feat: Implement custom ResponseTrait with automatic empty string to null conversion

- Create App\Traits\ResponseTrait that wraps CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait
- Add json_helper with convert_empty_strings_to_null() and prepare_json_response() functions
- Replace all imports of CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait with App\Traits\ResponseTrait across all controllers
- Add 'json' helper to BaseController helpers array
- Ensure consistent API response formatting across the application

app/Controllers/AreaGeoController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\AreaGeoModel;
 

app/Controllers/AuthController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/AuthV2Controller.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/BaseController.php

@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ abstract class BaseController extends Controller
 
     /**
      * An array of helpers to be loaded automatically upon
-     * class instantiation. These helpers will be available
+     * class instantiation. These will be available
      * to all other controllers that extend BaseController.
      *
      * @var list<string>
      */
-    protected $helpers = [];
+    protected $helpers = ['json'];
 
     /**
      * Be sure to declare properties for any property fetch you initialized.

app/Controllers/Contact/ContactController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Contact;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Contact\ContactModel;

app/Controllers/Contact/MedicalSpecialtyController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Contact;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\Contact\MedicalSpecialtyModel;
 

app/Controllers/Contact/OccupationController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Contact;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\Contact\OccupationModel;
 

app/Controllers/CounterController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\CounterModel;
 

app/Controllers/DashboardController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/EdgeController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 class EdgeController extends Controller

app/Controllers/HomeController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/LocationController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\Location\LocationModel;
 

app/Controllers/OrderTestController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\OrderTestModel;

app/Controllers/Organization/AccountController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Organization;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 
 use App\Models\Organization\AccountModel;

app/Controllers/Organization/DepartmentController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Organization;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 
 use App\Models\Organization\DepartmentModel;

app/Controllers/Organization/DisciplineController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Organization;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 
 use App\Models\Organization\DisciplineModel;

app/Controllers/Organization/SiteController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Organization;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 
 use App\Models\Organization\SiteModel;

app/Controllers/Organization/WorkstationController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Organization;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 
 use App\Models\Organization\WorkstationModel;

app/Controllers/PatVisitController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\PatVisit\PatVisitModel;
 use App\Models\PatVisit\PatVisitADTModel;

app/Controllers/Patient/PatientController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Patient;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Patient\PatientModel;

app/Controllers/Result/ResultValueSetController.php

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Controllers\Result;
 
 use App\Models\ValueSet\ValueSetModel;
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 
 class ResultValueSetController extends \CodeIgniter\Controller
 {

app/Controllers/ResultController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/SampleController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 
 use Firebase\JWT\JWT;

app/Controllers/Specimen/ContainerDefController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers\Specimen;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Specimen\ContainerDefModel;

app/Controllers/Specimen/SpecimenCollectionController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers\Specimen;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Specimen\SpecimenCollectionModel;

app/Controllers/Specimen/SpecimenController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers\Specimen;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Specimen\SpecimenModel;

app/Controllers/Specimen/SpecimenPrepController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers\Specimen;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\Specimen\SpecimenPrepModel;
 

app/Controllers/Specimen/SpecimenStatusController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace App\Controllers\Specimen;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Specimen\SpecimenStatusModel;

app/Controllers/Test/DemoOrderController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Test;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use CodeIgniter\Controller;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Patient\PatientModel;

app/Controllers/Test/TestMapController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers\Test;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\Test\TestMapModel;

app/Controllers/TestsController.php

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 

app/Controllers/ValueSetController.php

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Controllers;
 
 use App\Libraries\ValueSet;
 use App\Models\ValueSet\ValueSetModel;
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 
 class ValueSetController extends \CodeIgniter\Controller
 {

app/Controllers/ValueSetDefController.php

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
 use App\Models\ValueSet\ValueSetDefModel;
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 
 class ValueSetDefController extends \CodeIgniter\Controller
 {

app/Controllers/ZonesController.php

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /*
 namespace App\Controllers;
 
-use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait;
+use App\Traits\ResponseTrait;
 use App\Controllers\BaseController;
 use App\Models\SyncCRM\ZonesModel;
 

app/Helpers/json_helper.php

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+<?php
+
+if (!function_exists('convert_empty_strings_to_null')) {
+  /**
+   * Recursively convert empty strings to null in arrays or objects
+   * 
+   * @param mixed $data The data to process (array, object, or scalar)
+   * @return mixed The processed data with empty strings converted to null
+   */
+  function convert_empty_strings_to_null($data) {
+    if (is_array($data)) {
+      foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
+        if (is_array($value)) {
+          $data[$key] = convert_empty_strings_to_null($value);
+        } elseif (is_object($value)) {
+          $data[$key] = convert_empty_strings_to_null($value);
+        } elseif ($value === '') {
+          $data[$key] = null;
+        }
+      }
+    } elseif (is_object($data)) {
+      foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
+        if (is_array($value)) {
+          $data->$key = convert_empty_strings_to_null($value);
+        } elseif (is_object($value)) {
+          $data->$key = convert_empty_strings_to_null($value);
+        } elseif ($value === '') {
+          $data->$key = null;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return $data;
+  }
+}
+
+if (!function_exists('prepare_json_response')) {
+  /**
+   * Prepare data for JSON response by converting empty strings to null
+   * This is a convenience wrapper around convert_empty_strings_to_null
+   * 
+   * @param mixed $data The data to prepare for JSON response
+   * @return mixed The processed data ready for JSON encoding
+   */
+  function prepare_json_response($data) {
+    return convert_empty_strings_to_null($data);
+  }
+}

app/Traits/ResponseTrait.php

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Traits;
+
+use CodeIgniter\API\ResponseTrait as BaseResponseTrait;
+use CodeIgniter\HTTP\ResponseInterface;
+
+trait ResponseTrait
+{
+    use BaseResponseTrait {
+        respond as baseRespond;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send a response with automatic conversion of empty strings to null
+     * 
+     * @param mixed $data
+     * @param int $status
+     * @param string $message
+     * @return ResponseInterface
+     */
+    public function respond($data = null, int $status = 200, string $message = '')
+    {
+        // Convert empty strings to null in the data
+        if ($data !== null && (is_array($data) || is_object($data))) {
+            $data = convert_empty_strings_to_null($data);
+        }
+        
+        return $this->baseRespond($data, $status, $message);
+    }
+}