3 Steps to create a custom observer.

These instructions are to create an observer when a customer is in the process of checking out, and we are “Observing” the Save shipping piece.

This was needed for a project that we are appending to the Gift Message feature for magento.  We are adding some text to every order that passes through regardless if the user entered something or not.

For this project I have been working on  a Website called Bloom

Step 1: create the module xml

In /app/etc/modules create an xml file called Bloom_Checkout.xml

In this new file add the following:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
<modules>
 <Bloom_Checkout>
 <active>true</active>
 <codePool>local</codePool>
 <version>0.0.1</version>
 </Bloom_Checkout>
</modules>
</config>

Step 2: Create the folder to contain the files config.xml and Observer.php

In /app/code/local/Bloom/ create a folder called Checkout

Create 2 sub folders inside /app/code/local/Bloom/Checkout

1. etc

2. Model

Inside etc create a file called config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
  <modules>
     <Bloom_Checkout>
       <version>0.0.1</version>
     </Bloom_Checkout>
 </modules>
 <global>
    <models>
       <Bloom_Checkout>
          <class>Bloom_Checkout_Model</class>
       </Bloom_Checkout>
 </models>
 <events>
    <checkout_submit_all_after>
       <observers>
         <bloom_checkout_success_observer>
            <type>singleton</type>
            <class>Bloom_Checkout_Model_Observer</class>
            <method>save_gift_message</method>
         </bloom_checkout_success_observer>
       </observers>
       </checkout_submit_all_after>
    </events>
 </global>
</config>

The file config.xml should read:

In Model create a file called Observer.php

This file should contain:

<?php

class Bloom_Checkout_Model_Observer
{

 /*
 * function save_gift_message()
 * This will, take any current gift message, and append to the end our new
 * text to help our warehouse know what is supposed to go into the bloombox
 *
 */
 public function save_gift_message(Varien_Event_Observer $observer)
 {
 // Load the order
 $load_order     = $observer->getEvent()->getOrder();

 // Load the quote
 $load_quote     = $observer->getEvent()->getQuote();

 // Get the first name
 $first_name     = Mage::getModel('customer/customer')->load($load_order->getCustomerId())->getFirstname();

 // Setup our sku list
 $sku_list   = '';

 // Setup our counter
 $i          = 1;
 $a          = 0;

 // Loop through all the items in the order
 foreach ($load_order->getAllItems() as $item)
 {

 // If the price for this item is 0, its free and is a bloom box item
 if($item->getPrice() == 0 )
 {
 // Compare the current loop number to the count of the total amount of items,
 // If it is not the same, then add a comma

 if( $i < count( $load_order->getAllItems() ) )
 {
 $comma = ',';
 }
 else
 {
 $comma = '';
 }

 // keep appending to our list
 $sku_list .= $item->getSku().$comma;
 // Make sure we increment our counter to track how many sku's we have..
 // We need this to know whether or not to show the message about the bloom blox
 $a++;
 }
 // increment the counter
 $i++;
 }

 // Get the subtotal
 $subtotal               = Mage::helper('bloombox')->getSubtotal();

 // Get the bloom box level
 $bloomBoxLevel          = Mage::helper('bloombox')->getBloomBoxLevel($subtotal);

 // Get the gift message id
 $gift_message_id        = $load_order->getGiftMessageId();

 // Setup the message, start with an empty string
 $message = '';

 if($gift_message_id != null)
 {
 // load the gift message
 $gift_message        = Mage::getModel('giftmessage/message')->load($gift_message_id);
 // If they had a message, add it now
 $message            .= $gift_message->getMessage();

 }
 else{
 $gift_message = Mage::getModel('giftmessage/message');
 $gift_message->setData('message', $message);
 $gift_message->save();
 $gift_message_id = $gift_message->getId();

 }

 $load_order->setData('gift_message_id', $gift_message_id);
 $load_order->save();

 // Save the gift message id to the quote and the order
 $load_quote->setData('gift_message_id', $gift_message_id);
 $load_quote->save();
 //$order->setData('gift_message_id', $gift_message_id)->save();

 // If our counter is greater than 0, we need to display the message
 // This is important because if they chose not to use and bloom box items, this message will be confusing
 if($a > 0)
 {
 $message           .= '******************************';
 $message           .= "Enjoy your " . $bloomBoxLevel . " Bloom Box ( " . $sku_list . " )";
 }
 else{
 // No message for now
 // $message           .= 'No Bloom box items';
 }

 $message               .= '****************************** Women Helping Women Discover What Really Works! Try it. Love it? Review it!  ******************************';

 // Reset the message so that way nothing extra is saved
 // $giftMessage->setMessage('')->save();

 // Set the sender name
 if( $gift_message->getSender() == '' )
 {
 $sender = $first_name;
 }
 else
 {
 $sender = $gift_message->getSender();
 }

 // Set the recipient name
 if( $gift_message->getRecipient() == '' )
 {
 $recipient = $first_name;
 }
 else
 {
 $recipient = $gift_message->getRecipient();
 }

 $gift_message->setData('sender', $sender);
 $gift_message->setData('recipient', $recipient);
 $gift_message->setMessage($message);
 $gift_message->save();

 }
}

That should be it.