Magento - Create Custom Module with Custom Database Table

You can easily create Magento custom modules by going through the common module structure of Magento. Here we have explained all required module structure file for creating custom Magento module.

Let’s setup our directory structure:

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/

Block/
controllers/
etc/
Model/
Mysql4/
/
sql/
_setup/



Activate Module

Magento requires there to be an XML file that tells Magento to look for and use your custom module.

/app/etc/modules/<Namespace>_<Module>.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<config>
<modules>
<[Namespace]_[Module]>
<active>true</active>
<codePool>local</codePool>
</[Namespace]_[Module]>
</modules>
</config>

Also you can disable your module in the Configuration menu on the backend via the Advanced tab.

Create Controller

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/controllers/IndexController.php
<?php
class __IndexController extends Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action
{
public function indexAction()
{
$this->loadLayout();
$this->renderLayout();
}
}


Create Configuration XML

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/etc/config.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<config>
<modules>
<[Namespace]_[Module]>
<version>0.1.0</version>
</[Namespace]_[Module]>
</modules>
<frontend>
<routers>
<[module]>
<use>standard</use>
<args>
<module>[Namespace]_[Module]</module>
<frontName>[module]</frontName>
</args>
</[module]>
</routers>
<layout>
<updates>
<[module]>
<file>[module].xml</file>
</[module]>
</updates>
</layout>
</frontend>
<global>
<models>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Model</class>
<resourceModel>[module]_mysql4</resourceModel>
</[module]>
<[module]_mysql4>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Model_Mysql4</class>
<entities>
<[module]>
<table>[module]</table>
</[module]>
</entities>
</[module]_mysql4>
</models>
<resources>
<[module]_setup>
<setup>
<module>[Namespace]_[Module]</module>
</setup>
<connection>
<use>core_setup</use>
</connection>
</[module]_setup>
<[module]_write>
<connection>
<use>core_write</use>
</connection>
</[module]_write>
<[module]_read>
<connection>
<use>core_read</use>
</connection>
</[module]_read>
</resources>
<blocks>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Block</class>
</[module]>
</blocks>
<helpers>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Helper</class>
</[module]>
</helpers>
</global>
</config>

Create Helper

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Helper/Data.php
<?php
class __Helper_Data extends Mage_Core_Helper_Abstract
{
}

Create Models

If you are quite new to Magento you should pay attention to one of its specifics! The Constructors below are not the usual PHP-Constructors!! Keeping that in mind can save hours of frustrating crashes ;)

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Model/<Module>.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Model_<Module> extends Mage_Core_Model_Abstract
{
public function _construct()
{
parent::_construct();
$this->_init(‘<module>/<module>’);

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Model/Mysql4/<Module>.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Model_Mysql4_<Module> extends Mage_Core_Model_Mysql4_Abstract
{
public function _construct()
{
$this->_init(‘<module>/<module>’, ‘<module>_id’);
}
}

NOTE: The ‘_id’ refers to the PRIMARY KEY in your database table.

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Model/Mysql4/<Module>/Collection.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Model_Mysql4_<Module>_Collection extends Mage_Core_Model_Mysql4_Collection_Abstract
{
public function _construct()
{
//parent::__construct();
$this->_init(‘<module>/<module>’);
}
}

SQL Setup

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/sql/<module>_setup/mysql4-install-0.1.0.php
<?php
$installer = $this;
$installer->startSetup();
$installer->run(“
— DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {$this->getTable(‘<module>’)};
CREATE TABLE {$this->getTable(‘<module>’)} (
`<module>_id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
`title` varchar(255) NOT NULL default ”,
`content` text NOT NULL default ”,
`status` smallint(6) NOT NULL default ‘0’,
`created_time` datetime NULL,
`update_time` datetime NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`<module>_id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
“);
$installer->endSetup();

NOTE: Please note the text that needs to be replaced. This SQL structure is up to you, this is merely a starting point.

Note Important: If you add fields and couldn’t save data in these fields please try to go to System?Cache Management Then 1.Flush Cache Storage 2.Flush Magento Cache.

Template Design

/app/design/frontend/<interface>/<theme>/layout/<module>.xml

/layout/.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<layout version=“0.1.0”>
<[module]_index_index>
<reference name=“content”>
<block type=“[module]/[module]” name=“[module]” />
</reference>
</[module]_index_index>
</layout>

NOTE: The block type will automatically figure out what template file to use based on the second [module] declaration.

