Retired Documentation

You are using the documentation for version 2.11.9. Go here for the latest version or check here for your available upgrades to the latest version.

Accessory Development¶

Overview¶

Third-party accessories should be placed in the /system/expressionengine/third_party/<package_name>/ directory and are enabled via the Accessories Manager in the Add-Ons section. Accessories can have their own database tables, if necessary, but it is not required. Accessories do not have their own individual control panel.

Naming Convention¶

Accessories have a file naming convention similar to ExpressionEngine plugins and extensions. There is only a single file required for an extension and inside this file should be a PHP class. The name of the class is the file name plus the suffix _acc so that the name of the file is the lower-cased class name with the prefix ‘acc.’, the _acc suffix, and the standard PHP suffix of ‘.php’. So, if our class is called ‘Example_acc’, then our file name for this accessory would be ‘acc.example.php’.

Inside the Accessory¶

Class Variables¶

Inside an accessory file should be a class, which will be called by ExpressionEngine whenever this particular accessory is required. There are five other required class variables that your accessories should have. These variables output meta information to the Accessories Manager so that it can describe your accessory and manage display settings.

class Example_acc
{
    var $name       = 'My Example Accessory';
    var $id         = 'example';
    var $version        = '1.0';
    var $description    = 'My accessory has a lovely description.';
    var $sections       = array();
}
// END CLASS

Here is a quick run down each variable:

$name - the name of the accessory, used in the accessory manager display and on the accessory’s tab.
$id - the class id automatically associated with the accessory tab.
$version - the current version of the accessory.
$description - the accessory description, used in the accessory manager display.
$sections - an array of data to be displayed when the accessory tab is displayed.

If your accessory has a language file, then you the $name and $description class variables can be set in the constructor by calling the language file and variables using the Language ($LANG) class. If your accessory is likely to be used internationally and by non-English speakers this is a recommended course of action.

Required Functions¶

In addition to the constructor function, which must reference the super object, you will also need a set_sections() function. This function defines the various sections in your accessory and populates the content.

/**
 * Set Sections
 *
 * Set content for the accessory
 *
 * @access  public
 * @return  void
 */
function set_sections()
{
    $this->sections['My Heading'] = 'I made an accessory!';
}

Each element of the array represents a section. The array key will be the section heading, the array contents will be the accessory’s contents. This can be as simple or complex as you need it to be.

Activating and Updating¶

No special functions are required to install your accessory. If you’re following the naming conventions above, include your required class variables, and have a set_sections() function, ExpressionEngine will automatically handle the installation and deinstallation. However, in some cases, you may need to add on to the installation/deinstallation routines. For example, your accessory may have its own database table that should be installed when the accessory is installed. If you do require additional processing, you can specify an install() function. If an install() function is included, the accessory controller will automatically include it during installation. Similarly, while no uninstall function is required, if your accessory needs additional process on deinstallation, the contents of an uninstall() will automatically be included.

To update your accessory, you should create an optional update() function. It will run if the $version in your file is newer then the version the user has installed. Errors should be trapped, and return FALSE if something fails. On a successful update, the installed version will be updated in the database. If all you required was to have a $version flag updated, then an empty function will suffice:

function update()
{
    return TRUE;
}

View Files¶

Accessories can utilize View files as a more intuitive way to create the content for each section. For greater detail on utilizing views from your add-on, see the modules tutorial section on using view files.

Processing Requests¶

Accessories have the ability to process requests for actions like AJAX calls. Methods designed for this purpose must have a process_ prefix. For example, the the following URL could be called

C=addons_accessories&M=process_request&accessory=my_accessory&method=process_example

This will request the process_example method in my_accessory.