Category attribute frontend model

Question

I've created an attribute called hero_text_background in the catalog_category entity. With this i'm looking to update the frontend_model property to render some HTML for the frontend.

To test the frontend model works, i've updated the frontend_model column with the correct class group id in the eav_attribute table for the attribute. And expected to see the return value for the getValue method i've created in the class.

In my themes catalog/category/view.phtml i'm calling the attribute from the category object ($_category->getHeroTextBackground()) this returns the raw attribute value from the database and not through the "frontend model" class.

Do i have to pass my attribute through a method to get the rendered output? Have I configured my attribute wrong?

UPDATE Original install script, for development i've updated the is_html_allowed_on_front and backend_model

$installer = Mage::getResourceModel('catalog/setup', 'default_setup');

$installer->startSetup();

$installer->addAttribute(
    $installer->getEntityTypeId(Mage_Catalog_Model_Category::ENTITY),
    'hero_text_background',
    array(
        'type' => 'varchar',
        'label' => 'Hero Text Background',
        'input' => 'select',
        'source' => 'bennoislost_heroheaders/catalog_category_attribute_source_hero',
        'default' => Bennoislost_HeroHeaders_Model_Catalog_Category_Attribute_Source_Hero::HB_DEFAULT,
        'required' => false,
        'sort_order' => 0,
        'global' => Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,
        'group' => 'Display Settings',
    )
);

UPDATE 2

The following snippet indeed call's the correct class:

$_heroTextBackground = Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')
    ->getAttribute(Mage_Catalog_Model_Category::ENTITY, 'hero_text_background')
    ->getFrontend()
    ->getValue($_category);

Is there a nicer way to use this in the template file out of the box?

Answer 1

The following snippet will load the frontend_model for the attribute:

$_heroTextBackground = Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')
    ->getAttribute(Mage_Catalog_Model_Category::ENTITY, 'hero_text_background')
    ->getFrontend()
    ->getValue($_category);

I'm still wondering if their is a nicer / less verbose way to use this in a category template...