As an alternate way of declaring what template file to use you can use this:

/app/design/frontend/<interface>/<theme>/layout/<module>.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<layout version=“0.1.0”>
<[module]_index_index>
<reference name=“content”>
<block type=“core/template” name=“[module]” template=“[module]/[module].phtml” />
</reference>
</[module]_index_index>
</layout>

/app/design/frontend/<interface>/<theme>/template/<module>/<module>.phtml

<h4><?php echo $this->__(‘Module List’) ?></h4>
<?php
/*
This will load one record from your database table.
load(<module>_id) will load whatever ID number you give it.
*/
/*
$news = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’)->load(1);
echo $news->get<Module>Id();
echo $news->getTitle();
echo $news->getContent();
echo $news->getStatus();
*/
/*
This block of code loads all of the records in the database table.
It will iterate through the collection and the first thing it will do
is set the Title to the current value of $i which is incremented each
iteration and then echo that value back out. At the very end it will
save the entire collection.
*/
/*
$i = 0;
$collection = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’)->getCollection();
$collection->setPageSize(5);
$collection->setCurPage(2);
$size = $collection->getSize();
$cnt = count($collection);
foreach ($collection as $item) {
$i = $i+1;
$item->setTitle($i);
echo $item->getTitle();
}
$collection->walk(‘save’);
*/
/*
This shows how to load one value, change something and save it.
*/
/*
$object = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’)->load(1);
$object->setTitle(‘This is a changed title’);
$object->save();
*/

Directory Additions
Here is the revised directory setup due to the additions and changes we need for the backend module.

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/

Block/
Adminhtml/
/
Edit/
Tab/
controllers/
Adminhtml/
etc/
Helper/
Model/
Mysql4/
/
sql/
_setup/

Blocks

These control the setup and appearance of your grids and the options that they display.

NOTE: Please note the fact that Block comes before Adminhtml in the class declaration. In any of the Magento modules in Adminhtml it is the opposite. For your module to work it has to be Block_Adminhtml otherwise you will get a ‘Cannot redeclare module...’ error.

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module> extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Grid_Container
{
public function __construct()
{
$this->_controller = ‘adminhtml_<module>’;
$this->_blockGroup = ‘<module>’;
$this->_headerText = Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item Manager’);
$this->_addButtonLabel = Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Add Item’);
parent::__construct();
}
}

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>/Edit.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module>_Edit extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Form_Container
{
public function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
$this->_objectId = ‘id’;
$this->_blockGroup = ‘<module>’;
$this->_controller = ‘adminhtml_<module>’;
$this->_updateButton(‘save’, ‘label’, Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Save Item’));
$this->_updateButton(‘delete’, ‘label’, Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Delete Item’));
}
public function getHeaderText()
{
if( Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’) && Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’)->getId() ) {
return Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(“Edit Item ‘%s'”, $this->htmlEscape(Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’)->getTitle()));
} else {
return Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Add Item’);
}
}
}

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>/Grid.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module>_Grid extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Grid
{
public function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
$this->setId(‘<module>Grid’);
// This is the primary key of the database
$this->setDefaultSort(‘<module>_id’);
$this->setDefaultDir(‘ASC’);
$this->setSaveParametersInSession(true);
}
protected function _prepareCollection()
{
$collection = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’)->getCollection();
$this->setCollection($collection);
return parent::_prepareCollection();
}
protected function _prepareColumns()
{
$this->addColumn(‘<module>_id’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘ID’),
‘align’ =>‘right’,
‘width’ => ’50px’,
‘index’ => ‘<module>_id’,
));
$this->addColumn(‘title’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Title’),
‘align’ =>‘left’,
‘index’ => ‘title’,
));
/*
$this->addColumn(‘content’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item Content’),
‘width’ => ‘150px’,
‘index’ => ‘content’,
));
*/
$this->addColumn(‘created_time’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Creation Time’),
‘align’ => ‘left’,
‘width’ => ‘120px’,
‘type’ => ‘date’,
‘default’ => ‘–‘,
‘index’ => ‘created_time’,
));
$this->addColumn(‘update_time’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Update Time’),
‘align’ => ‘left’,
‘width’ => ‘120px’,
‘type’ => ‘date’,
‘default’ => ‘–‘,
‘index’ => ‘update_time’,
));
$this->addColumn(‘status’, array(
‘header’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Status’),
‘align’ => ‘left’,
‘width’ => ’80px’,
‘index’ => ‘status’,
‘type’ => ‘options’,
‘options’ => array(
1 => ‘Active’,
0 => ‘Inactive’,
),
));
return parent::_prepareColumns();
}
public function getRowUrl($row)
{
return $this->getUrl(‘*/*/edit’, array(‘id’ => $row->getId()));
}
}

