\CI3_Project (Example: C:\xampp\htdocs\projectname)

Best way to get the path: Open Windows Explorer → Navigate to your CI3 project that you want to upgrade → Copy path from address bar

CI-Upgrader will check if your input is correct:

Check if input is a path
Check if input has invalid symbols
Check if path leads to a CodeIgniter 3 project

Step 3: Enter Name for your new CodeIgniter 4 Project

You can name your new project whatever you want. Just make sure there is no already existing project with the same name in your CI3 project location. Also don´t use these symbols: < > : ? * | \\ / "

Step 4: Installation and Upgrade is running automatically

This tool takes the settings from Step 2 and 3 to install your new CI4 project in the same directory as your old CI3 project. The installation includes phpunit and ci3-to-4-upgrader-helper by Kenji Suzuki.

CI-Upgrader checks, if installation was successful. If not, you probably don´t have Composer installed on your system. Go to GetComposer and follow the instructions to install Composer.

After the installation, CI-Upgrader starts to copy all the relevant files from the old to new project, transfer settings, edit files and create UpgradeLog.

After the Upgrade

When CI-Upgrader is finished with the upgrade process, the directory of your new CI4 project and the UpgradeLog are going to open on your screen.

UpgradeLog will show you all relevant informations about the upgrade process and all tasks CI-Upgrader has executed:

Location of your CI3 and new CI4 project
Which files and directories were copied (with path)
Which lines were edited, added or removed in which file

It is highly recommended to take a look on the UpgradeLog, because it gives you a better understanding on what this tool has done during the upgrade and what you have to do afterwards. You should also check out the official Upgrade Guide from CodeIgniter and the documentation of Kenji Suzukis upgrade-helper.

Base URL

Depending on your server settings, you have to adjust your BaseURL in App/Config/App.php

    [Line 26]   public $baseURL = 'http://localhost/newprojectname';

Note: Your server should be configured to point at the public folder of your new CI4 project. Public folder contains the main .htaccess file and index.php. In CI4 it is meant to be the web root and prevents direct access to your source code.

Apart from that you have two other options:

Add /public to your BaseURL, but then you have to check if your base_url() calls in Controllers and Views are still working
Move .htaccess and index.php form public to root directory. Also edit index.php

    [Line 20]   $pathsConfig = FCPATH . '../app/Config/Paths.php';
 to
    [Line 20]   $pathsConfig = FCPATH . '/app/Config/Paths.php';

Language, Localization

The CI3 Language Loading in Controllers is no longer supported and was removed by CI-Upgrader:

//  CI3 Example

//  Load File and set Language in Controller:  
    $this->lang->load('news', $lang);
    
//  Echo Language Line in Controllers or Views: 
    echo $this->lang->line('title');

Instead of this, you have to use CI4 Localization:

//  CI4 Example

//  Load Language Service and set Locale: 
    $language = \Config\Services::language();
    $language->setLocale($lang);

//  Load File and echo Language Line in Controllers or Views:
    echo lang('news_lang.title');

Best way to load Language Service and to set Locale is in every Controllers Constructor or globally in BaseController (If all Controllers extend BaseController).

CI-Upgrader edited every Language Line in Controllers and Views automatically to lang('FILENAME.message'). All you have to do is replace FILENAME with the name of the Language File, which has to be loaded.

Database

Note: CI-Upgrader takes your database settings from your old CI3 project and transfers them into CI4 App/Config/Database.php, so your new project is connected to the same database by default. You can easily change this settings in Database.php if you want.

Migrations

All Migrations files were transferred into CI4 syntax by CI-Upgrader. To run Migrations, all you have to do:

Open 'CMD' → Navigate to your project location
Enter > php spark migrate

More informations: CodeIgniter User Guide

Note: If you used in CI3 your own created Controller Migrate.php to run Migrations, it is no longer needed in most cases. In case you still want to use this Controller, you have convert it by yourself.

Seeding

CodeIgniter 3 has no Seeder Class, so you had to find your own way to create Seeder files and to run them. In contrast to this CodeIgniter 4 provides an own Class for Seeder and you should use it.

Create new Seeder files with CI4 Seeder Class and transfer your data (User Guide)
Open 'CMD' → Navigate to your project location
Enter > php spark db:seed SeederName

Query Builder

These three CI3 Query functions are not fully supported by Kenji Suzukis Upgrade-Helper and will not run in CI4:

group_by(), limit() and update()

If you use them, you have to change it to CI4 Query Builder (User Guide).

