Override Prestashop Module Changes not Visible - php

Question

I am attempting to override a module in Prestashop but the changes are just not appearing.
I have overridden a template file and a controller so I have added the following files:
\override\modules\blockwishlist\views\templates\front\mywishlist.tpl
\override\modules\blockwishlist\controllers\front\mywishlist.php
These are very simple changes where I add another column to a table that contains a button. When the button is clicked the controller generates a CSV file.
Any idea why these changes are just not being shown?
Note: I have turned on 'Force Compile' and turned of caching.
Edit:
Re overridding a controller is it:
class BlockWishListMyWishListModuleFrontController extends BlockWishListMyWishListModuleFrontControllerCore // extends ModuleFrontController
or
class BlockWishListMyWishListModuleFrontControllerOverride extends BlockWishListMyWishListModuleFrontController

Answer 1

okay, I did some code research (maybe thre is exists easiest way, not sure), so:
in code Dispatcher class we have
// Dispatch module controller for front office
case self::FC_MODULE :
$module_name = Validate::isModuleName(Tools::getValue('module')) ? Tools::getValue('module') : '';
$module = Module::getInstanceByName($module_name);
$controller_class = 'PageNotFoundController';
if (Validate::isLoadedObject($module) && $module->active) {
$controllers = Dispatcher::getControllers(_PS_MODULE_DIR_.$module_name.'/controllers/front/');
if (isset($controllers[strtolower($this->controller)])) {
include_once(_PS_MODULE_DIR_.$module_name.'/controllers/front/'.$this->controller.'.php');
$controller_class = $module_name.$this->controller.'ModuleFrontController';
}
}
$params_hook_action_dispatcher = array('controller_type' => self::FC_FRONT, 'controller_class' => $controller_class, 'is_module' => 1);
break;
where we see that controllers loaded without overrides, but from other side below in code we see hook execution:
// Loading controller
$controller = Controller::getController($controller_class);
// Execute hook dispatcher
if (isset($params_hook_action_dispatcher)) {
Hook::exec('actionDispatcher', $params_hook_action_dispatcher);
}
so one of possible solution (without overriding core class) :
how to override module and hope you have core version >= 1.6.0.11
in blockwishlist.php in install() method add
this->registerHook('actionDispatcher')
to condition with other hooks, so it will looks like ... !this->registerHook('actionDispatcher') || ... because this hook not registered by default and we can't just place module there.
create method (can't beautify code here)
public function hookActionDispatcher($params)
{
if ('blockwishlistmywishlistModuleFrontController' == $params['controller_class']) {
include_once(_PS_OVERRIDE_DIR_ . 'modules/' . $this->name . '/controllers/front/mywishlist.php');
$controller = Controller::getController('BlockWishListMyWishListModuleFrontControllerOverride');
}
}
you already have override/modules/blockwishlist/controllers/front/mywishlist.php file by this path
reinstall module.
it works!
more about overriding some behaviors in docs

Answer 2

Turns out that to override a module you dont place your files in:
~/overrides/module/MODULE_NAME
Instead you place it in:
~/themes/MY_THEME/modules/MODULE_NAME
Now the changes are exhibiting themselves.
Does anyone know if/when the module is auto-updated, will my changes get lost/overrwritten?