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01-01-13 Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 2.2 J anuary 2013
1
Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1- Basics ................................................................................................................................................. 4 2- Request Flow .................................................................................................................................... 7 3- Rendering ......................................................................................................................................... 11 4- Working with Database in Magento ........................................................................................... 18 5- Entity-Attribute-Value (EAV) Model ............................................................................................ 20 6- Adminhtml ...................................................................................................................................... 23 7- Catalog ............................................................................................................................................ 28 8- Checkout ........................................................................................................................................ 32 9- Sales and Customers ..................................................................................................................... 36 10- Advanced features ....................................................................................................................... 39 Sample Questions .............................................................................................................................. 41 Answers to Sample Questions .......................................................................................................... 43
Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 2.2 J anuary 2013
2
Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
3 Introduction
This Study Guide is intended to help you prepare for the Magento Certified Developer Exam. For each content area of the exam, the Study Guide details the objectives (skills) that are tested by the exam. For each objective, it provides questions that you should ask yourself as you study the Magento code base, along with code references that you can use as entry points to find answers to those questions. This Study Guide is continually being revised and improved. When preparing for the exam, remember to check the website for the latest version of this Study Guide. Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
4 1- Basics This topic comprises approximately 6% of the Standard form of the exam. Questions are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: High-level Magento architecture Describe Magento codepools Describe typical Magento module structure Describe Magento templates and layout files location Describe Magento skin and JavaScript files location Identify and explain the main Magento design areas (adminhtml and frontend) Explain class naming conventions and their relationship with the autoloader Describe methods for resolving module conflicts. To verify your understanding of these objectives, ask yourself the following questions: How does the framework interact with the various codepools? What constitutes a namespace and a module? What does the structure of a complete theme look like? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _App Mage_Cor e_Model _Conf i g Var i en_Aut ol oad Magento configuration Explain how Magento loads and manipulates configuration information Describe class group configuration and use in factory methods Describe the process and configuration of class overrides in Magento Register an Observer Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
5 Identify the function and proper use of automatically available events, including *_l oad_af t er , etc. Set up a cr on job Since Magento is an XML DOM configuration-based framework, a thorough understanding of how Magento loads and assembles its configuration XML DOM is a core competency. How does the framework discover active modules and their configuration? What are the common methods with which the framework accesses its configuration values and areas? How are per-store configuration values established in the XML DOM? By what process do the factory methods and autoloader enable class instantiation? Which class types have configured prefixes, and how does this relate to class overrides? Which class types and files have explicit paths? What configuration parameters are available for event observers? What are the interface and configuration options for automatically fired events? What is the structure of event observers, and how are properties accessed therein? What configuration parameters are available for cr on jobs? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _App_Ar ea Mage_Cor e_Model _Conf i g Mage_Cor e_Model _St or e Var i en_Event _Obser ver Internationalization Describe how to plan for internationalization of a Magento site Describe the use of Magento translate classes and translate files Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using subdomains and subdirectories in internationalization Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
6 To verify your understanding of these objectives, ask yourself the following questions: Which method is used for translating strings, and on which types of objects is it generally available? In what way does the developer mode influence how Magento handles translations? How many options exist to add a custom translation for any given string? What is the priority of translation options? How are translation conflicts (when two modules translate the same string) processed by Magento? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Tr ansl at e: : i ni t ( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Local e: : emul at e( ) Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
7 2- Request Flow This topic comprises approximately 7% of the exam. Questions are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Application initialization Describe the steps for application initialization Describe the role of the system entrypoint, i ndex. php Starting with the i ndex. php, including Mage. php, follow through the steps Magento takes to set up the run time environment. How and when is the include path set up and the auto loader registered? How and when does Magento load the base configuration, the module configuration, and the database configuration? How and when are the two main types of setup script executed? When does Magento decide which store view to use, and when is the current locale set? Which ways exist in Magento to specify the current store view? When are the request and response objects initialized? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: i ndex. php Mage_Cor e_Model _App: : r un( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Conf i g: : l oadBase( ) and i ni t ( ) Front Controller Describe the role of the front controller Identify uses for events fired in the front controller Follow the flow of control through front controller initialization until an action controller is dispatched. Which ways exist in Magento to add router classes? What are the differences between the various ways to add routers? Think of possible uses for each of the events fired in the front controller Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
8 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Fr ont : : i ni t ( ) and di spat ch( ) URL rewrites Describe URL structure/processing in Magento Describe the URL rewrite process Focus on the internals of database-based URL rewrites. What is the purpose of each of the fields in the cor e_ur l _r ewr i t e table? When does Magento created the rewrite records for categories and products? How and where does Magento find a matching record for the current request? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Fr ont : : di spat ch( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Ur l _Rewr i t e: : r ewr i t e( ) Request routing Describe request routing/request flow in Magento Describe how Magento determines which controller to use and how to customize route-to-controller resolution Starting with the front controller delegating the process of mapping a request to a controller action, study the steps that occur until a controller action is dispatched. Which routers exist in a native Magento implementation? How does the standard router map a request to a controller class? How does the standard router build the filesystem path to a file that might contain a matching action controller? How does Magento process requests that cannot be mapped? After a matching action controller is found, what steps occur before the action method is executed? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
9 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Fr ont : : i ni t ( ) Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Rout er _St andar d: : col l ect Rout es( ) and mat ch( ) Module initialization Describe the steps needed to create and register a new module Describe the effect of module dependencies Describe different types of configuration files and the priorities of their loading This objective covers how Magento loads modules and how modules interact with each other. What does "Magento loads modules" mean? In which order are Magento modules loaded? Which core class loads modules? What are the consequences of one module depending on another module? During the initialization of Magento, when are modules loaded in? Why is the load order important? What is the difference regarding module loading between Mage: : r un( ) and Mage: : app( ) ? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage: : r un( ) and Mage: : app( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _App: : r un( ) and i ni t ( ) Design and layout initialization Identify the steps in the request flow in which: Design data is populated Layout configuration files are parsed Layout is compiled Output is rendered Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
10 The design configuration is part of Magento's view implementation. This objective covers the processing of these XML instructions. Which ways exist to specify the layout update handles that will be processed during a request? Which classes are responsible for the layout being loaded? How are layout xml directives processed? Which configuration adds a file containing layout xml updates to a module? Why is the load order of layout xml files important? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Act i on: : l oadLayout ( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout : : __const r uct ( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e: : l oad( ) Flushing data (output) Describe how and when Magento renders content to the browser Describe how and when Magento flushes output variables using the Front controller This objective covers the response object as well as combining JavaScript and CSS files. Which events are associated with sending output? Which class is responsible for sending output? What are possible issues when this output is not sent to the browser using the typical output mechanism, but is instead sent to the browser directly? How are redirects handled? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Fr ont : : di spat ch( ) Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Response_Ht t p and super cl asses Mage_Page_Bl ock_Ht ml _Head: : get CssJ sHt ml ( ) Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
11 3- Rendering This topic comprises approximately 7% of the exam. Questions are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Themes in Magento Define and describe the use of themes in Magento: How you can use themes to customize core functionality? How can you implement different designs for different stores using Magento themes? In which two ways you can register custom theme? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn_Package Define and describe the use of design packages: What is the difference between package and theme? What happens if the requested file is missed in your theme/package? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn_Package Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Describe the process of defining template file paths: Which kind of paths (absolute or relative) does Magento use for templates and layout files? How exactly can Magento define which physical file correspond to certain template/layout to use? Which classes and methods need to be rewritten in order to add additional directories to the fallback list? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
12 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn_Package Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Blocks Describe the programmatic structure of blocks: What are blocks used for in Magento? What is the parent block for all Magento blocks? Which class does each block that uses a template extend? In which way does a template block store information about its template file? Does it store an absolute or a relative path to the template? What is the role of the Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act class? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Abst r act Describe the relationship between templates and blocks: Can any block in Magento use a template file? How does the $t hi s variable work inside the template file? Is it possible to render a template without a block in Magento? Is it possible to have a block without a template in Magento? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Describe the stages in the lifecycle of a block: Which class is responsible for creating an instance of the block? Which class is responsible for figuring out which blocks should be created for certain pages? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
13 How is the tree of blocks typically rendered? Is it possible to create an instance of the block and render it on the page without using the Magento layout? Is it possible to create an instance of the block and add it to the current layout manually? How are a blocks children rendered? Once you added a child to the block, can you expect it will be rendered automatically? What is a difference in rendering process for different types of blocks? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text _Li st Describe events fired in blocks: How can block output be caught using an observer? What events do Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act and Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e fire? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Identify different types of blocks: What is the purpose of each of the following block types: Mage_Core_Block_Template Mage_Core_Block_Text_List Mage_Core_Block_Text Which block type renders its children automatically? Which block type is usually used for a content block on Magento pages? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Cor e/ Bl ock/ * Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
14 Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text _Li st Mage_Page_Bl ock_Ht ml _Head Describe block instantiation: How can a templates block instance be accessed inside the template file, and how can other block instances be accessed? How can block instances be accessed from the controller? How can block instances be accessed inside install scripts or other model class instances? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Act i on Explain different mechanisms for disabling block output: In which ways can block output be disabled in Magento? Which method can be overridden to control block output? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Describe how a typical block is rendered: Which class performs rendering of the template? Which classes are responsible for figuring out the absolute path for including the template file? In which method are templates rendered? How can output buffering be enabled/disabled when templates are rendered? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
15 Design layout, XML schema, and CMS content directives Describe the elements of Magento's layout XML schema, including the major layout directives: How are <updat e / >, <bl ock / >, and <act i on / >used in Magento layout? Which classes and methods determine which nodes from layout XML correspond to certain URLs? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Register layout XML files: How can layout XML files be registered for the frontend and adminhtml areas? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Create and add code to pages: How can code be modified or added to Magento pages using the following methods? Template customizations Layout customizations Overriding block classes Registering observers on general block events In which circumstances are each of the above methods more or less appropriate than others? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Act i on Mage/ Cor e/ Bl ock/ * Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
16 Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text _Li st Mage_Page_Bl ock_Ht ml _Head Explain how variables can be passed to block instances via layout XML: How can variables be passed to the block using the following methods? From layout xml file From controller From one block to another From an arbitrary location (for example, install/upgrade scripts, models) In which circumstances are each of the above methods more or less appropriate than others? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Act i on Mage/ Cor e/ Bl ock/ * Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text _Li st Mage_Page_Bl ock_Ht ml _Head Describe various ways to add and customize JavaScript to specific request scopes: Which block is responsible for rendering JavaScript in Magento? Which modes of including JavaScript does Magento support? Which classes and files should be checked if a link to a custom JavaScript file isnt being rendered on a page? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Cor e/ Bl ock/ * Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Templ at e Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text Mage_Cor e_Bl ock_Text _Li st Mage_Page_Bl ock_Ht ml _Head Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
17 General References for this section: Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn Mage_Cor e_Model _Desi gn_Package Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Act i on Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
18 4- Working with Databases in Magento This topic comprises approximately 13% of the exam. Questions are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Models, resource models, and collections Describe the basic concepts of models, resource models, and collections, and the relationship they have to one another Configure a database connection Describe how Magento works with database tables Describe the load-and-save process for a regular entity Describe group save operations Describe the role of Zend_Db_Sel ect in Magento Describe the collection interface (filtering/sorting/grouping) Describe the hierarchy of database-related classes in Magento Describe the role and hierarchy of setup objects in Magento These objectives fall into two broad areas. The first is about how models work with resource models and collections in order to access the database storage layer; the second is about how to work with the database directly by using the adapter classes and the Zend_Db_Sel ect object to create queries. Which methods exist to access the table of a resource model? Which methods exist to create joins between tables on collections and on select instances? How does Magento support different RDBMSs? How do table name lookups work, and what is the purpose of making table names configurable? Which events are fired automatically during CRUD operations? How does Magento figure out if a save( ) call needs to create an INSERT or an UPDATE query? How many ways exist to specify filters on a flat table collection? Which methods exist to influence the ordering of the result set for flat table collections? How do the methods differ? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
19 Why and how does Magento differentiate between setup, read, and write database resources? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Db_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Db_Col l ect i on_Abst r act Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce: : get Tabl eName( ) Zend_Db_Sel ect Install/upgrade scripts Describe the install/upgrade workflow Write install and upgrade scripts using set-up resources Identify how to use the DDL class in setup scripts Each module can encapsulate the preparation and upgrade of the database table it requires via setup scripts. Under which circumstances are setup scripts executed? What is the difference between the different classes used to execute setup scripts? Which is the base setup class for flat table entities, and which one the base for EAV entities? Which methods are generally available in setup scripts to manipulate database tables and indexes? What is the difference between addAt t r i but e( ) and updat eAt t r i but e( ) in EAV setup scripts? How can you implement a rollback in Magento? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cor e_Model _App: : r un( ) and _i ni t Modul es( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Set up: : appl yAl l Updat es( ) and appl yAl l Dat aUpdat es( ) Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Set up: : addAt t r i but e( ) and updat eAt t r i but e( ) Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
20 5- Entity-Attribute-Value (EAV) Model This topic comprises approximately 10% of the exam. Questions are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: EAV model concepts Define basic EAV concepts and class hierarchy Describe the database schema for EAV entities Describe the EAV entity structure and its difference from the standard core resource model Describe the EAV load-and-save process and its differences from the regular load- and-save process This objective covers understanding how EAV entity values are stored in the database, how the involved tables relate, how the EAV resource models differ from the flat table resource models and how the EAV models process CRUD operations. Which classes in Mage_Eav are used as resource models and which are used as regular models? How do flat and EAV resource models differ? Which entities in a native Magento installation use EAV resource models and why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of EAV over flat table resource models? How are store and website scope attribute values implemented in the Magneto EAV system? How does the model distinguish between insert and update operations? How do load and save processes for EAV entities differ from those for flat table entities? What parts are identical? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Eav_Model _Conf i g Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Abst r act Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Col l ect i on_Abst r act Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Abst r act : : l oad( ) and save( ) Mage_Cor e_Model _Abst r act : : l oad( ) and save( ) Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Col l ect i on_Abst r act : : l oad( ) Magento
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2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
