Can we use the same path for a different route?

Question

Are we allowed to use the same path for two different routes? For example, can I use the following code?

function mymodule_menu() {
  $items['myUrl/dboperation'] = array(
    'title' => 'some custom db operation for insert',
    'page callback' => 'mydboperation1',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );

  $items['myUrl/dboperation'] = array(
    'title' => 'some custom db operation for delete',
    'page callback' => 'mydboperation2',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );

  return $items;
}

The code doesn't work. It works when I change the second path.

I was searching for the answer and came across How should I implement hook_menu()? but it doesn't explain what to use for the route path.

Why doesn't my code work? What should I instead use to make it work?

Answer 1

The short answer is NO.
Your would ether make a different path to each function or send an argument to a single function through the url.
eg. different path:

function mymodule_menu() {

    $items['myUrl/dboperation/insert'] = array(
        'title' => 'some custom db operation for insert',
        'page callback' => 'mydboperation1',
        'access callback' => TRUE,
        'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
    );

    $items['myUrl/dboperation/delete'] = array(
        'title' => 'some custom db operation for delete',
        'page callback' => 'mydboperation2',
        'access callback' => TRUE,
        'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
    );

    return $items;
}

See the hook_menu docs for how to send an argument if you choose to do it that way.

Answer 2

The answer for this question is very simple

When we create 2 menus with same path and different function then the menu taken later will override the first one if they have the same weight.

It is same like when we create an array with same key and assign different values to it then the array taken at the second position override the value of first one if they have the same weight

<?php
$ar = array();
$ar['name'] = 'Raj'; //same like first menu
$ar['name'] = 'Thakur';  //second menu


print $ar['name']; //It will print **Thakur**
?>

Same concept is used for menus if they have the same weight, however you can give more priority to any menu using 'weight' parameter.

You can override any menu by its weight

<?php
 $items['myUrl/dboperation'] = array(
        'title' => 'some custom db operation for insert',
        'page callback' => 'mydboperation1',
        'access callback' => TRUE,
        'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
        'weight'=>2 

    );

    $items['myUrl/dboperation'] = array(
        'title' => 'some custom db operation for delete',
        'page callback' => 'mydboperation2',
        'access callback' => TRUE,
        'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
         'weight'=1 

    );
?>

This menu second menu can take the higher priority over the first one.

And any change in menu need to clear cache.

Hope it will answer your question.

Answer 3

Weight is used to arrange menu items in menu. You can use hook_menu_alter to alter your menu items functionality.

https://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/modules%21system%21system.api.php/function/hook_menu_alter/7

Answer 4

The reason why the code doesn't work is that the same array index is being set twice. In that case, only the last value set is kept. That code is exactly equivalent to the following one.

function mymodule_menu() {
  $items['myUrl/dboperation'] = array(
    'title' => 'some custom db operation for delete',
    'page callback' => 'mydboperation2',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );

  return $items;
}

If you want to make it work, you have two possibilities: Define two different paths, or use wildcard arguments.

In the first case, you need to make the code similar to the following one.

function mymodule_menu() {
  $items['myUrl/dboperation/insert'] = array(
    'title' => 'Insert data in the database',
    'page callback' => 'mymodule_database_insert',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );

  $items['myUrl/dboperation/delete'] = array(
    'title' => 'Delete data from the database',
    'page callback' => 'mymodule_database_delete',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );

  return $items;
}

I changed the callback names because in Drupal it is preferable that functions implemented by a module are prefixed with the machine name of the module, to avoid conflicts with other modules.

The second alternative is using wildcard arguments, which allows to pass arguments to the page callback, making it more helpful. It also make extending the code easier, and less error-prone, since there isn't the need to add a new route for new operations. In the following code, I am using the first argument to decide the operation that must be done on the database, while the second argument is a generic one, and it could be used to decide on which data the operation must be performed.

function mymodule_menu() {
  $items['myUrl/dboperation/%/%'] = array(
    'title' => 'Change data in the database',
    'page callback' => 'mymodule_database_operation',
    'page arguments' => array(2,3),
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'file' => 'my_dboperation.inc',
  );
  return $items;
}

function mymodule_database_operation($op, $arg) {
  switch $op {
    case 'insert':
      // Insert data.
      break;
    case 'delete':
      // Delete data.
      break;
  }
}