Extending / overriding extension in Magento - php

Question

I have an extension installed and I want to use its funcionality from my modules. The postAction in that extension is where all happens. It uses youtube API to retrieve a video information and save it on several tables on the Magento EAV data model.
Already have a functional module that I created to test youtube API functions using just a button and a text box to send some search term. But now I want to do it automatically using the extension funcionalities to make that call and fill in the necessary tables instead of doing everything manually from my code.
So I need (or want? or must?) to setup a call to that postAction or extend or override it. I'm lost here, I'm new to Magento and PHP so I haven´t a clear idea on what to do.
This is the class I want to call:
/**
* Youtube Upload Controller
*/
class AW_Vidtest_YoutubeController extends Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action {
.....
}
And inside it the postAction function:
/**
* Get customer video
*/
public function postAction() {
$data = new Varien_Object($this->getRequest()->getPost());
....
}
I have read the information on these links but I'm not clear on what exactly I'm must do. Follow the Observer pattern? Maybe just creating a post call by myself and somehow adding the $data structure so it can be used on the call? Thanks
How do I overwrite/extend an abstract class?
avoiding extension conflicts
block override from two different modules
overriding magento bloc in multiple modules
Edited:
This is the code I have until now, with suggestions made by #Francesco. The function printVideoEntry is called from other function, inside a for each that for now walks the first 3 products on the catalog.
<?php
class Dts_Videotestimonials_Model_SearchVideo extends Mage_Core_Model_Abstract
{
public $search_term;
private $productModel;
function printVideoEntry($videoEntry, $_product, $tabs = "")
{
# get user data
$user = Mage::getSingleton('admin/session');
$userName = $user->getUser()->getFirstname();
$userEmail = $user->getUser()->getEmail();
$data = array(
"ProductId" => $_product->getId(),
"AuthorEmail" => $userEmail,
"AuthorName" => $userName,
"VideoLink" => $videoEntry->getVideoWatchPageUrl(),
"VideoType" => "link",
"Title" => $videoEntry->getVideoTitle(),
"Comment" => "this is a comment"
);
$actionUrl = Mage::getUrl('vidtest/youtube/post');
Mage::app()->getResponse()->setRedirect($actionUrl, $data);
}
}

Answer 1

It is not easy to give a clear answer ... the question is not clear because we don't know how the youtube extension works. ( the code is crypted or open ? )
Call a Controller's Action
If you want to just call postAction you can use _redirect($path, $arguments=array()) method. ( defined in Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php )
$path is defined as 'moduleName/controllerName'
$arguments=array() are defined as couple parameterName => Value.
Ex.
$this->_redirect('checkout/cart', array('Pname' => $pValue, ... );
This will work only if you call it from a Controller ...
you can find more info about _redirect here: magento _redirect with parameters that have + or /
In case you want to do a redirection from a model or any different file form a Controller one you will need to call the url in this way :
Mage::app()->getResponse()->setRedirect(Mage::getUrl($path, $arguments=array()));
so the above ex. becames:
Mage::app()->getResponse()->setRedirect(Mage::getUrl('checkout/cart', array('Pname' => $pValue, ... ));
Observer
Using an Observer means add a new model to your module ( the observer ) and write inside this class a method that perform an action under certain events, probably you want to calls some model/method of the yt extension.
Then you have to declare this stuff in you config.xml binding you observer method to some event ( any predefined even in Magento that suit you or if you need you should create your own rewriting the magento class ... )
Example for Observer
PackageName/ModuleName/Model/Observer.php
class PackageName_ModuleName_Model_Observer {
public function myActionMethod(Varien_Event_Observer $observer) {
// Code ...
// just a very indicative example
$model = Mage::getModel('youtubeExtension/Model....').method();
}
}
PackageName/ModuleName/etc/config.xml
<config>
....
<global>
<events>
<EventName>
<observers>
<moduleName_observer>
<type>singleton</type>
<class>PackageName_ModuleName_Model_Observer</class>
<method>myActionMethod</method>
</moduleName_observer>
</observers>
</EventName>
</events>
</global>
....
Obviously change EventName and all fake name according to your package/module/methods names
The most of the difficult is to find the right event that suit you ...
Everytime you see in magento code something like Mage::dispatchEvent('EventName', Parameters); this is an event.
you can find a list of default Magento event Here
I hope it helps you

Answer 2

Just try to extends your module class
class AW_Vidtest_YoutubeController extends Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action {
.....
}
example
class AW1_Vidtest1_YoutubeController1 extends AW_Vidtest_YoutubeController {
.....
}
where
AW1_Vidtest1_YoutubeController1 Aw1 is namespace Vidtest1 is your module name YoutubeController1 is your controller where you want post action to use.
Hope it's work for you