Merge pull request #8084 from kenjis/docs-fix-helper-loading

docs: fix helper loading

Author: kenjis

system/Common.php

@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ function function_usable(string $functionName): bool
 if (! function_exists('helper')) {
     /**
      * Loads a helper file into memory. Supports namespaced helpers,
-     * both in and out of the 'helpers' directory of a namespaced directory.
+     * both in and out of the 'Helpers' directory of a namespaced directory.
      *
      * Will load ALL helpers of the matching name, in the following order:
      *   1. app/Helpers

user_guide_src/source/concepts/autoloader.rst

@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ Configuration
 Initial configuration is done in **app/Config/Autoload.php**. This file contains two primary
 arrays: one for the classmap, and one for PSR-4 compatible namespaces.
 
+.. _autoloader-namespaces:
+
 Namespaces
-**********
+==========
 
 The recommended method for organizing your classes is to create one or more namespaces for your
 application's files. This is most important for any business-logic related classes, entity classes,
@@ -55,11 +57,19 @@ those classes can be found in:
 The key of each row is the namespace itself. This does not need a trailing back slash.
 The value is the location to the directory the classes can be found in.
 
-.. note:: You can check the namespace configuration by ``spark namespaces`` command:
+.. _confirming-namespaces:
+
+Confirming Namespaces
+=====================
+
+You can check the namespace configuration by ``spark namespaces`` command:
+
+.. code-block:: console
 
-    .. code-block:: console
+    php spark namespaces
 
-        php spark namespaces
+Application Namespace
+=====================
 
 By default, the application directory is namespace to the ``App`` namespace. You must namespace the controllers,
 libraries, or models in the application directory, and they will be found under the ``App`` namespace.
@@ -77,7 +87,7 @@ You will need to modify any existing files that are referencing the current name
     namespace has changed.
 
 Classmap
-********
+========
 
 The classmap is used extensively by CodeIgniter to eke the last ounces of performance out of the system
 by not hitting the file-system with extra ``is_file()`` calls. You can use the classmap to link to

user_guide_src/source/general/helpers.rst

@@ -28,17 +28,17 @@ in your :doc:`controller <../incoming/controllers>` and
 :doc:`views <../outgoing/views>`.
 
 Helpers are typically stored in your **system/Helpers**, or
-**app/Helpers** directory. CodeIgniter will look first in your
-**app/Helpers** directory. If the directory does not exist or the
-specified helper is not located there CI will instead look in your
-global **system/Helpers** directory.
+**app/Helpers** directory.
 
-****************
-Loading a Helper
-****************
+***************
+Loading Helpers
+***************
 
 .. note:: The URL helper is always loaded so you do not need to load it yourself.
 
+Loading a Helper
+================
+
 Loading a helper file is quite simple using the following method:
 
 .. literalinclude:: helpers/001.php
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ For example, to load the **Cookie Helper** file, which is named
 .. note:: The Helper loading method above does not return a value, so
     don't try to assign it to a variable. Just use it as shown.
 
+Auto-Discovery and Composer Packages
+------------------------------------
+
+By default, CodeIgniter will search for the helper files in all defined namespaces
+by :ref:`auto-discovery`.
+You can check your defined namespaces by the spark command. See :ref:`confirming-namespaces`.
+
+If you use many Composer packages, you will have many defined namespaces.
+CodeIgniter will scan all namespaces by default.
+
+To avoid wasting time scanning for irrelevant Composer packages, you can manually
+specify packages for Auto-Discovery. See :ref:`modules-specify-composer-packages`
+for details.
+
+Or you can :ref:`specify a namespace <helpers-loading-from-specified-namespace>`
+for a helper that you want to load.
+
 Loading Multiple Helpers
 ========================
 
@@ -81,14 +98,14 @@ it.
 However if you want to load in your controller constructor, you can use the ``$helpers``
 property in Controller instead. See :ref:`Controllers <controllers-helpers>`.
 
-.. _helpers-loading-from-non-standard-locations:
+.. _helpers-loading-from-specified-namespace:
 
-Loading from Non-standard Locations
-===================================
+Loading from Specified Namespace
+================================
 
 Helpers can be loaded from directories outside of **app/Helpers** and
-**system/Helpers**, as long as that path can be found through a namespace that
-has been set up within the PSR-4 section of the :doc:`Autoloader config file <../concepts/autoloader>`.
+**system/Helpers**, as long as that path can be found in defined namespaces.
+
 You would prefix the name of the Helper with the namespace that it can be located
 in. Within that namespaced directory, the loader expects it to live within a
 sub-directory named **Helpers**. An example will help understand this.

user_guide_src/source/general/modules.rst

@@ -240,12 +240,13 @@ For Windows:
 Helpers
 =======
 
-Helpers will be automatically discovered within defined namespaces when using the ``helper()`` function, as long as it
-is within the namespaces **Helpers** directory:
+Helpers will be automatically discovered within defined namespaces when using the
+:php:func:`helper()` function, as long as it is within the namespaces **Helpers**
+directory:
 
 .. literalinclude:: modules/009.php
 
-You can specify namespaces. See :ref:`helpers-loading-from-non-standard-locations` for details.
+You can specify namespaces. See :ref:`helpers-loading-from-specified-namespace` for details.
 
 Language Files
 ==============

user_guide_src/source/helpers/index.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ Helpers
 #######
 
 Helpers are collections of useful procedural functions.
+See also :doc:`../general/helpers`.
 
 .. toctree::
     :glob: