Solved - Create A New Tab Next to Dashboard in Magento Backend

Question

I have created a Module and need to have a separate tab (grid) in Magento backend (next to Dashboard or any other menu item) to display customer comments (that are stored in the separate database table of this module) in that grid.

Created a file adminhtml.xml using this article http://alanstorm.com/magento_admin_hello_world_revisited/ and added the code below, but I'm getting an error.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <config>
 <menu>
 <cpstest translate="title" module="cpstest_productcomments">
            <title>Allow Comments</title>
            <sort_order>1</sort_order>
            <children>
                <example>
                    <title>CPS Product Comments</title>
                    <sort_order>1</sort_order>
                    <action>adminhtml/productcomments/index</action>
                </example>
            </children>
        </cpstest>
    </menu>
</config>

And this is the module's config.xml file

<config>
    <modules>
        <Cpstest_ProductComments>
            <version>0.1.0</version>
        </Cpstest_ProductComments>
    </modules>
    <frontend>    
        <layout>
            <updates>
                <productcomments module="Cpstest_ProductComments">
                    <file>productcomments.xml</file>
                </productcomments>
            </updates>
        </layout>
        <routers>
            <productcomments>
                <use>standard</use>
                <args>
                    <module>Cpstest_ProductComments</module>
                    <frontName>productcomments</frontName>
                </args>
            </productcomments>
        </routers>
    </frontend>
    <global>
        <models>
            <productcomments>
                <class>Cpstest_ProductComments_Model</class>
            </productcomments>
        </models>       
         <resources>
         <productcomments_setup>
                <setup>
                    <module>Cpstest_ProductComments</module>
                    <class>Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Setup</class>
                   <class>Cpstest_ProductComments_Model_Resource_Mysql4_Setup</class>
                    <class>Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Setup</class> <!---->
                </setup>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_setup</use>
                </connection>
            </productcomments_setup>   
            <productcomments_write>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_write</use>
                </connection>
            </productcomments_write>
            <productcomments_read>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_read</use>
                </connection>
            </productcomments_read>
        </resources> 
        <helpers>
            <productcomments>
                <class>Cpstest_ProductComments_Helper</class>                                                             
            </productcomments>            
        </helpers>
    </global>
<adminhtml>
        <acl>
            <resources>
                <admin>
                    <children>
                        <system>
                            <children>
                                <config>
                                    <children>
                                        <productcomments_options>
                                            <title>Product Comments</title>
                                        </productcomments_options>
                                    </children>
                                </config>
                            </children>
                        </system>
                    </children>
                </admin>
            </resources>
        </acl>
    </adminhtml>
</config>

Answer 1

Create a file Cpstest/ProductComments/Helper/Data.php with below code

<?php 
class Cpstest_ProductComments_Helper_Data extends Mage_Core_Helper_Abstract{
}

EDIT

The module name you are using in your adminhtml.xml is wrong. Update your adminhtml.xml with below

<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <config>
    <menu>
        <cpstest translate="title" module="productcomments">
            <title>Allow Comments</title>
            <sort_order>1</sort_order>
            <children>
                <example>
                    <title>CPS Product Comments</title>
                    <sort_order>1</sort_order>
                    <action>adminhtml/productcomments/index</action>
                </example>
            </children>
        </cpstest>
    </menu>
</config>

Answer 2

Read the below blog that is explained how to use external database connection in Magento.

Create An External Database Connection in Magento

If you able to connect of your external database, then its the same procedure to develop custom grid implementation