Uncaught TypeError: Argument 2 passed to Mage::dispatchEvent() must be of the type array

Question

"PHP message: PHP Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: Argument 2 passed to Mage::dispatchEvent() must be of the type array, object given, called in TestimonialController.php on line 26"

I am facing above error, i have upgraded my php version to 7.1 with magento 9.1.0

here is my function

/*TestimonialController.php starts*/
public function editAction()
{
    $this->_title($this->__("Testimonials"));
    $this->_title($this->__("Testimonial"));
    $this->_title($this->__("Edit Item"));
    $id = $this->getRequest()->getParam("id");
    $model = Mage::getModel("testimonials/testimonial")->load($id);
    Mage::dispatchEvent('testimonial_save_before', $model);//Line No.->26

    if ($model->getId()) {
        Mage::register("testimonial_data", $model);
        $this->loadLayout();
        $this->_setActiveMenu("testimonials/testimonial");
        $this->_addBreadcrumb(Mage::helper("adminhtml")->__('Testimonial Manager"), Mage::helper("adminhtml")->__("Testimonial Manager"));
        $this->_addBreadcrumb(Mage::helper("adminhtml")->__("Testimonial Description"), Mage::helper("adminhtml")->__("Testimonial Description"));
        $this->getLayout()->getBlock("head")->setCanLoadExtJs(true);
        $this->_addContent($this->getLayout()->createBlock("testimonials/adminhtml_testimonial_edit"))->_addLeft($this->getLayout()->createBlock("testimonials/adminhtml_testimonial_edit_tabs"));
        $this->renderLayout();
    }
    else {
        Mage::getSingleton("adminhtml/session")->addError(Mage::helper("testimonials")->__("Item does not exist."));
        $this->_redirect("*/*/");
    }
}
/*TestimonialController.php starts*/ 





/*Observer.php starts*/

class Ravi_Testimonials_Model_Observer extends Mage_Core_Model_Abstract
{

const COUPON_ACTIVE = 'testimonial/couponcode/activecoupon';   
public function testimonialSaveBefore($observer){


    //echo $observer->getEvent()->getData()->getId();

    //echo $observer->getEvent()->getData()->getStatus();



    $tId = $observer->getEvent()->getData()->getId(); //line 33
    Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->setTid($tId);
    Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->setSt($observer->getEvent()->getData()->getStatus());


}



public function testimonialSaveAfter($observer){


$testimonialId = Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->getTid();
$status = Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->getSt();


if($status == 0 && $observer->getStatus() == 0){

    return;

}

if($status == 0 && $observer->getStatus() == 1){

    return;

}

if($status == 1 && $observer->getStatus() == 0){

//If status goes from disable to enable, notify customer via email. Write codd for send emails.
//return;
if(Mage::getStoreConfig(self::COUPON_ACTIVE) == 1){
Mage::helper('testimonials')->sendCustomerNotificationEmail($testimonialId);
}else{

    return;
}

}


}
}
/*Observer.php ends*/

Answer 1

This line

Mage::dispatchEvent('testimonial_save_before', $model);

Should be

Mage::dispatchEvent('testimonial_save_before', array('testimonial' => $model));

And you need to modify the observer also.
Make the method testimonialSaveBefore look like this:

public function testimonialSaveBefore($observer)
{
    $testimonial = $observer->getEvent()->getTestimonial();
    $tId = $testimonial->getId(); 
    Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->setTid($tId);
    Mage::getSingleton('core/session')->setSt($testimonial->getStatus());
}

But, the way you have your code right now, the testimonial id will always be null, because there is no id allocated to the testimonial before it is saved in the database.