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The ObjectModel class

This is the main object in of PrestaShop's object model. It can be overridden with precaution.

It is an Active Record kind of class (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_record_pattern). PrestaShop's database table attributes or view attributes are encapsulated in the class. Therefore, the class is tied to a database record. After the object has been instantiated, a new record is added to the database. Each object retrieves its data from the database; when an object is updated, the record to which it is tied is updated as well. The class implements accessors for each attribute.

Defining the model

You must use the $definition static variable in order to define the model.

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In order to have an object which depend depends on the current store, and in many languages:

'multilang_shop' => true

The main methods

Any overriding of its the ObjectModel methods is bound to influence how all the other classes and methods act. Use with care.

The DBQuery class

The DBQuery class is a query builder , which helps you creation create SQL queries. For instance:

$sql = new DbQuery();
$sql->select('*');
$sql->from('cms', 'c');
$sql->innerJoin('cms_lang', 'l', 'c.id_cms = l.id_cms AND l.id_lang = '.(int)$id_lang);
$sql->where('c.active = 1');
$sql->orderBy('position');
return Db::getInstance()->executeS($sql);

Here are some of the methods from this class:

The Dispatcher

The Dispatcher is one of the main technical features of v1.5. It handles URL redirections. Instead of using multiple files on in the root folder like product.php, order.php or category.php, only one file is used: index.php. From now on, internal URL will look like index.php?controller=category, index.php?controller=product, etc.

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http://myprestashop.com/index.php?controller=category&id_category=3&id_lang=1
http://myprestashop.com/index.php?controller=product&id_product=1&id_lang=12

...and when URL-rewriting is on (or "Friendly URLs"), PrestaShop's Dispatcher will correctly support this URL form:

http://myprestashop.com/en/3-music-ipods
http://myprestashop.com/enfr/1-ipod-nano.html

There are several advantages for this system:

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In the MVC architecture, a controller Controller manages the synchronization events between the View and the Model, and keeps them up to date. It receives all the user events and triggers the actions to perform.
If an action needs data to be changed, the Controller will "ask" the Model to change the data, and in turn the Model will notify the View that the data has been changed, so that the View can update itself.

All of PrestaShop's controllers actually override the Controller class through another inheriting class, such as AdminController, ModuleAdminController, FrontController or , ModuleFrontController, etc.

The FrontController class

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For instance, when working with the category Category controller:

• File: /controllers/CategoryController.php
• Class: CategoryControllerCore

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For instance, when overriding the category Category controller:

• File: /override/controllers/front/CategoryController.php
• Class: CategoryController

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Data stored in a visitor/client's cookie

Data stored in an employee/administrator's cookie

Hooks

Hooks are a way to associate your code to some specific PrestaShop events.

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This method receives one (and only one) argument: an array of the contextual information sent to the hook.

public function hookDisplayNameOfHook($params)
{
    // Your code.
}

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It is easy to call a hook from within a template file (.tpl): you simply have to use its name with the hook function. You can add the name of a module that you want the hook execute.

For instance:

{hook h='displayLeftColumn' mod='blockcart'}

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You can create new PrestaShop hooks by adding a new record in the ps_hook table in your MySQL database. You could do it the hard way:

INSERT INTO `ps_hook` (`name`, `title`, `description`) VALUES ('nameOfHook', 'The name of your hook', 'This is a custom hook!');

Yes, you can do it like that...... but you need to know that, with PrestaShop 1.5, you don't need PrestaShop enables you to do it .Now, when your module execute the install method and you want to register a hook, you do it like thatthe easy way:

$this->registerHook('NameOfHook');

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