Clarification for Custom Attributes

Question

I am working in a custom module, using which I want to add some custom attributes in my custom tab. By following through lot of tutorials I made custom attribute and successfully output it in one of the default tab in customer section in admin. Now I want to display it in my custom tab..

However I need some clarification on custom attributes for doing this. following is my customer attribute details that I forcefully printed in admin side...

Array
(
[attribute_id] => 961
[entity_type_id] => 1
[attribute_code] => nick_name
[attribute_model] => 
[backend_model] => 
[backend_type] => varchar
[backend_table] => 
[frontend_model] => 
[frontend_input] => text
[frontend_label] => Nick Name
[frontend_class] => 
[source_model] => 
[is_required] => 0
[is_user_defined] => 1
[default_value] => 
[is_unique] => 0
[note] => 
[is_visible] => 1
[input_filter] => 
[multiline_count] => 0
[validate_rules] => 
[is_system] => 1
[sort_order] => 100
[data_model] => 
[entity_type] => Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Type Object
    (
        [_attributes:protected] => 
        [_attributesBySet:protected] => Array
            (
            )

        [_sets:protected] => 
        [_eventPrefix:protected] => core_abstract
        [_eventObject:protected] => object
        [_resourceName:protected] => eav/entity_type
        [_resource:protected] => 
        [_resourceCollectionName:protected] => eav/entity_type_collection
        [_cacheTag:protected] => 
        [_dataSaveAllowed:protected] => 1
        [_isObjectNew:protected] => 
        [_data:protected] => Array
            (
                [entity_type_id] => 1
                [entity_type_code] => customer
                [entity_model] => customer/customer
                [attribute_model] => customer/attribute
                [entity_table] => customer/entity
                [value_table_prefix] => 
                [entity_id_field] => 
                [is_data_sharing] => 1
                [data_sharing_key] => default
                [default_attribute_set_id] => 1
                [increment_model] => eav/entity_increment_numeric
                [increment_per_store] => 0
                [increment_pad_length] => 8
                [increment_pad_char] => 0
                [additional_attribute_table] => customer/eav_attribute
                [entity_attribute_collection] => customer/attribute_collection
            )

        [_hasDataChanges:protected] => 1
        [_origData:protected] => 
        [_idFieldName:protected] => entity_type_id
        [_isDeleted:protected] => 
        [_oldFieldsMap:protected] => Array
            (
            )

        [_syncFieldsMap:protected] => Array
            (
            )

    )

 )

My questions are

1) How can I display this custom attribute in my custom tab? For example:

if (version_compare(Mage::getVersion(), '1.4.2', '>='))
{
Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')
    ->getAttribute('customer', 'nick_name')
    ->setData('used_in_forms', array('adminhtml_customer','mysite_custmernewtab',))
    ->save();
}

where mysite_customernewtab is my module. Whether this method automatically print input field in my custom module? or is it necessary that I want to load this field manually through custom phtml file?

2)I have seen frontend_label,frontend_input datas in the output. Whether it can be used to print input field in admin side? or is there backend_input, backend_label exist similar to this ?

3)what is this source and backend data? I have seen these items when add an attribute through set up file..

Please help me to understand this... It will help others also.. Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Firstly the section for used_in_forms is really only for the form and not the tab, so you should remove the second section.

 ->setData('used_in_forms', array('adminhtml_customer'))

New Admin Tab - Via Layout Xml

You can add a new tab to the customer form with the following layout xml. You can add a new module with an adminhtml layout update that contains the following.

<layout version="0.1.0">
  <adminhtml_customer_edit>
     <reference name="customer_edit_tabs">
        <action method="addTab">
          <name>customer_edit_tab_new</name>
          <block>your_module/adminhtml_customer_edit_tab_new</block>
        </action>
     </reference>
  </adminhtml_customer_edit>
</layout>

This will add a new tab of type Your_Module_Block_Adminhtml_Customer_Edit_Tab_New. Then you can simply make your tab in the same format as Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Customer_Edit_Tab_Newsletter and this will add the new tab.

New Admin Tab - Via Php

If you want to add a new tab to the customer edit form in the admin then you will need to firstly rewrite Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Customer_Edit_Tabs so that you can add a new section to the function _beforeToHtml. Here you can add something like.

$this->addTab('new_tab_name', array(
    'label'     => Mage::helper('your_module')->__('New Tab Name'),
    'content'   => $this->getLayout()->createBlock('your_module/adminhtml_customer_edit_tab_new')->initForm()->toHtml(),
    'active'    => Mage::registry('current_customer')->getId() ? false : true
));

Again this will add a new tab of type Your_Module_Block_Adminhtml_Customer_Edit_Tab_New. Then you can simply make your tab in the same format as Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Customer_Edit_Tab_Newsletter and this will add the new tab.

In my opinion the layout xml is the cleanest solution as it does not involve rewriting any code, but I thought I would mention both as it is good to see all options. There is also a good tutorial on this that can he found here