# Class yii\rest\Controller

Inheritance | yii\rest\Controller » yii\web\Controller » yii\base\Controller » yii\base\Component » yii\base\BaseObject
Implements | yii\base\Configurable, yii\base\ViewContextInterface
Subclasses | yii\rest\ActiveController
Available since version | 2.0
Source Code | https://github.com/yiisoft/yii2/blob/master/framework/rest/Controller.php

Controller is the base class for RESTful API controller classes.

Controller implements the following steps in a RESTful API request handling cycle:

1. Resolving response format (see yii\filters\ContentNegotiator);
2. Validating request method (see verbs()).
3. Authenticating user (see yii\filters\auth\AuthInterface);
4. Rate limiting (see yii\filters\RateLimiter);
5. Formatting response data (see serializeData()).

For more details and usage information on Controller, see the guide article on rest controllers.

## Public Properties

Hide inherited properties

Property | Type | Description | Defined By
--- | --- | --- | ---
$action | yii\base\Action|null | The action that is currently being executed. | yii\base\Controller
$actionParams | array | The parameters bound to the current action. | yii\web\Controller
$behaviors | yii\base\Behavior[] | List of behaviors attached to this component. This property is read-only. | yii\base\Component
$defaultAction | string | The ID of the action that is used when the action ID is not specified in the request. | yii\base\Controller
$enableCsrfValidation | boolean | Whether to enable CSRF validation for the actions in this controller. | yii\rest\Controller
$id | string | The ID of this controller. | yii\base\Controller
$layout | null|string|false | The name of the layout to be applied to this controller's views. | yii\base\Controller
$module | yii\base\Module | The module that this controller belongs to. | yii\base\Controller
$modules | yii\base\Module[] | All ancestor modules that this controller is located within. This property is read-only. | yii\base\Controller
$request | yii\base\Request|array|string | The request. | yii\base\Controller
$response | yii\base\Response|array|string | The response. | yii\base\Controller
$route | string | The route (module ID, controller ID and action ID) of the current request. This property is read-only. | yii\base\Controller
$serializer | string|array | The configuration for creating the serializer that formats the response data. | yii\rest\Controller
$uniqueId | string | The controller ID that is prefixed with the module ID (if any). This property is read-only. | yii\base\Controller
$view | yii\base\View|yii\web\View | The view object that can be used to render views or view files. | yii\base\Controller
$viewPath | string | The directory containing the view files for this controller. | yii\base\Controller

## Public Methods

Hide inherited methods

Method | Description | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
__call() | Calls the named method which is not a class method. | yii\base\Component
__clone() | This method is called after the object is created by cloning an existing one. | yii\base\Component
__construct() |  | yii\base\Controller
__get() | Returns the value of a component property. | yii\base\Component
__isset() | Checks if a property is set, i.e. defined and not null. | yii\base\Component
__set() | Sets the value of a component property. | yii\base\Component
__unset() | Sets a component property to be null. | yii\base\Component
actions() | Declares external actions for the controller. | yii\base\Controller
afterAction() | This method is invoked right after an action is executed. | yii\rest\Controller
asJson() | Send data formatted as JSON. | yii\web\Controller
asXml() | Send data formatted as XML. | yii\web\Controller
attachBehavior() | Attaches a behavior to this component. | yii\base\Component
attachBehaviors() | Attaches a list of behaviors to the component. | yii\base\Component
beforeAction() | This method is invoked right before an action is executed. | yii\base\Controller
behaviors() | Returns a list of behaviors that this component should behave as. | yii\rest\Controller
bindActionParams() | Binds the parameters to the action. | yii\base\Controller
canGetProperty() | Returns a value indicating whether a property can be read. | yii\base\Component
canSetProperty() | Returns a value indicating whether a property can be set. | yii\base\Component
className() | Returns the fully qualified name of this class. | yii\base\BaseObject
createAction() | Creates an action based on the given action ID. | yii\base\Controller
detachBehavior() | Detaches a behavior from the component. | yii\base\Component
detachBehaviors() | Detaches all behaviors from the component. | yii\base\Component
ensureBehaviors() | Makes sure that the behaviors declared in behaviors() are attached to this component. | yii\base\Component
findLayoutFile() | Finds the applicable layout file. | yii\base\Controller
getBehavior() | Returns the named behavior object. | yii\base\Component
getBehaviors() | Returns all behaviors attached to this component. | yii\base\Component
getModules() | Returns all ancestor modules of this controller. | yii\base\Controller
getRoute() | Returns the route of the current request. | yii\base\Controller
getUniqueId() | Returns the unique ID of the controller. | yii\base\Controller
getView() | Returns the view object that can be used to render views or view files. | yii\base\Controller
getViewPath() | Returns the directory containing view files for this controller. | yii\base\Controller
goBack() | Redirects the browser to the last visited page. | yii\web\Controller
goHome() | Redirects the browser to the home page. | yii\web\Controller
hasEventHandlers() | Returns a value indicating whether there is any handler attached to the named event. | yii\base\Component
hasMethod() | Returns a value indicating whether a method is defined. | yii\base\Component
hasProperty() | Returns a value indicating whether a property is defined for this component. | yii\base\Component
init() | Initializes the object. | yii\base\Controller
off() | Detaches an existing event handler from this component. | yii\base\Component
on() | Attaches an event handler to an event. | yii\base\Component
redirect() | Redirects the browser to the specified URL. | yii\web\Controller
refresh() | Refreshes the current page. | yii\web\Controller
render() | Renders a view and applies layout if available. | yii\base\Controller
renderAjax() | Renders a view in response to an AJAX request. | yii\web\Controller
renderContent() | Renders a static string by applying a layout. | yii\base\Controller
renderFile() | Renders a view file. | yii\base\Controller
renderPartial() | Renders a view without applying layout. | yii\base\Controller
run() | Runs a request specified in terms of a route. | yii\base\Controller
runAction() | Runs an action within this controller with the specified action ID and parameters. | yii\base\Controller
setView() | Sets the view object to be used by this controller. | yii\base\Controller
setViewPath() | Sets the directory that contains the view files. | yii\base\Controller
trigger() | Triggers an event. | yii\base\Component

