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Technical Tools & Information

Technical Tools: 3 tools to help you get off to a good start

1. The Validator

The Validator ( https://validator.prestashop.com ) is a tool created to check if your module is technically compatible with the PrestaShop standards. You can:

  • upload a zip.
  • or specify the URL of your GitHub repository (that has to be public).

The Validator then automatically creates a detailed report explaining what needs to be improved/changed in your module. By following this report, you can submit your module error-free!

Important!
Since version 1.6.1.0, PrestaShop uses the PSR-2 norm. We recommend using this norm but note that it is not mandatory and that it won’t be a reason to decline your module. Here are more details in this blog article.

2. Method search engine

A search engine is available within the Validator to help you work out which methods are available for the various versions of PrestaShop. Make the most of this and use it to save time! It is not entirely up-to-date but we intend to work on it. You can find the search engine here.

3. The Module Generator

Have you thought about saving time with our Module Generator yet? All you have to do is choose your module type and follow the instructions. A skeleton module is then automatically generated to facilitate the creation of your module.

Information: 3 steps to pass technical validation

1. A development environment

You can create and test your module on whatever environment you like. Could be Windows using WampServer, Linux on local, docker, etc. The important thing to remember is to always activate the display of error messages.

To make this easier, PrestaShop features a Dev Mode, which allows you to configure your use of PHP to display error messages. There are 2 methods to activate Dev Mode:

  • Go to the Advanced Parameters > Performances section of your back office and activate the debug mode.
  • In the directory config/ of your PrestaShop, open the file defines.inc.php. The Dev Mode is to be activated at the very start of the file: you must modify the following line to change the defined value to true (it is set to false by default):
<?php
define('_PS_MODE_DEV_', true);

Important: stores which are up and running must not be used in Dev Mode! https://build.prestashop-project.org/news/module-development-changes-in-17/

2. Follow our good practices

Read our article: Good practices for developing modules.

3. Use the Validator to optimize your module

The Validator explains exactly what you need to modify for your module to be compliant with our technical requirements (technical errors, forbidden features or structural problems, etc.). By following the Validator’s recommendations, your module will be on sale sooner!

Are the recommendations provided preventing your module from working properly?
Contact us, we will be happy to help you develop your module!

If you encounter any problems, you can contact the technical team when submitting your module. Take advantage of their experience to perfect your module!

Update your modules and create themes for PrestaShop 1.7

All well-written 1.6 modules should work with little to no changes in version 1.7, except those which target:

  • The theme/front office – because we rewrote the way themes are written.
  • Payment modules – should be especially taken care of, since the payment API has seen a slight update.
  • The BO Product page – because the DOM of this page has changed.
  • The BO Modules page – again, because the DOM of this page has changed.

What this means for any shop upgrade is that in order for a PS 1.6 to migrate to PS 1.7, you will have to:

  • Rewrite the theme. You can use the default theme (“classic”) as a foundation.
  • Adapt the Product page modules (CSS and JavaScript).
  • Adapt the Modules page modules (CSS and JavaScript).

Everything you should know is gathered in the following pages:

And of course our 1.7 Project FAQ that should already be your bedtime reading!

How to submit a product to the Addons marketplace

After creating the perfect product page using the Contributor Kit, submit your module for technical validation.

Information

At this stage, you can find the module_key for your module. This is to be entered into the constructor in this format:

<?php
public function __construct() {
  // etc.
  $this->module_key = 'c1614c239af92968e5fae97f366e9961';
}

This will signal to the seller when an update of your module is available in the back-office. You should describe the modifications made one by one when an update is made. Don’t forget to indicate which versions of PrestaShop your module is compatible with!

Your file and the permanent name of your module

The zip archive submitted to our team must contain all the necessary files for your module, and have the same name as your module: if the main file of your module is called “module_name.php”, then it should be in the folder “module_name”, and the zip file must have the same name - without a version number.

Make sure that the name used for your file and zip is the same that you have given to your product page (so that the online seller can quickly identify your module in the back office of their store). So think carefully about the name you choose for your product (without using either “PrestaShop” or “module”). Feel free to personalize the name, for example with the name of your company or your initials

What happens next?

Once your module has been verified by the technical team, you will receive an email from us informing you of its status (validated or refused).

If refused, you will be told the points to improve. You can respond directly to the team via a link in the email informing you of the refusal in order to receive further information. Then it is up to you to follow these recommendations and resubmit your module to us!