Mapping
Overview
CivicTheme separates its component Twig files from its Drupal implementation. This separation requires preprocess functions to extract data from Drupal entities, process it as necessary, and map it to the expected properties of the UI Kit Twig file. This approach encourages building CivicTheme components in a reusable fashion where the HTML is more generalised and less Drupal-specific.
Quick Start
Prerequisites
A CivicTheme subtheme
Basic understanding of Drupal preprocess functions
Familiarity with Twig templating
Basic Implementation
Create a custom include file for your field processing logic
Implement a preprocess hook to call your custom function
Update the Twig template to reference the CivicTheme component
Utilities
CivicTheme provides utilities to simplify preprocess function development:
Utilities - Helper functions for common Drupal operations
Implementation Example
The following example demonstrates how to map a Drupal field to display as a CivicTheme tag component. This covers the fundamentals of gathering data from an entity in a preprocess function, passing it through the *.html.twig
template, and setting it on the civictheme:tag
component.
Step 1: Theme File
File: subtheme.theme
require_once __DIR__ . '/includes/custom_field.inc';
function subtheme_preprocess_field(array &$variables): void {
_civictheme_preprocess_custom_field($variables);
}
What this does:
Includes the custom field processing logic
Calls the custom preprocess function when the field preprocess hook is triggered
Step 2: Custom Field Processing
File: includes/custom_field.inc
use Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface;
function _civictheme_preprocess_custom_field(array &$variables): void {
if ($variables['field_name'] !== 'field_custom_field') {
return;
}
$node = $variables['element']['#object'] ?? NULL;
if ($node instanceof FieldableEntityInterface) {
$variables['custom_value'] = civictheme_get_field_value($node, 'field_c_n_custom', TRUE);
}
}
What this does:
Checks that the correct field is being processed
Retrieves the node attached to the field and validates its type
Uses the
civictheme_get_field_value
utility to extract the field valueAdds the processed value to the
custom_value
property
Step 3: Twig Template
File: templates/field/field--node--field-c-n-custom.html.twig
{% include 'civictheme:tag' %}
What this does:
References the CivicTheme tag component
Passes all available properties through to the component
Can be modified to reference custom components if needed
Best Practices
File Organisation
Place custom code in dedicated
*.inc
files specific to the feature being implementedUse descriptive file names that clearly indicate the purpose
Keep preprocess functions focused and single-purpose
Template Structure
As much HTML as possible should live in the components. The Drupal Twig templates should act as connectors to the components. It should be common for Drupal *.html.twig
templates to contain only an include of a component Twig file.
Data Processing
Always validate field names before applying custom processing
Use CivicTheme utilities for common operations
Ensure proper type checking for entities and fields
Follow Drupal coding standards and best practices
Next Steps
Explore the CivicTheme utilities for additional helper functions
Review other component implementations for patterns and approaches
Consider contributing improvements to the mapping system
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