Observer not firing when trying to add button to module admin interface

Question

I would like to add a button to the admin interface for a module to perform some custom actions, at the moment the observer isn't being picked up once the admin interface loads. here is my config.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Ds_Imports>
            <version>1.0.0</version>
        </Ds_Imports>
    </modules>

    <global>
        <adminhtml>

            <events>
                <adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
                    <observers>
                        <add_button_test>
                            <type>singleton</type>
                            <class>Ds_Imports_Model_Observer</class>
                            <method>addButtonTest</method>
                        </add_button_test>
                    </observers>
                </adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
            </events>

            <layout>
                <updates>
                    <ds_imports>
                        <file>importer.xml</file>
                    </ds_imports>
                </updates>
            </layout>
        </adminhtml>
        <helpers>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Helper</class>
            </imports>
        </helpers>
        <blocks>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Block</class>
            </imports>
            <!-- <adminhtml>
                <rewrite>
                    <sales_order_grid>Ds_Imports_Block_Adminhtml_Sales_Order_Grid</sales_order_grid>
                </rewrite>
            </adminhtml> -->
        </blocks>
        <models>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Model</class>
                <resourceModel>imports_resource</resourceModel>
            </imports>
        </models>
        <resources>
            <imports_setup>
                <setup>
                    <module>Ds_Imports</module>
                </setup>
            </imports_setup>
        </resources>

    </global>
     <admin>
            <routers>
                <adminhtml>
                    <args>
                        <modules>
                            <ds_imports before="Mage_Adminhtml">Ds_Imports_Adminhtml</ds_imports>
                        </modules>
                    </args>
                </adminhtml>
            </routers>
        </admin>
</config>

and this is the observer it is trying to load

<?php

class Ds_Imports_Model_Observer extends Varien_Event_Observer 
{

    public function __construct() {

    }

    public function addButtonTest($observer) {
        echo "test";
        die();

        $container = $observer->getBlock();

        if(null !== $container && $container->getType() == 'adminhtml/sales_order_grid') {
            $data = array(
                'label'     => 'My button',
                'class'     => 'some-class',
                'onclick'   => 'setLocation(\' '  . Mage::getUrl('*/*', array('param' => 'value')) . '\')',
            );
            $container->addButton('my_button_identifier', $data);
        }

        return $this;
    }


}

Am I missing something or is there a better way to add a custom button to the admin interface of a module?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

First, an observer does not need to extend anything so you can replace:

class Ds_Imports_Model_Observer extends Varien_Event_Observer 

With:

class Ds_Imports_Model_Observer

Then you can also get rid of your __construct() method it's useless here.

Also, I suggest you hint the class parameter in your method by replacing:

public function addButtonTest($observer) {

With:

public function addButtonTest(Varien_Event_Observer $observer) {

But that's not the issue in your case you're mixing the area tags.

Magento allows three main area tags in the configuration:

• adminhtml
• frontend
• global (which is basically the two above)

In your case, you've added the <adminhtml> area tag inside the <global> tag which is wrong.

Thus you need to fix your config.xml with the following code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Ds_Imports>
            <version>1.0.0</version>
        </Ds_Imports>
    </modules>

    <adminhtml>
        <events>
           <adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
                <observers>
                    <add_button_test>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Ds_Imports_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>addButtonTest</method>
                    </add_button_test>
                </observers>
            </adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
        </events>
        <layout>
            <updates>
                <ds_imports>
                    <file>importer.xml</file>
                </ds_imports>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </adminhtml>

    <global>
        <helpers>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Helper</class>
            </imports>
        </helpers>
        <blocks>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Block</class>
            </imports>
            <!-- <adminhtml>
                <rewrite>
                    <sales_order_grid>Ds_Imports_Block_Adminhtml_Sales_Order_Grid</sales_order_grid>
                </rewrite>
            </adminhtml> -->
        </blocks>
        <models>
            <imports>
                <class>Ds_Imports_Model</class>
                <resourceModel>imports_resource</resourceModel>
            </imports>
        </models>
        <resources>
            <imports_setup>
                <setup>
                    <module>Ds_Imports</module>
                </setup>
            </imports_setup>
        </resources>

    </global>
     <admin>
            <routers>
                <adminhtml>
                    <args>
                        <modules>
                            <ds_imports before="Mage_Adminhtml">Ds_Imports_Adminhtml</ds_imports>
                        </modules>
                    </args>
                </adminhtml>
            </routers>
        </admin>
</config>

Answer 2

I think you have problem with your config.xml file please change as below.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
 <modules>
    <Ds_Imports>
        <version>1.0.0</version>
    </Ds_Imports>
 </modules>

<global>
    <adminhtml>
        <layout>
            <updates>
                <ds_imports>
                    <file>importer.xml</file>
                </ds_imports>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </adminhtml>
    <helpers>
        <imports>
            <class>Ds_Imports_Helper</class>
        </imports>
    </helpers>
    <blocks>
        <imports>
            <class>Ds_Imports_Block</class>
        </imports>
        <!-- <adminhtml>
            <rewrite>
                <sales_order_grid>Ds_Imports_Block_Adminhtml_Sales_Order_Grid</sales_order_grid>
            </rewrite>
        </adminhtml> -->
    </blocks>
    <models>
        <imports>
            <class>Ds_Imports_Model</class>
            <resourceModel>imports_resource</resourceModel>
        </imports>
    </models>
    <!--PUt your event here-->
    <events>
            <adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
                <observers>
                    <add_button_test>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>imports/observer</class><!--change this line to-->
                        <method>addButtonTest</method>
                    </add_button_test>
                </observers>
            </adminhtml_widget_container_html_before>
    </events>
    <resources>
        <imports_setup>
            <setup>
                <module>Ds_Imports</module>
            </setup>
        </imports_setup>
    </resources>

</global>
 <admin>
        <routers>
            <adminhtml>
                <args>
                    <modules>
                        <ds_imports before="Mage_Adminhtml">Ds_Imports_Adminhtml</ds_imports>
                    </modules>
                </args>
            </adminhtml>
        </routers>
    </admin>
</config>