Product Plugins¶

for user¶

The product plugin is installed as a standard joomla plugin

To see it you must publish it in joomla extention after installation.

After you do that, you can find it in the customfields on edit Choice :
Custom Field Type : plugin

After choicing the plugin you can setup the defaut value depending on your plugin.

for developper.¶

Language files :¶

XML install file must use the name in this form plg_vmcustom_YOURPLUGINNAME

EG. for textinput french and english
<languages>
<language tag="en-GB">en-GB.plg_vmcustom_textinput.ini</language>
<language tag="fr-FR">fr-FR.plg_vmcustom_textinput.ini</language>
</languages>

the constructor include directly the language file to simplify using JTEXT

Try to always use this convention name in the ini files :
VMCUSTOM_YOURPLUGINNAME_STRING="my string in english"

EG. for texinput plugin , string : size
VMCUSTOM_TEXTINPUT_INPUT_SIZE="Size of input"

Write your plugin :¶

Product plugin is inherited from vmCustomPlugin base class eg...

class plgvmcustomvmcalendar extends vmCustomPlugin {

    function __construct(& $subject, $config) {
        parent::__construct($subject, $config);

        $this->_tablepkey = 'id';
        $this->tableFields = array_keys($this->getTableSQLFields());
        $varsToPush = array(    'from'=>array('1977-01-01','date'), 'to'=>array('1977-01-01','date')
        );

        $this->setConfigParameterable('custom_params',$varsToPush);
    }

List of function to write in your plugin

plgVmOnProductEdit($field,$param,$row, $product_id);

render the plugin with param to display on product edit customfields TAB
(called by customfields inputTypePlugin)

plgVmOnDisplayProductFE( $field, $param, $product, $idx);

display the plugin on product FE
return $html

plgVmOnViewCartModule( $product,$custom_param,$productCustom, $row);
display the product plugin on cart module
return $html

plgVmOnViewCart($product, $param,$productCustom, $row);
display the product plugin on cart
return $html

plgVmOnViewCartOrder($product, $param,$productCustom, $row)
handel $param before adding it in the order
return $param;

plgVmDisplayInOrderFE($item, $param,$productCustom, $row);
display the plugin in order for customers
$item is the order item line
Eg. to Get the statut ( $item->order_status == 'S' )

plgVmDisplayInOrderBE($item, $param,$productCustom, $row);
display the plugin in order for vendor
$item is the order item line

modifyPrice( $product, $field,$param,$selected )
overide the defaut price modifation by plugin
you have to rewrite it in your plugin to do other calculations

you must return $field->custom_price at end to include your changes or the price varaint is set to 0;

plgVmGetProductStockToUpdateByCustom(&$product,$param, $productCustom)
Gets called after cart item is stored to database.
Developer can read product and parameters and eventually do own modifications.
$param contains plugin values(if applicable) so developer can read those values
Necessary check have to be performed...here check against field is not possible
so eg. at least such a vaidation have to be done:

        if ( !empty($param['vmcalendar']) && is_array($param['vmcalendar']))
        {
            $rf = $param['vmcalendar']['reservation_from'];
            $rt = $param['vmcalendar']['reservation_to'];
                        ....

See samples - specification/stockable/textinput to get inspiration and know-how

Use of plugin XML parameters :¶

XML Exemple for textinput

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<install version="1.5" type="plugin" group="vmcustom" >    
    <name>VMCustom - textinput</name>
    <creationDate>June 2011</creationDate>
    <author>The VirtueMart Development Team</author>
    <authorUrl>http://www.virtuemart.net</authorUrl>
    <copyright>Copyright (C) 2004-2011 Virtuemart Team. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <license>http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html GNU/GPL</license>
    <version>1.9.8</version>
    <description>text input plugin for product</description>
    <languages>
        <language tag="en-GB">en-GB.plg_vmcustom_textinput.ini</language>
        <language tag="fr-FR">fr-FR.plg_vmcustom_textinput.ini</language>
    </languages>
    <files>
        <filename plugin="textinput">textinput.php</filename>
    </files>
    <params addpath="/administrator/components/com_virtuemart/elements">
        <param type="vmjpluginwarning" />
        <param name="custom_name" type="text" size="20"  default="COM_VIRTUEMART_COMMENT" label="VMCUSTOM_NAME_INFO" description="VMCUSTOM_NAME_INFO_DESC" />
        <param name="custom_size" type="text"  size="5"  default="10" label="VMCUSTOM_TEXTINPUT_SIZE" description="VMCUSTOM_TEXTINPUT_SIZE_DESC" />
        <param name="custom_price_by_letter" type="list"  default="0" label="VMCUSTOM_PRICE_BY_LETTER" description="VMCUSTOM_PRICE_BY_LETTER_DESC" >
            <option value="0">No</option>
            <option value="1">Yes</option>
        </param>        
    </params>
</install>

You can see somes differences with joomla standard XML files :

<install version="1.5" type="plugin" group="vmcustom" >    

inform joomla the plugin is a "vmcustom" plugin(product customfield plugin)

    <params addpath="/administrator/components/com_virtuemart/elements">

Overide the joomla system by virtuemart 2 to enchance it.
Always add this or your plugin have chance to not work

        <param type="vmjpluginwarning" />

inform that the parameters are saved by virtuemart2 for each plugin variant.

transmited parameters by functions¶

$product_id
is the selected product_id

$product
is the selected product

$param
are the plugin parameters

$productCustom ,$field
are the product customfield attributes

$selected,$row or $idx
is the parameter to find or write the right "index/row"

TODO : add more details for parameters

See texinput plugin for eg.