CakePHP base MV(C) base controller class

appController.php

<?php
// cakePHP application wide controller settings

class AppController extends Controller {

  var $components = array('Session', 'Cookie');
  var $language = null;
  var $languages = array();
  var $file = null;
  var $ext = '.php';

//var $path = array();

  function beforeFilter() {
    //set the application wide language variable if it is not already set for some reason
    $this->_setLanguage();
    //if (Configure::read('Config.language') === null) {
    Configure::write('Config.language', $this->language);
    //}
    $this->set('fileroot', Configure::read('Production.webroot'));
    $this->set('imgroot', 'http://img.midpenbgc.org' . Configure::read('fileroot') . 'images/');
    $this->set('simgroot', 'https://www.midpenbgc.org' . Configure::read('fileroot') . 'images/');
    $this->set('server', Configure::read('server'));
  }

  function beforeRender() {
    //if a translation for a particular view exists, switch the view path var- currently views/spa/pages/*
    if (file_exists(VIEWS . $this->language . DS . $this->viewPath . DS . $this->file . '.php')) {
      $this->viewPath = $this->language . DS . $this->viewPath;
    }
  }

//we are setting language based on a) the previous link  b) the browser setting
//there is no persistance.  for persisting the language setting use the code at the bottom
  function _setLanguage() {
    $env_lang = env('HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE');
    if (isset($this->params['language'])) {  //first check the request route parameters
      $this->language = $this->params['language'];
    } elseif (isset($env_lang)) {             //second check the users browser setting
      $this->languages = split('[,;]', env('HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'));
      foreach ($this->languages as $key => $langKey) {
        $langKey = strtolower($langKey);
        $langKey = substr($langKey, 0, 2);
        if ($langKey == 'es') {
          $this->language = 'spa';
          return true;
        } elseif ($langKey == 'zh') {
          $this->language = 'chi';
          return true;
        } else {
          $this->language = 'eng';
          return true;
        }
      }
    } else {        //third default to english
      $this->language = 'eng';
    }
    /* 	if ($this->Cookie->read('lang') && !$this->Session->check('Config.language')) {
      $this->Session->write('Config.language', $this->Cookie->read('lang'));
      }
      else if (isset($this->params['language']) && ($this->params['language'] !=  $this->Session->read('Config.language'))) {
      $this->Session->write('Config.language', $this->params['language']);
      $this->Cookie->write('lang', $this->params['language'], null, '20 days');
      }
     */
  }
  
  //set nav element classes based on path info
  function configNav($path) {
    $page = $subpage = $title = $section = null;
    if (!empty($path[0])) {
      $page = $path[0];
    }
    if (!empty($path[1])) {
      $subpage = $path[1];
    }
    //if (!empty($path[$count - 1])) {
    //	$title = Inflector::humanize($path[$count - 1]);
    //}
    $this->set(compact('page', 'subpage', 'title'));
    // initialize menu classes to an empty string
    for ($x = 0; $x < 10; $x++) {
      $who[$x] = $change[$x] = $programs[$x] = $help[$x] = $news[$x] = $members[$x] = '';
    }
    $subMenu0 = array('overview', 'locations', 'history', 'leadership', 'directors', '', '');
    $subMenu1 = array('overview', 'mission', 'partners', 'stories', '', '', '');
    $subMenu2 = array('overview', 'descriptions', 'camps', 'character', 'educational', 'sports', 'health', 'arts');
    $subMenu3 = array('overview', 'visit', 'donation', 'volunteer', 'events', 'past', '');
    $subMenu4 = array('overview', 'calendar', 'newsletter', '', '', '');
    $subMenu5 = array('overview', 'sanmateo', 'delue', 'registration', 'resources', 'publications', '');
    if ($page == "who") {
      $who[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu0); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu0[$x])
          $who[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }elseif ($page == "change") {
      $change[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu1); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu1[$x])
          $change[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }elseif ($page == "programs") {
      $programs[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu2); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu2[$x])
          $programs[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }elseif ($page == "help") {
      $help[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu3); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu3[$x])
          $help[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }elseif ($page == "news") {
      $news[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu4); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu4[$x])
          $news[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }elseif ($page == "members") {
      $members[0] = 'current-menu-item';
      for ($x = 0; $x < count($subMenu5); $x++) {
        if ($subpage == $subMenu5[$x])
          $members[$x + 1] = 'current-submenu-item';
      }
    }
    $this->set('who', $who);
    $this->set('change', $change);
    $this->set('programs', $programs);
    $this->set('help', $help);
    $this->set('news', $news);
    $this->set('members', $members);
    $this->set('lang', $this->language);
  }

  //filter out bogus spammer and hacker entries
  function filterScum($first = '', $last = '', $address = '') {
    $input = $first . $last . $address;
    return (preg_match("/http/i", $input)) ? true : false;
  }

}

?>