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I have some code that checks user access to a certain field using hook_field_access below.

The code runs fine when viewing nodes normally, but throws an error when viewing a node of type 'lesson' through a View:

Notice: Trying to get property of non-object

The error comes from the check for entity type: $entity->type == 'lesson'

If I debug with:

dpm($entity->type);

I get the right value ('lesson'), so the check seems to work.

How can I resolve this error?

function HOOK_utility_field_access($op, $field, $entity_type, $entity, $account) {

  //Check video field only when attached to 'lesson'.
  if ($field['field_name'] == 'field_video' && $entity_type == 'node' && $op == 'view' && $entity->type == 'lesson') {

    //Grant access only if user is logged in.
    if ($account->uid > 0) {
      return TRUE;
    }
    return FALSE;
  }
}
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5
  • Are you sure it's not running twice, once when $entity is populated and once it isn't?
    – Clive ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 14:15
  • @Clive - I think that's it. If I move dpm($entity); to the top, it's actually invoked 5 times, and the first time the entity is empty. Should I just add If ($entity); somewhere?
    – Dave Bruns
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 14:38
  • is_object() might be better but yeah, that would do it. Sometimes these hooks get called for new entities, and $entity isn't available yet. Or there may be a dodgy field in your install somewhere which is lacking an entity when it should have one in this context. If you're not up for a serious debug sesh then yeah, bandage it up :)
    – Clive ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 14:39
  • Adding if (is_object($entity)) worked, thanks. Housekeeping: is it recommended to add this as an answer and then accept, in order to close out the question?
    – Dave Bruns
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 14:55
  • I'd go so far as to say it's encouraged :)
    – Clive ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 15:16

2 Answers 2

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2

Based on @clive's comment above, I adjusted the code to check that $entity is actually present. I'm not sure if this is a problem unique to my install or not. I only saw the error when viewing a node of type 'lesson' through a paged view that depends on some custom relationship code, so entirely possible the error is mine somewhere in a custom module.

function HOOK_field_access($op, $field, $entity_type, $entity, $account) {

      //Check to make sure we have an entity. Abort if not.
      if (is_object($entity)) {

        //Check video field only when attached to 'lesson'.
        if ($field['field_name'] == 'field_video' && $entity_type == 'node' && $op == 'view' && $entity->type == 'lesson') {

          //Grant access only if user is logged in.
          if ($account->uid > 0) {
            return TRUE;
          }
          return FALSE;
        }
      }
    }
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1

I think your conditional statement won't work as it is. You are checking for $entity_type to be 'node' and $entity->type to be 'lesson' and I feel that's a bit conflicted.

Also, if I understand the API correctly, $entity is optional, so it's probably better to check $entity_type:

if ($field['field_name'] == 'field_video' && $entity_type == 'lesson' && $op == 'view')

or maybe check that $entity is an object before you check the value.

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3
  • $entity is definitely not optional. But there's nothing to stop a caller passing it as NULL or whatever. Also the $entity_type is the type of entity (node, user, taxonomy_term, etc). $entity->type in this context is equivalent to $node->type, which is querying the bundle of the node (its type). They're not the same thing so you can use one to check for the other
    – Clive ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 14:36
  • I stand corrected, I was ignoring the scope. However the API lists $entity as "(optional)", but it probably means "possibly NULL".
    – Nels
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 15:50
  • Yeah I just noticed that actually - seems like the params themselves should be optional in code if that's true. I guess either the docs or the code could be wrong, but one of them is
    – Clive ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 15:52

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