Adding a menu item to the v1.5.0 admin

[Kevin205]

I added a plugin to the admin menu for 1.5.1.

How do you add the following to the admin? Ann admin menu item with and ID.

http://www.YourDomain.com/shop/admin/configuration.php?gID=33

[Kevin205]

By using this method, new menu items gets added to different parts of the admin; specifically to “zen_admin_pages” table in the database?

1. Once added do you leave the “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file, or do delete it?

2. If you want to change the sort order of this file, would the change be done from this file “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” or you would have to it from change “zen_admin_pages” table?

3. Is “zen_admin_pages” table, the only table getting effected by creating “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file?

4. If you make a mistake, where can correct your mistake, in the “zen_admin_pages” table or “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file?

I went ahead and added the following to the admin menu,

How do you add the following to the admin? Ann admin menu item with and ID.

http://www.YourDomain.com/shop/admin/configuration.php?gID=33

Ofsource the menu is not seen under the configuration menu!

And I saw what I did wrong “zen_admin_pages” table.

Question, can I fix this in SQL or is there another way of doing it?

[lat9]

Does this work with Zen Cart 1.5.1 also?

Yes, it does.

I added a plugin to the admin menu for 1.5.1.

How do you add the following to the admin? Ann admin menu item with and ID.

http://www.YourDomain.com/shop/admin/configuration.php?gID=33

You need to upload (via FTP) a file named /YOUR_ADMIN/includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/your_menu_item.php. That file needs to contain a definition:

define('BOX_YOUR_MENU_ITEM', 'My Menu Item');

Once that file's uploaded, you can use your admin's Admin Access Management->Admin Page Registration and enter:
Page Key Name ... myMenuItemConfiguration
Page Name ........... BOX_YOUR_MENU_ITEM
Page File Name ..... FILENAME_CONFIGURATION
Page Parameters .. gID=33
Menu ..................... Configuration
Display on Menu? .. checked
Sort Order ............. nn

Then click "Insert".

By using this method, new menu items gets added to different parts of the admin; specifically to “zen_admin_pages” table in the database?

1. Once added do you leave the “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file, or do delete it?

2. If you want to change the sort order of this file, would the change be done from this file “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” or you would have to it from change “zen_admin_pages” table?

3. Is “zen_admin_pages” table, the only table getting effected by creating “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file?

4. If you make a mistake, where can correct your mistake, in the “zen_admin_pages” table or “/YOUR_ADMIN/includes/functions/extra_functions/init_new_tool.php” file?

I went ahead and added the following to the admin menu,

Ofsource the menu is not seen under the configuration menu!

And I saw what I did wrong “zen_admin_pages” table.

Question, can I fix this in SQL or is there another way of doing it?

1. Your choice, you can either leave it or delete it.
2. The easiest way to change the sort order is to use phpMyAdmin and change the sort order in your DB_PREFIX . admin_pages entry.
3. Yes. It's the admin_pages table with your DB_PREFIX value prepended.
4. If you make a mistake, your can delete the item you created using the following SQL patch (run from your admin's Tools->Install SQL Patches:

DELETE FROM admin_pages WHERE page_key='myMenuItemConfiguration';

Note that if you're testing out a plugin that you're creating you should be creating a backup of your database that you can restore to in the event that your modification doesn't work "quite right".

[Kevin205]

Thank you for a very detailed set of instructions. I will give it try tomorrow.

[torvista]

In the interests of anal neatness I usually add this to get a real number for the sort order before calling the function.

It could/should be included in the zen_register_admin_page as a default if no sort order is defined.

$sql = "SELECT MAX(sort_order) AS sort_order_max FROM " . TABLE_ADMIN_PAGES . " WHERE menu_key = 'tools'";
$result = $db->Execute($sql);
$sort_order = $result->fields['sort_order_max']+1;

[lat9]

In the interests of anal neatness I usually add this to get a real number for the sort order before calling the function.

It could/should be included in the zen_register_admin_page as a default if no sort order is defined.

$sql = "SELECT MAX(sort_order) AS sort_order_max FROM " . TABLE_ADMIN_PAGES . " WHERE menu_key = 'tools'";
$result = $db->Execute($sql);
$sort_order = $result->fields['sort_order_max']+1;

Agreed. In (most of) my plugins where an admin-page registration is required, I include a function similar to this (for the xxxx plugin):

function init_xxxx_next_sort ($menu_key) 
{
    global $db;
    $next_sort = $db->Execute('SELECT MAX(sort_order) as max_sort FROM ' . TABLE_ADMIN_PAGES . " WHERE menu_key='$menu_key'");
    return $next_sort->fields['max_sort'] + 1;
}

and then use it like:

if (!zen_page_key_exists ('configDbIo')) {
    zen_register_admin_page('configDbIo', 'BOX_CONFIGURATION_DBIO', 'FILENAME_CONFIGURATION', "gID=$cgi", 'configuration', 'Y', init_xxxx_next_sort ('configuration'));
  
}

[DrByte]

On github: Add @torvista's suggestion for auto-assigning max+1 sort order to v155

[bristolwebdesigner]

Hi

I have a 1.5.6c installation. I have followed the instructions and installed the menu items and associated and target files. All works as it should. Until, I logout. Then I log in to a blank page. All I can do to get around this is remove the extra_datafiles, login and then FTP the removed files to the site. Then I can see them, until I logout again.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[bristolwebdesigner]

I have a 1.5.6c installation.

After installation I see my new menu items, they link to the pages I have created. But, if I close the browser/open and try to log back in I get a blank screen. I have to remove the files eg. new_tool_filenames.php to get back in. Then I have to upload the new_tool_filename.php again to see it in the menu.

Clearly the files are written correctly otherwise it wouldn't install.

I have tried many ways. By removing the autoloaders and the init files but this makes no difference. I realise I am missing something, can anyone assist me in this matter.

Regards

[lat9]

I have a 1.5.6c installation.

After installation I see my new menu items, they link to the pages I have created. But, if I close the browser/open and try to log back in I get a blank screen. I have to remove the files eg. new_tool_filenames.php to get back in. Then I have to upload the new_tool_filename.php again to see it in the menu.

Clearly the files are written correctly otherwise it wouldn't install.

I have tried many ways. By removing the autoloaders and the init files but this makes no difference. I realise I am missing something, can anyone assist me in this matter.

Regards

When you get that blank-screen, that's PHP's (and Zen Cart's) way of telling you to go look in your site's /logs directory. You'll see file(s) named myDEBUG-adm-*.log created on/around the time you tried to log back in.

Let us know the contents of the log, remembering to xxx-out your admin's directory name and post the information using 'CODE' tags (that big # in the menu-bar when you're writing your response).