SkaDate / Oxwall : how to add new console item

This post describes how to add new console item with drop down of your choice into SkaDate / Oxwall software.

• What is console?
• Customization type: plugin development
• Level: advanced
• Tested on : platform version 1.7.3

Note: <code php> and </code> tags used in this post MUST NOT be used in actual .php files. Make sure to remove them.

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Functions/classes/variables involved

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Function: public function init()

Event manager: $eventManager->bind(‘console.collect_items’, array($this, ‘collectItems’));

Function: public function collectItems

Even hander class name: BASE_CLASS_ConsoleItemCollector

Variables: $language, $router, $item, $event->addItem .

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Practical implementation

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1. Create basic plugin. Official documentation here.

2. Create /classes/ directory within your plugin.

3. Create event_handler.php within /classes/ directory.

4. Introduce following functions within event_handler.php file.

<code php>

<?php

class PLUGINKEYHERE_CLASS_EventHandler
{

public function genericInit()
{
}

public function init()
{
$eventManager = OW::getEventManager();

$eventManager->bind(‘console.collect_items’, array($this, ‘collectItems’));

}

public function collectItems( BASE_CLASS_ConsoleItemCollector $event )
{

$language = OW::getLanguage();
$router = OW::getRouter();

$item = new BASE_CMP_ConsoleDropdownMenu($language->text(‘pluginkeyhere’, ‘main_console_item’));
$item->setUrl($router->urlForRoute(‘pluginkey.index’));
$event->addItem($item, 6);

$item->addItem(‘head’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘pluginkey’, ‘console_1′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘http://skadate.com&#8217;)));
$item->addItem(‘main’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘pluginkey’, ‘console_2′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘view_photo_list’)));
$item->addItem(‘main’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘pluginkey’, ‘console_3′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘desired_route_here’)));

}
}
</code>

5. Open init.php file of your plugin, introduce your event handler’s class name:

<code php>

$eventHandler = new PLUGINKEYHERE_CLASS_EventHandler();
$eventHandler->genericInit();
$eventHandler->init();

</code>

6. Within the init.php file introduce all needed routers

7. Add used language keys into langs.zip file of your plugin.

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Example for personal use

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We are to create a plugin that will add new console item with drop down list.

1. Create new folder on your computer. Let’s name it “customconsole”

2. Create plugin.xml file within that folder. Content:

<code php>

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<plugin>
<name>Custom Console</name>
<key>customconsole</key>
<description>this plugin adds new console item </description>
<author>Your Name</author>
<authorEmail>Your email</authorEmail>
<authorUrl>http://link.com</authorUrl&gt;
<developerKey>Your developer key</developerKey>
<build>1</build>
<copyright>(C)All rights reserved.</copyright>
<license>The BSD License</license>
<licenseUrl>http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php</licenseUrl&gt;
</plugin>

</code>

You can get your unique developer key at Oxwall Store >> Developer tools.

3. Create install.php file within your plugin’s folder. Content:

<code php>

<?php
BOL_LanguageService::getInstance()->addPrefix(‘customconsole‘, ‘Custom Console’);

</code>

Where customconsole is your plugin’s key .

4. Create uninstall.php file within your plugin’s folder. Content: you can leave this file empty.

4. Create activate.php file within your plugin’s folder. Content: you can leave this file empty

5. Create deactivate.php file. Content: you can leave this file empty/

6. Create init.php file. Content:

<code php>

<?php
$plugin = OW::getPluginManager()->getPlugin(‘customconsole’);

OW::getRouter()->addRoute(new OW_Route(‘customconsole.index’, ‘custom’, “CUSTOMCONSOLE_CTRL_Custom”, ‘index’));
$eventHandler = new CUSTOMCONSOLE_CLASS_EventHandler();
$eventHandler->genericInit();
$eventHandler->init();

