How can I point admin action method to other than `indexAction()`?

Question

In my module, I am setting up my menu like this.

 <menu>
     <catalog>
        <children>
            <rkt_arattr translate="title" module="rkt_arattr">
                <title>Manage My Custom Attribute</title>
                <sort_order>100</sort_order>
                <children>
                    <install_attr translate="title" module="rkt_arattr">
                        <title>Install My Attribute</title>
                        <action>adminhtml/catalog_arattr_install</action>
                        <sort_order>10</sort_order>
                    </install_attr>
                </children>
            </rkt_arattr>
        </children>
     </catalog>
 </menu>

The code that you need to concentrate is action

 <action>adminhtml/catalog_arattr_install</action>

For this value, my url looks like this

www.mydomain.com/admin/catalog_arattr_install/index/key/[key_value]

As per this ulr, Magento expects a controller setup like this.

File : app/code/local/Namespace/Modulename/controllers/Adminhtml/Catalog/Araattr/InstallController.php

<?php
class Namespace_Modulename_Adminhtml_Catalog_Arattr_InstallController extends Mage_Adminhtml_Contorller_Action
{
     public function indexAction()
     {

     }
}

However this is not what I want.. I need my url parse like this.

www.mydomain.com/admin/catalog_arattr/install/key/[key_value]

Means I want the below method get called when click on the menu

File : app/code/local/Namespace/Modulename/controllers/Adminhtml/Catalog/ArattrController.php

<?php
class Namespace_Modulename_Adminhtml_Catalog_ArattrController extends Mage_Adminhtml_Contorller_Action
{
     public function installAction()
     {

     }
}

But it seems that, magento always looks for indexAction() when we setup a menu.

Is there any way to direct to my custom action when click on the menu ?

Answer 1

Should be as simple as adding extra parts to the action node.

<action>adminhtml/your_controller/your_action</action>

Check out how the downloads part of the admin section works.

<action>adminhtml/report_product/downloads</action>

Here the controller is Mage_Adminhtml_Report_ProductController and the action is downloadsAction

Answer 2

Your action path should be adminhtml/catalog_arattr/install to define the install section of the path as the action. Each / slash separates the module, the controller and then the action so as you only have 1 slash the action is assumed to be indexAction(). With the above URL the request will target the Namespace_Modulename_Adminhtml_Catalog_ArattrController and inside that installAction(). You will of course need to change the location of the controller to one directory higher up.