bjraines wrote:

have been reading several modules and plugins. I am trying to learn how to use the API correctly.

Great!

Now my question is
if you are pulling the message from the paramter why did you include it here. would it not pull the text of whatever was in the field in the plugin parameters? Also wouldnt it get the publish state. Why does it need to be stated?

[code:1] $is_helloworld_plug_enabled = $params->get('hwPlugEnabled', "1"«»);

$helloworld_tab_message = $params->get('hwTabMessage', "Hello Joomlapolitans!"«»); [/code:1]

The actual code is executed because the plugin is published.
The $params->get function retrieves the plugin or tab parameter specified in its first argument and if its value is null, then it gives it the default value specified in the second paramater (e.g., "1" or "Hello Joomlapolitans"). The reason this is needed is that when a plugin is initially installed the parameters are not saved in the CB plugin table. The parameters are saved if the user clicks save in the plugin parameters backend. So in order for the plugin to be safe and have all parameters with real values, all plugins should use this function and have all default values specified in XML replicated in the code. (the entire design is meant to support CB upgrades without losing plugin parameter settings)

also why is this needed at the beginning?

[code:1]
$return = null;[/code:1]

I guess good practice. Always a good idea to initialize your variables.

Post edited by: nant, at: 2006/11/13 08:33

kmchen wrote:

Hi

Your help let me go nearly ending a reservation module for video-games based on jmoovies and it starts to look pretty good. Thanks again.

Now I'd like to have an icon in my edit reservation tab with a link that would end to my reservation plugin whitch would increment or decrement a field.

The best would be to place the icon near the interested field in the reservation tab but it looks difficult looking the architecture of the plugin system.

An other choice would be to have the icons in the tab's toolbar but I don' see to do it without patching CB's code. No need of plugins system for that.

Last choice I see is to publish the icons through the function getEditTab with href pointing directly on my plugin code. I did not choose that cause it's a little ugly and won't permit me to place the icons near the fields I want.

Any suggest ?

You can do all of this in your plugin code without hacking code. This is outside of the scope of the helloworld article.
Study the CB Gallery plugin and see the field handling portion. Not easy for beginers...