How to conditionally display custom fields in template overrides

Question

I am using the following code to pull in some custom fields into an override of com_content > category > blog_item.php:

$video = $this->item->jcfields[4]->value;
$media = $this->item->jcfields[8]->value;

Further down in the file, I have added the following blocks of code to perform some conditionals:

<?php if(isset($media) && !empty($media)) : ?>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
  <div class="media-block">
    <?php echo $media; ?>
  </div>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
<?php endif; ?>

For some reason the if conditionals are not working as expected. The Media custom field output block is always being displayed, even if the custom field has no defined value in the database.

Is this an issue with the implementation of the custom fields in the override or something else?

In Joomla 3, I was using the following for adding custom fields to com_content template overrides:

JLoader::register('FieldsHelper', JPATH_ADMINISTRATOR . '/components/com_fields/helpers/fields.php');
$context = 'com_content.article';
$article = $this->item;
$fields = FieldsHelper::getFields($context, $article, true);

foreach($fields as $field) {
  $fields[$field->name] = $field;
}

<!-- Media custom field output -->
  <?php if(isset($fields['media']->value) && !empty($fields['media']->value)): ?>
    <?php $class = $fields['media']->params->get('render_class'); ?>
    <?php echo $fields['media']->value; ?>
  <?php endif; ?>
<!-- Media custom field output -->

I prefer the shortened version for Joomla 4, and would like to keep using it if possible.

Update with print_r of $video variable

stdClass Object
(
  [id] => 4
  [title] => YouTube Video
  [name] => youtube-video
  [checked_out] => 
  [checked_out_time] => 
  [note] => 
  [state] => 1
  [access] => 1
  [created_time] => 2022-03-23 16:16:30
  [created_user_id] => 385
  [ordering] => 0
  [language] => *
  [fieldparams] => Joomla\Registry\Registry Object
  (
    [data:protected] => stdClass Object
    (
      [size] => responsive
      [width] => 480
      [height] => 270
      [autoplay] => 0
      [cc_load_policy] => 0
      [color] => red
      [controls] => 1
      [disablekb] => 0
      [start] => 0
      [end] => 0
      [fs] => 1
      [iv_load_policy] => 1
      [loop] => 0
      [modestbranding] => 0
      [rel] => 1
      [privacy_mode] => 0
    )

    [initialized:protected] => 1
    [separator:protected] => .
  )

  [params] => Joomla\Registry\Registry Object
  (
    [data:protected] => stdClass Object
    (
      [hint] => 
      [class] => 
      [label_class] => 
      [show_on] => 2
      [showon] => 
      [render_class] => 
      [value_render_class] => 
      [showlabel] => 1
      [label_render_class] => 
      [display] => 0
      [prefix] => 
      [suffix] => 
      [layout] => 
      [display_readonly] => 0
      [searchindex] => 0
      [rules] => Array
      (
        [0] => stdClass Object
        (
          [matching_method] => all
          [enabled] => 1
          [rules] => Array
          (
            [0] => stdClass Object
            (
              [name] => 
              [enabled] => 1
            )
          )
        )
      )
      [acf_custom_css] => 
      [acf_layout_override] => default
    )
  [initialized:protected] => 1
  [separator:protected] => .
  )

  [type] => acfyoutube
  [default_value] => 
  [context] => com_content.article
  [group_id] => 0
  [label] => YouTube Video
  [description] => 
  [required] => 0
  [only_use_in_subform] => 0
  [language_title] => 
  [language_image] => 
  [editor] => 
  [access_level] => Public
  [author_name] => Mike Hermary
  [group_title] => 
  [group_access] => 
  [group_state] => 
  [group_note] => 
  [value] =>                                           
  [rawvalue] => 
)