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>/Edit/Form.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module>_Edit_Tab_Form extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Form
{
protected function _prepareForm()
{
$form = new Varien_Data_Form();
$this->setForm($form);
$fieldset = $form->addFieldset(‘<module>_form’, array(‘legend’=>Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item information’)));
$fieldset->addField(‘title’, ‘text’, array(
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Title’),
‘class’ => ‘required-entry’,
‘required’ => true,
‘name’ => ‘title’,
));
$fieldset->addField(‘status’, ‘select’, array(
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Status’),
‘name’ => ‘status’,
‘values’ => array(
array(
‘value’ => 1,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Active’),
),
array(
‘value’ => 0,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Inactive’),
),
),
));
$fieldset->addField(‘content’, ‘editor’, array(
‘name’ => ‘content’,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Content’),
‘title’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Content’),
‘style’ => ‘width:98%; height:400px;’,
‘wysiwyg’ => false,
‘required’ => true,
));
if ( Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->get<Module>Data() )
{
$form->setValues(Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->get<Module>Data());
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->set<Module>Data(null);
} elseif ( Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’) ) {
$form->setValues(Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’)->getData());
}
return parent::_prepareForm();
}
}

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>/Edit/Tabs.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module>_Edit_Tabs extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Tabs
{
public function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
$this->setId(‘<module>_tabs’);
$this->setDestElementId(‘edit_form’);
$this->setTitle(Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘News Information’));
}
protected function _beforeToHtml()
{
$this->addTab(‘form_section’, array(
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item Information’),
‘title’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item Information’),
‘content’ => $this->getLayout()->createBlock(‘<module>/adminhtml_<module>_edit_tab_form’)->toHtml(),
));
return parent::_beforeToHtml();
}
}

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/Block/Adminhtml/<Module>/Edit/Tab/Form.php
<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Block_Adminhtml_<Module>_Edit_Tab_Form extends Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Widget_Form
{
protected function _prepareForm()
{
$form = new Varien_Data_Form();
$this->setForm($form);
$fieldset = $form->addFieldset(‘<module>_form’, array(‘legend’=>Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item information’)));
$fieldset->addField(‘title’, ‘text’, array(
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Title’),
‘class’ => ‘required-entry’,
‘required’ => true,
‘name’ => ‘title’,
));
$fieldset->addField(‘status’, ‘select’, array(
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Status’),
‘name’ => ‘status’,
‘values’ => array(
array(
‘value’ => 1,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Active’),
),
array(
‘value’ => 0,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Inactive’),
),
),
));
$fieldset->addField(‘content’, ‘editor’, array(
‘name’ => ‘content’,
‘label’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Content’),
‘title’ => Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Content’),
‘style’ => ‘width:98%; height:400px;’,
‘wysiwyg’ => false,
‘required’ => true,
));
if ( Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->get<Module>Data() )
{
$form->setValues(Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->get<Module>Data());
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->set<Module>Data(null);
} elseif ( Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’) ) {
$form->setValues(Mage::registry(‘<module>_data’)->getData());
}
return parent::_prepareForm();
}
}

Controller

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/controllers/Adminhtml/<Module>Controller.php

