Change Manage Customer's Grid - php

Question

I have created a custom module which displays a tab and a section in admin configuration panel to manage customer attributes.
I have loaded all customer attributes with a check box each.
This is my code for displaying all customer attributes as checkboxes. I want the checkbox value selected from here to be added as a column in Manage Customer Grid.
Model/Attributes.php
$attributes = Mage::getModel('customer/entity_address_attribute_collection');
$result = array();
foreach ($attributes as $attribute)
{
if (($label = $attribute->getFrontendLabel()))
$result[$attribute->getId()] = $label;
}
$attributes1 = Mage::getModel('customer/entity_attribute_collection');
$result1 = array();
foreach ($attributes1 as $attribute1)
{
if (($label1 = $attribute1->getFrontendLabel()))
$result1[$attribute1->getId()] = $label1;
}
$final = array_merge($result, $result1);
return $final;
Now based on selection of these check boxes, I would like to add an extra column in 'Manage Customer' Grid.
I tried retrieving the value of selected checkbox but I just get the array index number.
Mage::getStoreConfig('sectionname/groupname/fieldname');
Can some one tell me how to fetch the the selected checkbox value and add a column based on the selection represented by that checkbox?
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

When you use array_merge you are destroying the correct indexes, which are supposed to be the attribute IDs. Also it's good practice to give your variables meaningful names.
$result = array();
$addressAttributes = Mage::getModel('customer/entity_address_attribute_collection');
foreach ($addressAttributes as $addressAttribute)
{
if (($addrlabel = $addressAttribute->getFrontendLabel()))
$result[$addressAttribute->getId()] = $addrlabel;
}
$customerAttributes = Mage::getModel('customer/entity_attribute_collection');
foreach ($customerAttributes as $customerAttribute)
{
if (($custlabel = $customerAttribute->getFrontendLabel()))
$result[$customerAttribute->getId()] = $custlabel;
}
return $result;
I suppose the next step is to remove the columns that your grid's parent will add, these are stored in a grid's protected _columns property. Not all columns are to be removed, such as the massaction column. Then add your chosen columns back in.
protected function _prepareColumns()
{
parent::_prepareColumns();
// remove the excess columns here
$attributeIds = Mage::getStoreConfig('sectionname/groupname/fieldname');
$attributes = Mage::getModel('eav/entity_attribute')->getCollection()
->addFieldToFilter('attribute_id', array('in' => $attributeIds));
foreach ($attributes as $attribute)
{
$options = array();
if ($attribute->getFrontendInput() == 'select') {
foreach ($attribute->getSource()->getAllOptions() as $value) {
$options[$value['value']] = $value['label'];
}
}
$this->addColumn($attribute->getCode(), array(
'index' => $attribute->getCode(),
'header' => $attribute->getFrontendLabel(),
'type' => $attribute->getFrontendInput(),
'options' => $options
));
}
return $this;
}
This way may lose useful formatting like column widths, etc. so a more sophisticated way would be to work out which columns are already in place and leave them, then only remove those that haven't been selected.

Answer 2

I would, in your module, set in config.xml that you are overwrting the Block Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Customer_Grid with your own block (which inherits from Mage_Adminhtml_Block_Customer_Grid) and in your own block make a function
protected function _prepareColumns()
{
$this->addColumn('mycolumn', array(
'header' => Mage::helper('customer')->__('My Column'),
'index' => 'key',
));
return parent::_prepareColumns();
}
Without knowing more about your data its hard to give better advice, but this should be enough to get you started.