Update two with var_dump of $media custom field

object(stdClass)#2173 (33) 
["id"]=> int(8)
["title"]=> string(14) "External Media"
["name"]=> string(14) "external-media"
["checked_out"]=> NULL
["checked_out_time"]=> NULL
["note"]=> string(0) ""
["state"]=> int(1)
["access"]=> int(1)
["created_time"]=> string(19) "2022-04-08 11:18:06
["created_user_id"]=> int(385)
["ordering"]=> int(0)
["language"]=> string(1) "*"
["fieldparams"]=>
  object(Joomla\Registry\Registry)#1563 (3) {
    ["data":protected]=> object(stdClass)#1556 (4) {
      ["iframeheight"]=> string(4) "100%"
      ["iframescrolling"]=> string(4) "auto"
      ["iframeasync"]=> string(1) "1"
      ["iframeparams"]=> string(23) "allowfullscreen loading"
    }
    ["initialized":protected]=> bool(true)
    ["separator":protected]=> string(1) "."
  }
  ["params"]=> object(Joomla\Registry\Registry)#1561 (3) {
    ["data":protected]=> object(stdClass)#1554 (12) {
      ["hint"]=> string(0) ""
      ["class"]=> string(0) ""
      ["label_class"]=> string(0) ""
      ["show_on"]=> string(1) "2"
      ["render_class"]=> string(0) ""
      ["value_render_class"]=> string(0) ""
      ["showlabel"]=> string(1) "0"
      ["label_render_class"]=> string(0) ""
      ["display"]=> string(1) "0"
      ["layout"]=> string(0) ""
      ["display_readonly"]=> string(1) "1"
      ["rules"]=> array(1) {
        [0]=> object(stdClass)#1553 (3) {
          ["matching_method"]=> string(3) "all"
          ["enabled"]=> string(1) "1"
          ["rules"]=> array(1) {
            [0]=> object(stdClass)#1552 (2) {
              ["name"]=> string(0) ""
              ["enabled"]=> string(1) "1"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ["initialized":protected]=> bool(true)
    ["separator":protected]=> string(1) "."
  }
  ["type"]=> string(9) "acfiframe"
  ["default_value"]=> string(0) ""
  ["context"]=> string(19) "com_content.article"
  ["group_id"]=> int(0)
  ["label"]=> string(14) "External Media"
  ["description"]=> string(68) "Use this field to embed audio and video media from external websites"
  ["required"]=> int(0)
  ["only_use_in_subform"]=> int(0)
  ["language_title"]=> NULL
  ["language_image"]=> NULL
  ["editor"]=> NULL
  ["access_level"]=> string(6) "Public"
  ["author_name"]=> string(12) "Mike Hermary"
  ["group_title"]=> NULL
  ["group_access"]=> NULL
  ["group_state"]=> NULL
  ["group_note"]=> NULL
  ["value"]=> string(42) " "
  ["rawvalue"]=> string(0) ""
} 

Cheers,

Answer 1

In your Joomla 3 example you are checking for the existence and contents of a specific property, value, in the &media array.

In your Joomla 4 example you are checking for the existence and content of the whole object $media, not just a single property, therefore the condition is always going to be true. Yes $media exists and yes it is not empty.

However even though the value attribute has a space stored, your condition !empty($media) will always be true because the $media has all these other aspects of the object stored in it.

You should refine your condition to something like !empty($media->value)

Your code would look like this

<?php if(isset($media) && !empty($media->value)) : ?>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
  <div class="media-block">
    <?php echo $media; ?>
  </div>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
<?php endif; ?>
<?php var_dump($media); ?>

Answer 2

In your Joomla 3 example you are checking for the existence and contents of a specific property, value, in the &media array.

In your Joomla 4 example you are checking for the existence and content of the whole object $media, not just a single property, therefore the condition is always going to be true. Yes $media exists and yes it is not empty.

However even though the value attribute has a space stored, your condition !empty($media) will always be true because the $media has all these other aspects of the object stored in it.

You should refine your condition to something like !empty($media->value)

Your code would look like this

<?php if(isset($media) && !empty($media->value)) : ?>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
  <div class="media-block">
    <?php echo $media; ?>
  </div>
  <!-- Media custom field output -->
<?php endif; ?>
<?php var_dump($media); ?>