</code>

7. Create /controllers/ directory within your plugin’s folder.

8. Create custom.php file within /contollers/ directory. Name of the file should match contoller’s class name specified in init.php file. Our name in init.php is: CUSTOMCONSOLE_CTRL_Custom , therefore our file will be called custom.php . Content of the file:

<code php>

<?php

class CUSTOMCONSOLE_CTRL_Custom extends OW_ActionController
{
public function index()
{
$this->setPageTitle(“My New Custom Page”);
$this->setPageHeading(“Custom Page”);
}
}

</code>

9. Create /views/ directory within your plugin’s folder. Create /controllers/ directory within /views/

10. Create custom_index.html file within /views/controllers/ directory. Content: any text/html of your choice. Let’s add simple “My cool page will be here” text there for now.

11. Create /classes/ directory within your plugin’s folder name.

12. Create event_handler.php file within /classes/ directory. Content of the file:

<code php>

<?php

class CUSTOMCONSOLE_CLASS_EventHandler
{
const CONSOLE_ITEM_KEY = ‘custompage’;

public function genericInit()
{
}

public function init()
{
$eventManager = OW::getEventManager();

$eventManager->bind(‘console.collect_items’, array($this, ‘collectItems’));

}

public function collectItems( BASE_CLASS_ConsoleItemCollector $event )
{

$language = OW::getLanguage();
$router = OW::getRouter();

$item = new BASE_CMP_ConsoleDropdownMenu($language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘main_console_item’));
$item->setUrl($router->urlForRoute(‘customconsole.index’));
$event->addItem($item, 6);

$item->addItem(‘head’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_1′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘http://skadate.com&#8217;)));
$item->addItem(‘main’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_2′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘view_photo_list’)));
$item->addItem(‘main’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_3′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘desired_route_here’)));

}
}
</code>

13. Save your changes >> compress your plugin’s folder >> uploaded zipped file into /ow_plugins/ directory on your server.

14. Go to your Admin Panel >> Manage Plugins >> Available plugins >> install “Custom Console” plugin.

15. Once plugin is installed you will get new console item at the top of the page:

16. To add human readable values instead of text key such as customconsole+main_console_item open following URL: http://www.yoursitename.com/admin/dev-tools/languages  >> Click ” Add New Text”:

– select your custom plugin from drop down.

– enter key you specified in event_handler.php file into the next box. Ex: main_console_item

– enter desired value

Result on front end:

Do the same for remaining missing text keys used in event_handler.php file. In our case we used:

<code php>

$language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_1′)

$language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_2′)

$language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_3′)

</code>

So you must add console_1, console_2 and console_3 text keys via admin panel.

17. Hover the mouse over your new console’s main item. You will notice that it leads to http://www.sitename.com/customconsole page and show the content you added into /views/controllers/custom_index.html file.

Main item is set to lead to this page in event_handler.php file you created:

BASE_CMP_ConsoleDropdownMenu($language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘main_console_item’));
  $item->setUrl($router->urlForRoute(‘customconsole.index’));
$event->addItem($item, 6);

It is up to you to select and add routes for sub items. At this stage sub items lead nowhere.

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About routing

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To link your custom console item to already existing pages of Oxwall / SkaDate software you must use routes.

Routes are set in event_handler.php file of your custom plugin.

Ex:    $item->addItem(‘head’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_1′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘desired_route_here‘)));

You can find out route paths in init.php files of corresponding plugins.

Ex: Link you console item to “Photos” page.

a) open init.php of “Photos” plugin.

b) find needed route. Ex: OW::getRouter()->addRoute(new OW_Route(‘view_photo_list‘, ‘photo/viewlist/:listType/’, ‘PHOTO_CTRL_Photo’, ‘viewList’, array(‘listType’ => array(‘default’ => ‘latest’))));

c) add found route into event_hander.php of your custom plugin.

Ex: $item->addItem(‘head’, array(‘label’ => $language->text(‘customconsole’, ‘console_1′), ‘url’ => $router->urlForRoute(‘view_photo_list‘)));