How to make some parameters editable via admin

Question

I created a module that looks like this:

http://screencast.com/t/TG7brmUi

And the code looks like this:

he code is as follows:

Luisvalencia_Affiliate.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Luisvalencia_Affiliate>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>community</codePool>
        </Luisvalencia_Affiliate>
    </modules>
</config>
config.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Luisvalencia_Affiliate>
            <version>0.0.1</version>
        </Luisvalencia_Affiliate>
    </modules>
    <frontend>
        <events>
            <controller_action_predispatch>
                <observers>
                    <luisvalencia_affiliate>
                        <class>luisvalencia_affiliate/observer</class>
                        <method>captureReferral</method>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                    </luisvalencia_affiliate>
                </observers>
            </controller_action_predispatch>
        </events>
    </frontend>
</config>
and Observer.php

<?php
class Luisvalencia_Affiliate_Model_Observer
{
    const COOKIE_KEY_SOURCE = 'luisvalencia_affiliate_source';

    public function captureReferral(Varien_Event_Observer $observer)
    {
       //bla bla bla, get cookie value from admin?
    }

    protected function _getCookieLifetime()
    {
        $days = 1;
        // convert to seconds
        return (int)86400 * $days;
    }
}

As you can see the cookie lifetime is hardcoded.

I would like to add an admin section on the magento backend to be able to edit the cookie lifetime for example.

can you please guide me?

Answer 1

you need create for system which is show in System >configuration section

Step1:system.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
      <tabs>
        <luisvalenciatab translate="label" module="affiliate">
            <label>Luisvalencia Cookie</label>
            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
        </luisvalenciatab>
      </tabs>
      <sections>
        <luisvalenciasection  translate="label" module="affiliate">                    
        <label>Luisvalencia</label>
        <tab>luisvalenciatab</tab>
        <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
        <sort_order>0</sort_order>
        <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
        <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
        <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>            
                    <groups>
                      <luisvalenciagroup translate="label"> 
                      <label>Luisvalencia Group</label>
                      <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                      <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                      <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                      <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                      <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                       <fields>
                          <cookie_time translate="label">
                            <label>Set Cookie Time</label>
                            <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                          </cookie_time>
                       </fields>
                       </luisvalenciagroup>
                    </groups>
        </luisvalenciasection>
      </sections>
</config>

Step2:You need to create adminhtml.xml for acl permission for system.xml

adminhtml code is like

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <config>
        <acl>
            <resources>
                <admin>
                    <children>
                        <system>
                            <children>
                                <config>
                                    <children>
                                        <luisvalenciasection translate="title" module="affiliate">
                                            <title>Luisvalencia Section</title>
                                            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                                        </luisvalenciasection>
                                    </children>
                                </config>
                            </children>
                        </system>
                    </children>
                </admin>
            </resources>
        </acl>
    </config>

Get config.xml value:

$config = Mage::getStoreConfig('luisvalenciasection/luisvalenciagroup/cookie_time');

Check system.xml Here:

1. Tab: code is luisvalenciatab
2. Section:code is luisvalenciasection
3. Group: code is luisvalenciagroup
4. fieldname:code is cookie_time

After that goto admin and login with admin login... then goto System>Permission>Role>Select Role Administrators> Click on save Role for add role permission for this configuration

More details for system setting check Alan Store block:

http://alanstorm.com/magento_loading_config_variables

And if you want to show
then out predefine value in this field in then

add this code in config.xml

  <default>
    <luisvalenciasection>
        <luisvalenciagroup>
            <cookie_time>1550</cookie_time>
        </luisvalenciagroup>
    </luisvalenciasection>
    </default>

But most importance after this add , you need admin role from

 goto `System>Permission>Role>Select Role Administrators>` Click on save `Role for  add role  permission for this configuration`

Answer 2

Change your observer to have:

$days = Mage::getStoreConfig('affiliate/settings/cookie');

Then add this to the end of your config.xml:

<default>
    <affiliate>
        <settings>
            <days>1</days>
        </settings>
    </affiliate>
</default>

That should set a default of 1 for the days value.

In the same etc folder add a new file, system.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <tabs>
        <luisvalencia translate="label" module="affiliate">
            <label>Whatever</label>
            <sort_order>200</sort_order>
        </luisvalencia>
    </tabs>
    <sections>
        <affiliate translate="label" module="affiliate">
            <label>Affiliate Cookie</label>
            <tab>luisvalencia</tab>
            <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
            <sort_order>100</sort_order>
            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
            <groups>
                <settings>
                    <label>Cookie Settings</label>
                    <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                    <sort_order>10</sort_order>
                    <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                    <show_in_website>0</show_in_website>
                    <show_in_store>0</show_in_store>
                    <fields>
                        <cookie translate="label">
                            <label>Cookie lifetime</label>
                            <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                            <sort_order>10</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>0</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>0</show_in_store>
                            <comment><![CDATA[This is in days.]]></comment>
                        </cookie>
 ...

(You can close the XML tags or add other settings).

Once done clear your cache, login/out, go to system config. On the left is a new tab with 'Affiliate Cookie'. Voila.