<?php
class <Namespace>_<Module>_Adminhtml_<Module>Controller extends Mage_Adminhtml_Controller_Action
{
protected function _initAction()
{
$this->loadLayout()
->_setActiveMenu(‘<module>/items’)
->_addBreadcrumb(Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Items Manager’), Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item Manager’));
return $this;
}
public function indexAction() {
$this->_initAction();
$this->_addContent($this->getLayout()->createBlock(‘<module>/adminhtml_<module>’));
$this->renderLayout();
}
public function editAction()
{
$<module>Id = $this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’);
$<module>Model = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’)->load($<module>Id);
if ($<module>Model->getId() || $<module>Id == 0) {
Mage::register(‘<module>_data’, $<module>Model);
$this->loadLayout();
$this->_setActiveMenu(‘<module>/items’);
$this->_addBreadcrumb(Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item Manager’), Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item Manager’));
$this->_addBreadcrumb(Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item News’), Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item News’));
$this->getLayout()->getBlock(‘head’)->setCanLoadExtJs(true);
$this->_addContent($this->getLayout()->createBlock(‘<module>/adminhtml_<module>_edit’))
->_addLeft($this->getLayout()->createBlock(‘<module>/adminhtml_<module>_edit_tabs’));
$this->renderLayout();
} else {
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->addError(Mage::helper(‘<module>’)->__(‘Item does not exist’));
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/’);
}
}
public function newAction()
{
$this->_forward(‘edit’);
}
public function saveAction()
{
if ( $this->getRequest()->getPost() ) {
try {
$postData = $this->getRequest()->getPost();
$<module>Model = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’);
$<module>Model->setId($this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’))
->setTitle($postData[‘title’])
->setContent($postData[‘content’])
->setStatus($postData[‘status’])
->save();
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->addSuccess(Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item was successfully saved’));
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->set<Module>Data(false);
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/’);
return;
} catch (Exception $e) {
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->addError($e->getMessage());
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->set<Module>Data($this->getRequest()->getPost());
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/edit’, array(‘id’ => $this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’)));
return;
}
}
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/’);
}
public function deleteAction()
{
if( $this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’) > 0 ) {
try {
$<module>Model = Mage::getModel(‘<module>/<module>’);
$<module>Model->setId($this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’))
->delete();
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->addSuccess(Mage::helper(‘adminhtml’)->__(‘Item was successfully deleted’));
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/’);
} catch (Exception $e) {
Mage::getSingleton(‘adminhtml/session’)->addError($e->getMessage());
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/edit’, array(‘id’ => $this->getRequest()->getParam(‘id’)));
}
}
$this->_redirect(‘*/*/’);
}
/**
* Product grid for AJAX request.
* Sort and filter result for example.
*/
public function gridAction()
{
$this->loadLayout();
$this->getResponse()->setBody(
$this->getLayout()->createBlock(‘importedit/adminhtml_<module>_grid’)->toHtml()
);
}
}

XML Configuration Changes

/app/code/local/<Namespace>/<Module>/etc/config.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<config>
<modules>
<[Namespace]_[Module]>
<version>0.1.0</version>
</[Namespace]_[Module]>
</modules>
<frontend>
<routers>
<[module]>
<use>standard</use>
<args>
<module>[Namespace]_[Module]</module>
<frontName>[module]</frontName>
</args>
</[module]>
</routers>
<layout>
<updates>
<[module]>
<file>[module].xml</file>
</[module]>
</updates>
</layout>
</frontend>
<admin>
<routers>
<[module]>
<use>admin</use>
<args>
<module>[Namespace]_[Module]</module>
<frontName>[module]</frontName>
</args>
</[module]>
</routers>
</admin>
<adminhtml>
<menu>
<[module] module=“[module]”>
<title>[Module]</title>
<sort_order>71</sort_order>
<children>
<items module=“[module]”>
<title>Manage Items</title>
<sort_order>0</sort_order>
<action>[module]/adminhtml_[module]</action>
</items>
</children>
</[module]>
</menu>
<acl>
<resources>
<all>
<title>Allow Everything</title>
</all>
<admin>
<children>
<[module]>
<title>[Module] Module</title>
<sort_order>200</sort_order>
</[module]>
</children>
</admin>
</resources>
</acl>
<layout>
<updates>
<[module]>
<file>[module].xml</file>
</[module]>
</updates>
</layout>
</adminhtml>
<global>
<models>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Model</class>
<resourceModel>[module]_mysql4</resourceModel>
</[module]>
<[module]_mysql4>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Model_Mysql4</class>
<entities>
<[module]>
<table>[module]</table>
</[module]>
</entities>
</[module]_mysql4>
</models>
<resources>
<[module]_setup>
<setup>
<module>[Namespace]_[Module]</module>
</setup>
<connection>
<use>core_setup</use>
</connection>
</[module]_setup>
<[module]_write>
<connection>
<use>core_write</use>
</connection>
</[module]_write>
<[module]_read>
<connection>
<use>core_read</use>
</connection>
</[module]_read>
</resources>
<blocks>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Block</class>
</[module]>
</blocks>
<helpers>
<[module]>
<class>[Namespace]_[Module]_Helper</class>
</[module]>
</helpers>
</global>
</config>

XML Layout

/app/design/adminhtml/<interface>/<theme>/layout/<module>.xml
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<layout version=“0.1.0”>
<[module]_adminhtml_[module]_index>
<reference name=“content”>
<block type=“[module]/adminhtml_[module]” name=“[module]” />
</reference>
</[module]_adminhtml_[module]_index>
</layout>