J1.5:How to create a custom button

The "J1.5" namespace is an archived namespace. This page contains information for a Joomla! version which is no longer supported. It exists only as a historical reference, it will not be improved and its content may be incomplete and/or contain broken links.

The code below is used for adding buttons to the back-end toolbar when developing components and modules.

Explanation of JToolBarHelper button functionality

• When you add a JToolBarHelper function into an admin view it will display the icon and preform the corresponding function listed in the controller when pressed.
• You can modify the default function that is run by using the $this->registerTask('add', 'edit'); to redirect logic, in this example a call from the default button add is directed to the edit function.

Default Buttons / Functions Included with Joomla 1.5

JToolBarHelper::title();
JToolBarHelper::spacer();
JToolBarHelper::divider();
JToolBarHelper::custom();
JToolBarHelper::customX();
JToolBarHelper::preview();
JToolBarHelper::help();
JToolBarHelper::back();
JToolBarHelper::media_manager();
JToolBarHelper::addNew();
JToolBarHelper::addNewX();
JToolBarHelper::publish();
JToolBarHelper::publishList();
JToolBarHelper::makeDefault();
JToolBarHelper::assign();
JToolBarHelper::unpublish();
JToolBarHelper::unpublishList();
JToolBarHelper::archiveList();
JToolBarHelper::unarchiveList();
JToolBarHelper::editList();
JToolBarHelper::editListX();
JToolBarHelper::editHtml();
JToolBarHelper::editHtmlX();
JToolBarHelper::editCss();
JToolBarHelper::editCssX();
JToolBarHelper::deleteList();
JToolBarHelper::deleteListX();
JToolBarHelper::trash();
JToolBarHelper::apply();
JToolBarHelper::save();
JToolBarHelper::cancel();
JToolBarHelper::preferences();
JToolBarHelper::addEntry();

• The icons associated with these functions are stored at:

www/administrator/templates/khepri/images

Custom button

• The syntax for a custom button that can be added into a view

/**
* Writes a custom option and task button for the button bar
* @param string The task to perform (picked up by the switch($task) blocks
* @param string The image to display
* @param string The image to display when moused over
* @param string The alt text for the icon image
* @param boolean True if required to check that a standard list item is checked
* @param boolean True if required to include callinh hideMainMenu() 
*/

JToolBarHelper::custom( 'task', 'icon', 'icon over', 'alt', boolean, boolean );

• The Default Admin Toolbar Icons are stored at:

www/administrator/templates/khepri/images

• From here you will notice that the icons are linked to display through the CSS file at:

www/administrator/templates/khepri/css/icon.css

• This icon CSS file is automatically included through the admin template. If we would like to add a custom toolbar icon into an installable component it is useful to follow the same structure. We will have to manually include our new CSS file.

• An example of the icon CSS statement:

.icon-32-iconname	{ 
	background-image: url(../../images/menu/icon-32-iconfile.png); 
}

• As you can see iconname and iconfile do not necessarily have to be the same.
  • JToolBarHelper will look for the iconname at the end of .icon-32- and the filename must be preceded by icon-32-

• The following would create this custom toolbar icon, notice the iconname dose not correspond to the actual file name but the CSS allows the reference.

JToolBarHelper :: custom( 'someFunction', 'iconname.png', 'iconname.png', 'alt text', false, false );

• You can place your icon file and css file at any point in your installable component, which will allow it to be easily transferable.

• To include a new CSS file to your entire admin side it may be useful to include it in the entry point.

JHTML::_('stylesheet', 'THISCOMPONENTNAME.css', 'components/THISCOMPONENT/assets/css/');

• A Custom button relies on javascript from includes/js/joomla.javascript.js to execute the task indicated by the user:

function submitbutton(pressbutton) {
  submitform(pressbutton);
}

• In more complex cases a user can override this javascript by implementing his own submitbutton function. To keep the toolbar buttons in working order, the user has to replace the document.adminForm.task.value with the pressbutton value:

function submitbutton(pressbutton) {
// Some conditions
  document.adminForm.task.value=pressbutton;
// More conditions
  submitform(pressbutton);
}

Upload button

• Method 1:

// Add an upload button and view a popup screen width 550 and height 400
$alt = "Upload";
$bar=& JToolBar::getInstance( 'toolbar' );
$bar->appendButton( 'Popup', 'upload', $alt, 'index.php', 550, 400 );

• Method 2:

// You view button for popup media manager tools
JToolBarHelper::media_manager( '/' );