21 Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Db_Col l ect i on_Abst r act : : l oad( ) Attributes management Identify the purpose of attribute frontend, source, and backend models Describe how to implement the interface of attribute frontend, source, and backend models: How do attribute models, attribute source models, attribute backend models and attribute frontend models relate to each other? Which methods have to be implemented in a custom source model (or frontend model or backend model)? Can adminhtml system configuration source models also be used for EAV attributes? What is the default frontend model (and source and backend model) for EAV attributes? Does every attribute use a source model? Which classes and methods are related to updating the EAV attribute values in the flat catalog tables? What factors allow for attributes to be added to flat catalog tables? How are store-scoped entity attribute values stored when catalog flat storage is enabled for that entity type? Which frontend, source, and backend models are available in a stock Magento installation? How do multi-lingual options for attributes work in Magento? How do you get a list of all options for an attribute for a specified store view in addition to the admin scope? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Abst r act Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Backend_Abst r ace Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Fr ont end_Abst r act Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Sour ce_Abst r act Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Sour ce_Tabl e Mage_Eav_Model _Resour ce_Ent i t y_At t r i but e_Opt i on_C ol l ect i on: : l oad( ) Describe how to create and customize attributes. Besides simply using the stock EAV attributes that come with Magento, one of the most common operations for developers is to modify or create attributes. Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
22 Which setup methods are available to work with EAV entities? How can an EAV setup class be instantiated in a setup script if not specified in the XML <cl ass>configuration for a setup resource? What is the difference between addAt t r i but e( ) and updat eAt t r i but e( ) ? What are the advantages of using a custom setup class for manipulating EAV attributes in a custom module? This code reference can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Eav_Model _Ent i t y_Set up Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
23 6- Adminhtml This topic comprises approximately 7% of the exam. Items are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Common structure/architecture Describe the similarities and differences between adminhtml and frontend interface and routing: Which areas in configuration are only loaded for the admin area? What is the difference between admin and frontend controllers? When does Magento figure out which area to use on the current page? How you can make your controller work under the / admi n route? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Admi nht ml _Cont r ol l er _Act i on Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout Mage_Cor e_Model _Layout _Updat e Mage_Cor e_Cont r ol l er _Var i en_Rout er _St andar d Describe the components and types of cache clearing using the adminhtml interface: At which moment does Magento check if a user is logged in or not? Which class do most Magento adminhtml blocks extend? What are the roles of adminhtml config? What are the differences between the different cache types on the admin cache cleaning page? What is the difference between flush storage and flush Magento cache? How you can clear the cache without using the UI? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Admi nht ml _Model _Conf i g Mage_Admi nht ml _Model _Conf i g_Dat a Mage_Admi n_Model _Obser ver Mage_Cor e_Model _Cache Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
24 Forms in Magento Define form structure, form templates, grids in Magento, and grid containers and elements: Which block does a standard Magento form extend? What is the default template for a Magento form? Describe the role of a form container and its template. Describe the concept of Form elements, and list system elements implemented in Magento. Describe the concept of fieldsets. How can you render an element with a custom template? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: l i b/ Var i en/ Dat a/ For m/ * Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _For m Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _For m_Cont ai ner Grids in Magento Create a simple form and grid for a custom entity Describe how to implement advanced Adminhtml Grids and Forms, including editable cells, mass actions, totals, reports, custom filters and renderers, multiple grids on one page, combining grids with forms, and adding custom JavaScript to an admin form: Which block class do Magento grid classes typically extend? What is the default template for Magento grid instances? How can grid filters be customized? How does Magento actually perform sorting/paging/filtering operations? What protected methods are specific to adminhtml grids, and how are they used? What is the standard column class in a grid, and what is its role? What are column renderers used for in Magento? How can JavaScript that is used for a Magento grid be customized? What is the role of the grid container class and its template? What is the programmatic structure of mass actions?
Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
