PrestaShop 8 Custom Module Development: Full Technical Guide

Creating a custom module in PrestaShop 8 can help you add new features and customize the platform to fit your business. PrestaShop 8 brings big improvements in how it’s built, including better use of the Symfony framework and cleaner code. This guide is for developers who want to learn how to build a custom module from scratch and follow modern coding practices. 

PrestaShop is a well-known, free eCommerce platform that lets developers create custom modules to add new functions. With PrestaShop 8, the platform has become even more developer-friendly, providing a modernized structure for creating scalable, high-performance eCommerce solutions. If you’re looking to take full advantage of PrestaShop’s capabilities, partnering with a reliable PrestaShop Development Company can help you build and implement robust, custom features for your store.

This tutorial will walk you through the process of creating your module in PrestaShop 8, explained clearly and step by step. Whether you’re a developer or an entrepreneur seeking to customize your store, this tutorial will guide you through the process.

Prerequisites:- 

Before diving into the code, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• A local and working PrestaShop 8 installation
• Access to the PrestaShop admin panel
• PHP version 7.4+ or 8.x
• Database: MySQL 5.6 (or later) is recommended.
• Basic understanding of Object-Oriented PHP and Symfony components

PrestaShop 8 enables developers to create fully customized eCommerce solutions. If you don’t have the technical expertise, you can always approach the Best PrestaShop Development Company to guide you through the module creation process. They’ll help you achieve the desired customization quickly and efficiently.

Hello World Module example:- 

The module structure helps you organize the code in a way that adheres to PrestaShop’s best practices. 

In our example, the structure for the “Hello World” module would look like this:

1) Module File Structure: 

/modules/helloworld/ 

├── helloworld.php 

├── config.xml 

└── logo.png 

2) Create the main PHP file: 

The helloworld.php file is the heart of your PrestaShop module. It contains the class that defines the behavior of your module. 

Let’s take a look at how to implement this:

helloworld.php 

<?php 

if (!defined(‘_PS_VERSION_’)) { 

exit; 

} 

class HelloWorld extends Module 

{ 

public function __construct() 

{ 

$this->name = ‘helloworld’; 

$this->version = ‘1.0.0’; 

$this->author = ‘Your Name’; 

$this->need_instance = 0; 

parent::__construct(); 

$this->displayName = $this->l(‘Hello World’); 

$this->description = $this->l(‘A simple Hello World module.’); 

} 

public function install() 

{ 

return parent::install(); 

} 

public function getContent() 

{ 

return ‘<h2>Hello World from PrestaShop Module!</h2>’; 

} 

} 

This HelloWorld class extends the Module class in PrestaShop, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into the system. The constructor defines important metadata like the module’s name, version, and description. If you need to add additional features, you can build them incrementally and follow best practices to ensure clean and maintainable code.

If you’re unsure about creating such custom modules, you can always consult with a PrestaShop Development Agency that specializes in module creation and modification.

3) Activating the Module:

Once the module files are in place, you can activate the “Hello World” module. Here’s how you can do that:

• Zip the HelloWorld folder 
• Upload it from the PrestaShop back office via Modules > Module Manager > Upload a module 

 After activation, you’ll see the “Hello World” message in the PrestaShop backend or front end, depending on where you hook the module.

Logs:- 

Logging helps show what a program or module is doing. It enables you to find problems and understand how the program works. 

Example of Writing to the PrestaShop Log: 

To add a simple log entry in PrestaShop, use the following code:

PrestaShopLogger::addLog(‘HelloWorld module’, 1); 

This will add an entry to the PrestaShop log, which can help debug or track the module’s activities. Logs can be found under Configure > Advanced Parameters > Logs in the PrestaShop back office.

How to prepare a custom module with CSS:

To enhance the look and feel of your module, you can include custom CSS. This can help ensure that the module’s front-end appearance matches the style of your store. Here’s how to include custom CSS in your module:

1) Create views/css/style.css:

The style.css file allows you to add custom styles to your module. The folder structure will look like this:

helloworld/
├── views/
│ └── css/
│ └── style.css

The content of style.css might look like this:

Example of CSS

h2 {
font-size: 20px;
color: green;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
}

2) Load CSS in the hook: 

To load the CSS into the back office of PrestaShop, you need to register a hook, which will ensure that the CSS is injected properly into the header of the page. 

Here’s how you can do that:

<?php 

if (!defined(‘_PS_VERSION_’)) { 

exit; 

} 

class HelloWorld extends Module 

{ 

public function __construct() 

{ 

$this->name = ‘helloworld’; 

$this->version = ‘1.0.0’; 

$this->author = ‘Your Name’; 

$this->need_instance = 0; 

parent::__construct(); 

$this->displayName = $this->l(‘Hello World’); 

$this->description = $this->l(‘A simple Hello World module.’); 

} 

public function install() 

{ 

// Register hook here and call parent install 

return parent::install() && $this->registerHook(‘displayBackOfficeHeader’); 

} 

public function getContent() 

{ 

// Content displayed in the module configuration page in Back Office 

return ‘<h2>Hello World from PrestaShop Module!</h2>’; 

} 

// Hook function to add CSS in the Back Office header 

public function hookDisplayBackOfficeHeader() 

{ 

$this->context->controller->addCSS($this->_path . ‘views/css/style.css’); 

} 

} 

By adding the hook displayBackOfficeHeader, the module ensures that the custom CSS is added to the backend header, affecting the display of the module.

Benefits of Creating Custom Modules in PrestaShop 8

Developing custom modules for PrestaShop offers several benefits, which make it an attractive option for e-commerce businesses.

Some of these benefits include:

• Full control that how things work
• Easy to add new features or make changes.
• reuse parts and build things.
• Add new things without changing the main files.
• Works well with other modules or tools
• Makes website faster and lighter
• Customization of the admin and front-end side
• Better support with full code access

PrestaShop is a versatile and powerful eCommerce platform, and with the right PrestaShop Development Company, you can create a highly functional, customized store. Whether you’re adding a simple feature or a complex integration, modules are the best way to keep your store scalable and maintainable.