Example:

   $query = $this->db->select('title')
                     ->from('News')
                     ->where('id', $id)
                     ->group_by('created_at')
                     ->limit(10,20)
                     ->get();                   
to
   $db = \Config\Database::connect();
   $builder = $db->table('News');
   $query = $builder->select('title')
                     ->where('id', $id)
                     ->groupBy('created_at')
                     ->limit(10,20)
                     ->get();

Pagination

Open Kenji Suzukis User Guide and follow instructions to transfer Pagination to CodeIgniter 4.

If you don´t want to use Kenji Suzukis Upgrade-Helper and removed it, follow instructions of official CodeIgniter Upgrade Guide.

Input/Incoming Request Class

CodeIgniter 3 Input Class is no longer available in CodeIgniter 4 and was replaced by the new Incoming Request Class.

Check out CI3 Input Class and CI4 Incoming Request Class User Guides, compare both with each other and transfer your code manually.

Own created Files

CI-Upgrader does not copy and transfer your own created Hooks or Custom Config Files in your new CI4 project, so you have to do this manually.

On the other hand your own Helpers and Libraries are copied. However you should also take a look on them, if there still working in CodeIgniter 4.

Kenji Suzukis User Guides gives you some useful informations, how to handle your own created files.

Development Mode

While working on your project the Development Mode can be very helpful and gives you a lot of useful informations.

Rename the file env to .env in your root directory
Open .env and change line # CI_ENVIRONMENT = production to CI_ENVIRONMENT = development

Extend your Project

To extend your project you have either the option to use CI3 syntax in combination with Kenji Suzukis Upgrader-Helper or to use the new CI4 syntax, which is probably the better choice for the future of your project.

However you should make your choice depending on your project and your future plans with it, your CI3 or CI4 knowledge and also what parts you want to extend and how Kenji Suzukis Upgrade Helper supports them.

Remove Upgrade-Helper by Kenji Suzuki

If you don´t want to use Upgrade-Helper by Kenji Suzuki, you have the opportunity ro remove it. You can either remove it from selected files or globally from your project.

Check UpgradeLog to see in which files the line use Kenjis\CI3Compatible\... was added and remove it
(Globally) Delete folder kenjis in vendor directory
Transfer the affected files manually in CI4 Syntax. Official CodeIgniter Upgrade Guide will help you with this

Note: Depending on your project, thats going to be a lot of work.

Solving Problems

Whoops! Message

This messages appears when an error occurs and your project is in Production Mode or displaying errors are off (Default Settings). After CI-Upgrader transfers your project, there will be some errors and you have to fix them. The only way to fix them is to display errors and see, what causes these errors.

There two ways:

Set project in Development Mode
Turn 'display errors' on

App/Config/Boot/production.php

    [Line 10]   ini_set('display_errors', '0');
 to
    [Line 10]   ini_set('display_errors', '1');

Note: After you finished your work, you should switch back to Production Mode and turn 'display errors' off

Assests Files not found

Usually you would create a new folder named 'assets' in your root or application directory and save here all your Images, CSS and JS Files.

If you used another name for your folder or saved them at a different location, CI-Upgrader will not find these files and can not copy them to your new project. In this case, you have to copy your files manually.

View Parser

View Parser is supported by Kenji Suzukis Upgrade-Helper, however the official CodeIgniter User Guide does not recommend to use this Class in CI4 anymore. Reason for this, PHP Code is going to be ignored in Views which use Parser, and that causes problems.

Better option in CI4 is to use pure PHP Code or View Render Class.

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UserGuide.md

UserGuide.md

User Guide CI-Upgrader

Tabel of Contents

Before the Upgrade

Run CI-Upgrader

Step 1: Start CI-Upgrader

Step 2: Enter Path to your CodeIgniter 3 Project

Step 3: Enter Name for your new CodeIgniter 4 Project

Step 4: Installation and Upgrade is running automatically

After the Upgrade

Base URL

Language, Localization

Database

Migrations

Seeding

Query Builder

Pagination

Input/Incoming Request Class

Own created Files

Development Mode

Extend your Project

Remove Upgrade-Helper by Kenji Suzuki

Solving Problems

Whoops! Message

Assests Files not found

View Parser

Files

UserGuide.md

Latest commit

History

UserGuide.md

File metadata and controls

User Guide CI-Upgrader

Tabel of Contents

Before the Upgrade

Run CI-Upgrader

Step 1: Start CI-Upgrader

Step 2: Enter Path to your CodeIgniter 3 Project

Step 3: Enter Name for your new CodeIgniter 4 Project

Step 4: Installation and Upgrade is running automatically

After the Upgrade

Base URL

Language, Localization

Database

Migrations

Seeding

Query Builder

Pagination

Input/Incoming Request Class

Own created Files

Development Mode

Extend your Project

Remove Upgrade-Helper by Kenji Suzuki

Solving Problems

Whoops! Message

Assests Files not found

View Parser