$pages->touch() method

Update page modification time to now (or the given modification time)

This behaves essentially the same as the unix touch command, but for ProcessWire pages.

Available since version 3.0.0.

Example

// Touch the current $page to current date/time
$pages->touch($page);

// Touch the current $page and set modification date to 2016/10/24
$pages->touch($page, "2016-10-24 00:00");

// Touch all "skyscraper" pages in "Atlanta" to current date/time
$skyscrapers = $pages->find("template=skyscraper, parent=/cities/atlanta/");
$pages->touch($skyscrapers); 

Usage

// basic usage
$bool = $pages->touch($pages);

// usage with all arguments
$bool = $pages->touch($pages, $options = null, string $type = 'modified');

Arguments

NameType(s)Description
pagesPage, PageArray, array

May be Page, PageArray or array of page IDs (integers)

options (optional)null, int, string, array

Omit (null) to update to now, or unix timestamp or strtotime() recognized time string, or if you do not need this argument, you may optionally substitute the $type argument here, or in 3.0.183+ you can also specify array of options here instead:

  • time (string|int|null): Unix timestamp or strtotime() recognized string to use, omit for use current time (default=null)
  • type (string): One of 'modified', 'created', 'published' (default='modified')
  • user (bool|User): True to also update modified/created user to current user, or specify User object to use (default=false)
type (optional)string

Date type to update, one of 'modified', 'created' or 'published' (default='modified') Added 3.0.147 Skip this argument if using options array for previous argument or if using the default type 'modified'.

Return value

bool

True on success, false on fail

Exceptions

Method can throw exceptions on error:

  • WireException or \PDOException - if given invalid format for $modified argument or failed database query


Hooking $pages->touch(…)

You can add your own hook events that are executed either before or after the $pages->touch(…) method is executed. Examples of both are included below. A good place for hook code such as this is in your /site/ready.php file.

Hooking before

The 'before' hooks are called immediately before each $pages->touch(…) method call is executed. This type of hook is especially useful for modifying arguments before they are sent to the method.

$this->addHookBefore('Pages::touch', function(HookEvent $event) {
  // Get the object the event occurred on, if needed
  $pages = $event->object;

  // Get values of arguments sent to hook (and optionally modify them)
  $pages = $event->arguments(0);
  $options = $event->arguments(1);
  $type = $event->arguments(2);

  /* Your code here, perhaps modifying arguments */

  // Populate back arguments (if you have modified them)
  $event->arguments(0, $pages);
  $event->arguments(1, $options);
  $event->arguments(2, $type);
});

Hooking after

The 'after' hooks are called immediately after each $pages->touch(…) method call is executed. This type of hook is especially useful for modifying the value that was returned by the method call.

$this->addHookAfter('Pages::touch', function(HookEvent $event) {
  // Get the object the event occurred on, if needed
  $pages = $event->object;

  // An 'after' hook can retrieve and/or modify the return value
  $return = $event->return;

  // Get values of arguments sent to hook (if needed)
  $pages = $event->arguments(0);
  $options = $event->arguments(1);
  $type = $event->arguments(2);

  /* Your code here, perhaps modifying the return value */

  // Populate back return value, if you have modified it
  $event->return = $return;
});

$pages methods and properties

API reference based on ProcessWire core version 3.0.225

Latest news

  • ProcessWire Weekly #489
    In the 489th issue of ProcessWire Weekly we'll check out what's new in the core this week, share a brand-new recipe of the week, and more. Read on!
    Weekly.pw / 23 September 2023
  • ProcessWire 3.0.226 new main/master version
    After 8 months in development we are excited to bring you ProcessWire 3.0.226 main/master. This version has a ton of great new features, improvements and optimizations, plus more than 100 issue fixes. This post takes an in-depth look at highlights from this great new version.
    Blog / 25 August 2023
  • Subscribe to weekly ProcessWire news

“Yesterday I sent the client a short documentation for their ProcessWire-powered website. Today all features already used with no questions. #cmsdoneright—Marc Hinse, Web designer/developer