Creating Custom Configuration Options in Magento Admin

As a Magento developer you frequently encounter the Configuration page of Magento admin backend. But have you ever noticed how these configuration pages are created and where are those configuration options saved? If not don't worry, today I will tell you how to create an admin configuration page for you custom module. You might wonder that their is no '.phtml' involved in this configuration page. Shocked! Its ok, we have to play only with the xmls to create this functionality. So now lets start the development.

Open your app\code\local\<Namespace>\<module>\etc\system.xml
If file is not there, create one as stated below.

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config>
    <tabs>
        <mynew_tab module="<module>" translate="label">
            <label>Custom Configuration</label> 
            <sort_order>100</sort_order>
        </mynew_tab>
    </tabs>
</config>

These lines will create a new tab in the left hand menu of the configuration page.

Now add following lines to the file:

<sections>
        <customconfig module="<module>" translate="label">
            <label>Configuration</label> <!-- Name of the submenu in the 'Custom Configuration' tab -->
            <sort_order>200</sort_order>
            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website> <!-- Whether to show the options on website page -->
            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store> <!-- Whether to show the options on store page -->
            <tab>mynew_tab</tab>
        </customconfig>
    </sections>

These lines will add a new submenu to our configuration tab.

Now add following lines to it:

<sections>
        <customconfig module="<module>" translate="label">
  .....
            <groups> <!-- It will add a new group of options on the configuration page -->
                <custom_group translate="label"> <!-- Name of the option group -->
                    <label>My Custom Configurations</label>
                    <comment>This is example of custom configuration.</comment>
                    <sort_order>10</sort_order>
                    <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                    <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                    <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                </custom_group>
            </groups>
  </customconfig>
<sections>

Now write these lines:

<sections>
        <customconfig module="<module>" translate="label">
  .....
           <groups>
                <custom_group translate="label">
     .....
                    <fields> <!-- This section will add new options to our group -->
                        <custom_email translate="label tooltip comment"> <!-- New option created here -->
                            <label>Is Enabled</label> <!-- Text to be displayed-->
                            <frontend_type>select</frontend_type> <!-- Input type of option -->
                            <source_model>adminhtml/system_config_source_yesno</source_model> <!-- Predefined model in core -->
                            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                  <comment>Enable this module</comment> <!-- Help text for the option -->
                        </custom_enabled>
                        <custom_name translate="label tooltip comment">
                            <label>Sender Email</label>
                            <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                            <sort_order>1</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                    <comment>Email address of the user.</comment>
                        </custom_name>
                    </fields>
                </custom_group>
            </groups>
   </customconfig>
 </sections>

Now the complete code may look like this:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config>
    <tabs>
        <mynew_tab module="fancyfeedback" translate="label">
            <label>Custom Configuration</label>
            <sort_order>100</sort_order>
        </mynew_tab>
    </tabs>
    <sections>
        <customconfig module="fancyfeedback" translate="label">
            <label>Configuration</label>
            <sort_order>200</sort_order>
            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
            <tab>mynew_tab</tab>
            <groups>
                <custom_group translate="label">
                    <label>My Custom Configurations</label>
                    <comment>This is example of custom configuration.</comment>
                    <sort_order>10</sort_order>
                    <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                    <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                    <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
                    <fields>
                        <custom_enabled translate="label tooltip comment">
                            <label>Is Enabled</label>
                            <frontend_type>select</frontend_type>
                            <source_model>adminhtml/system_config_source_yesno</source_model>
                            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
       <comment>Enable this module.</comment>
                        </custom_enabled>
                        <custom_email translate="label tooltip comment">
                            <label>Sender Email</label>
                            <frontend_type>text</frontend_type>
                            <sort_order>1</sort_order>
                            <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
                            <show_in_website>1</show_in_website>
                            <show_in_store>1</show_in_store>
       <comment>Email address of the user.</comment>
                        </custom_email>
                    </fields>
                </custom_group>
            </groups>
        </customconfig>
    </sections>
</config>

But when you try to access this page at this time it may show you 'Access Denied' error. To remove this error open app\code\local\<Namespace>\<module>\etc\adminhtml.xml and write following lines:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config>
    <acl>
        <resources>
            <admin>
                <children>
                    <system>
                        <children>
                            <config>
                                <children>
                                    <customconfig translate="title" module="fancyfeedback">
                                        <title>Custom Configuration</title>
                                        <sort_order>100</sort_order>
                                    </customconfig>
                                </children>
                            </config>
                        </children>
                    </system>
                 </children>
            </admin>
        </resources>
    </acl>
</config>

Now logout from the admin section and login again. This is important to access this new configuration page otherwise 'Access Denied' error will continue to persist.
This is all to add new configuration page to your admin page. But now you may need to access the options that you just saved with your configuration page. To access them write:

Mage::getStoreConfig('customconfig/custom_group/custom_email');/*name of section, name of group, name of option*/

In some cases you may need to set a default value of the options. Don't worry, we have a solution for that also. Open app\code\local\<Namespace>\<module>\etc\config.xml and add following code:

<default>
 <customconfig>
      <custom_group>
      <custom_enabled>1</custom_enabled> <!-- Enabled by default-->
      <custom_email>bhardwajsonheight@gmail.com</custom_email> <!-- set default email address -->
      </custom_group>
   </customconfig>
</default>