CE 1.8.1 stockitem event observer not executed

Question

I need some help.

I have added a custom attribute to the cataloginventory/stockitem table and now I am trying to observe the cataloginventory_stock_item_save_before event to set my custom attribute before saving.

<global>
    <events>
        <cataloginventory_stock_item_save_before>
            <observers>
                <mypackage_mymodule_stocknote>
                    <type>singleton</type>
                    <class>Mypackage_Mymodule_Model_Observer</class>
                    <method>stocknote</method>
                </mypackage_mymodule_stocknote>
            </observers>
        </cataloginventory_stock_item_save_before>
    </events>
</global>

This should be triggered every time a stock_item model is saved, thus when an order is placed or when a product saved, right? I am testing the observer with a print and die command, but it doesn't look like my observer is executed. To add to the confusion, it works fine, with the same configuration, if I call cataloginventoriy_stock_item_save_after event instead.

Anyone got a hint for me what I am doing wrong? I need to set some custom attribute in the stock_item before it is saved, alternate approaches also welcome.

Answer 1

Unfortunately this event does not exist (any longer - it existed in a very old version of Magento). If you look into the class Mage_CatalogInventory_Model_Stock_Item

you have this method

/**
 * Before save prepare process
 *
 * @return Mage_CatalogInventory_Model_Stock_Item
 */
protected function _beforeSave()
{
    // see if quantity is defined for this item type
    $typeId = $this->getTypeId();
    if ($productTypeId = $this->getProductTypeId()) {
        $typeId = $productTypeId;
    }

    $isQty = Mage::helper('catalogInventory')->isQty($typeId);

    if ($isQty) {
        if (!$this->verifyStock()) {
            $this->setIsInStock(false)
                ->setStockStatusChangedAutomaticallyFlag(true);
        }

        // if qty is below notify qty, update the low stock date to today date otherwise set null
        $this->setLowStockDate(null);
        if ($this->verifyNotification()) {
            $this->setLowStockDate(Mage::app()->getLocale()->date(null, null, null, false)
                ->toString(Varien_Date::DATETIME_INTERNAL_FORMAT)
            );
        }

        $this->setStockStatusChangedAutomatically(0);
        if ($this->hasStockStatusChangedAutomaticallyFlag()) {
            $this->setStockStatusChangedAutomatically((int)$this->getStockStatusChangedAutomaticallyFlag());
        }
    } else {
        $this->setQty(0);
    }

    return $this;
}

it does not call the parent::_beforeSave() method which would normally dispatch the cataloginventory_stock_item_save_before event and also does not dispatch the event in the method.