25 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _Gr i d Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _Gr i d_Col umn Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _Gr i d_Col umn_Render er / * Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _Gr i d_Col umn_Fi l t er / * Mage_Admi nht ml _Bl ock_Wi dget _Gr i d_Cont ai ner app/ desi gn/ admi nht ml / def aul t / def aul t / t empl at e/ wi d get / gr i d. pht ml app/ desi gn/ admi nht ml / def aul t / def aul t / t empl at e/ wi d get / gr i d/ cont ai ner . pht ml System configuration Define the basic terms, elements, and structure of system configuration XML: How can elements in system configuration be rendered with a custom template? How does the structure of syst em. xml relate to the rendered elements in the System Configuration view? How can the CSS class of system configuration elements be changed? What is the syntax for specifying the options in dropdowns and multiselects? Which classes are used to parse and render system configuration XML? What is the syntax to specify a custom renderer for a field in system configuration? How does Magento store data for system configuration? What is the difference between Mage: : get St or eConf i g( . . . ) and Mage: : get Conf i g( ) - >get Node( . . . ) ? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Admi nht ml / Model / Syst em/ Conf i g/ * Mage/ Admi nht ml / Bl ock/ Syst em/ Conf i g/ * Describe system configuration scopes: How do different scopes (global, website, store) work in Magento system configuration? How does Magento store information about option values and their scopes? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
26 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: cor e_conf i g_dat a table Mage_Cor e_Model _Cor e_Conf i g_Dat a Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Conf i g_Dat a Mage_Cor e_Model _Resour ce_Conf i g_Dat a_Col l ect i on Access Control Lists (ACL) and permissions in Magento Define/identify basic terms and elements of ACL Use ACL to: Set up a menu item Create appropriate permissions for users Check for permissions in permissions management tree structures To verify your understanding, ask yourself these questions: For what purpose is the _i sAl l owed( ) method used and which class types implement it? What is the XML syntax for adding new menu element? What is admi nht ml . xml used for? Which class parses it, and which class applies it? Where is the code located that processes the ACL XML and where is the code that applies it? What is the relationship between Magento and Zend_Acl ? How is ACL information stored in the database? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Admi n_Model _Acl Mage_Admi n_Model _Acl _Resour ce Mage_Admi n_Model _Acl _Rol e Mage_Admi n_Model _Resour ce_Acl Mage_Admi n_Model _Resour ce_Rol e Mage_Admi n_Model _Resour ce_Rol es Mage_Admi n_Model _Resour ce_Rul es Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
27 Working with extensions in Magento Describe how to enable and configure extensions Define Magento extensions and describe the different types of extension available (Community, Core, Commercial) Questions to ask yourself: In which folders are Magento extensions files located? Which files are necessary to make custom modules work? How can module dependencies be manipulated? What is the role of the downloader? How can modules be installed through Magento Connect? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
28 7- Catalog This topic comprises approximately 10% of the exam. Items are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Product Types Identify and describe standard product types (simple, configurable, bundled, etc.). Create custom product types from scratch or modify existing product types. Identify how custom product types interact with indexing, SQL, and underlying data structures. In addition to allowing customization of existing product types, the framework provided by the Magento catalog module lets you create completely new ones. Which product types exist in Magento? Which product types are implemented as part of the Mage_Cat al og module, and which are not? What steps need to be taken in order to implement a custom product type? How do the different product types handle calculation? Which indexing processes does the product type influence? Which product types implement a parent-child relationship between product entities? Which database tables are shared between product types, and which ones are specific to one product type? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _Type Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _Type_Abst r act Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _Type_Si mpl e Mage_Cat al og_Model _Resour ce_Pr oduct _Type_Conf i gur abl e Mage_Bundl e_Model _Pr oduct _Type Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
29
Price Generation Identify basic concepts of price generation in Magento Modify and adjust price generation for products (for example, during integration of third-party software): Under what circumstances are product prices read from the index tables? From which modules do classes participate in price calculation? Which ways exist to specify custom prices during runtime? How do custom product options influence price calculation? How are product tier prices implemented and displayed? What is the priority of the different prices that can be specified for products (price, special price, group price, tier price, etc.)? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct : : get Pr i ce( ) and get Fi nal Pr i ce( ) Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _Type_Pr i ce : : get Ti er Pr i ce( ) Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _I ndexer _Pr i ce Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _Type_Conf i gur abl e_Pr i c e Category Structure Describe the Category Hierarchy Tree Structure implementation (the internal structure inside the database), including: The meaning of par ent _i d 0 The construction of paths The attributes required to display a new category in the store
Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