## Protected Methods

Hide inherited methods

Method | Description | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
bindInjectedParams() | Fills parameters based on types and names in action method signature. | yii\base\Controller
serializeData() | Serializes the specified data. | yii\rest\Controller
verbs() | Declares the allowed HTTP verbs. | yii\rest\Controller

## Events

Hide inherited events

Event | Type | Description | Defined By
--- | --- | --- | ---
EVENT_AFTER_ACTION | yii\base\ActionEvent | An event raised right after executing a controller action. | yii\base\Controller
EVENT_BEFORE_ACTION | yii\base\ActionEvent | An event raised right before executing a controller action. | yii\base\Controller

## Property Details

$enableCsrfValidation public property

Whether to enable CSRF validation for the actions in this controller. CSRF validation is enabled only when both this property and yii\web\Request::$enableCsrfValidation are true.

public boolean $enableCsrfValidation = false
$serializer public property

The configuration for creating the serializer that formats the response data.

public string|array $serializer = 'yii\rest\Serializer'

## Method Details

afterAction() public method

This method is invoked right after an action is executed.

The method will trigger the EVENT_AFTER_ACTION event. The return value of the method will be used as the action return value.

If you override this method, your code should look like the following:

    public function afterAction($action, $result)
    {
        $result = parent::afterAction($action, $result);
        // your custom code here
        return $result;
    }

public mixed afterAction ( $action, $result )
$action | yii\base\Action | The action just executed.
$result | mixed | The action return result.
return | mixed | The processed action result.

behaviors() public method

Returns a list of behaviors that this component should behave as.

Child classes may override this method to specify the behaviors they want to behave as.

The return value of this method should be an array of behavior objects or configurations indexed by behavior names. A behavior configuration can be either a string specifying the behavior class or an array of the following structure:

    'behaviorName' => [
        'class' => 'BehaviorClass',
        'property1' => 'value1',
        'property2' => 'value2',
    ]

Note that a behavior class must extend from yii\base\Behavior. Behaviors can be attached using a name or anonymously. When a name is used as the array key, using this name, the behavior can later be retrieved using getBehavior() or be detached using detachBehavior(). Anonymous behaviors can not be retrieved or detached.

Behaviors declared in this method will be attached to the component automatically (on demand).

public array behaviors ( )
return | array | The behavior configurations.

serializeData() protected method

Serializes the specified data.

The default implementation will create a serializer based on the configuration given by $serializer. It then uses the serializer to serialize the given data.

protected mixed serializeData ( $data )
$data | mixed | The data to be serialized
return | mixed | The serialized data.

verbs() protected method

Declares the allowed HTTP verbs.

Please refer to yii\filters\VerbFilter::$actions on how to declare the allowed verbs.

protected array verbs ( )
return | array | The allowed HTTP verbs.