30 Questions to ask yourself: How is the category hierarchy reflected in the database? Does it differ when multiple root categories are present? How is a catalog tree read from the database tables, with and without flat catalog tables enabled? How does working with categories differ if the flat catalog is enabled on a model level? How is the category parent id path set on new categories? Which methods exist to read category children and how do they differ? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cat al og_Model _Cat egor y Mage_Cat al og_Model _Resour ce_Cat egor y Mage_Cat al og_Model _Resour ce_Cat egor y_Col l ect i on Mage_Cat al og_Model _Resour ce_Cat egor y_Tr ee Catalog Price Rules Identify how catalog price rules are implemented in Magento: How are the catalog price rules related to the product prices? How are the catalog price rules stored in the database? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cat al ogRul e_Model _Rul e Mage_Cat al ogRul e_Model _Obser ver Mage_Cat al ogRul e_Model _Rul e_Pr oduct _Pr i ce Other Skills Choose optimal catalog structure (EAV vs. Flat) for a given implementation Implement, troubleshoot, and modify Magento tax rules Modify, extend, and troubleshoot the Magento layered (filter) navigation Troubleshoot and customize Magento indexes Describe custom product options in Magento Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
31 The Magento catalog module doesnt only consist of categories and products: a lot of additional catalog functionality is implemented, partly within the Mage_Cat al og module, partly in other modules. When and how are the catalog flat tables updated when a product is modified? Which factors are used by the Mage_Tax module to apply the correct tax rate (or rates) to a product price? How can attributes with custom source models be integrated into layered navigation filtering? Which classes are responsible for rendering the layered navigation? Which indexes are used for the layered navigation? Which steps are needed to integrate a custom indexer into the framework offered by the Mage_I ndex module? How are custom product options stored on quote and order items? How can you specify custom product options on-the-fly on quote items? How are custom product options copied from quote to order items? How are custom product options processed when a product is added to the cart? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _I ndexer _Fl at Mage_Cat al og_Model _Cat egor y_I ndexer _Fl at Mage_Cat al og_Model _Pr oduct _I ndexer _Eav Mage_Cat al og_Model _Resour ce_Pr oduct _I ndexer _Eav Mage_Tax_Hel per _Dat a: : get Pr i ce( ) Mage_Cat al og_Bl ock_Layer _St at e Mage_Cat al og_Bl ock_Layer _Vi ew Mage_Cat al og_Model _Layer Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
32 8- Checkout This topic comprises approximately 16% of the exam. Items are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Checkout components Describe how to modify and effectively customize the quote object, the quote item object, and the address object: What is the quote model used for in Magento? What is the shopping cart model used for in Magento? How does Magento store information about the shopping cart? How are different product types processed when added to the cart? What is the difference between shipping and billing address objects in Magento? How is each used in the quote object? What is the difference in processing quote items for onepage and multishipping checkout in Magento? How does Magento process additional information about products being added to the shopping cart (custom options, components of configurable products, etc.)? How do products in the shopping cart affect the checkout process? How can the billing and shipping addresses affect the checkout process? When exactly does inventory decrementing occur? When exactly does card authorization and capturing occur? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_I t em Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess_I t em Mage/ Cat al ogI nvent or y/ et c/ conf i g. xml Mage_Cat al ogI nvent or y_Model _Obser ver Explain the database schema for total models: What are total models responsible for in Magento? How you can customize total models? How can the individual total models be identified for a given checkout process? How can the priority of total model execution be customized? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
33 To which objects do total models have access in Magento, and which objects do they usually manipulate? Which class runs total models processing? What is the flow of total model execution? At which moment(s) are total models executed These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Sal es/ et c/ conf i g. xml Mage/ Tax/ et c/ conf i g. xml Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess_I t em Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess_Tot al _Abst r act Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess_Tot al _Col l ect or Mage/ Sal es/ Model / Quot e/ Addr ess/ Tot al / * Mage/ Sal esRul e/ et c/ conf i g. xml Mage_Sal esRul e_Model _Val i dat or Shopping Cart price rules Describe how shopping cart price rules work and how they can be customized: Which module is responsible for shopping cart price rules? What is the difference between shopping cart and catalog price rules? What are the limitations of Magento shopping cart rules? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Sal esRul e/ et c/ conf i g. xml Mage/ Sal esRul e/ Model / * Shipping and payment methods in Magento Describe the programmatic structure of shipping methods, how to customize existing methods, and how to implement new methods Describe the shipping rates calculation process: How does Magento calculate shipping rates? What is the hierarchy of shipping information in Magento? How does the Tabl eRat e shipping method work? How do US shipping methods (FedEX, UPS, USPS) work? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
34 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Shi ppi ng_Model _Car r i er _Abst r act Mage_Shi ppi ng_Model _Rat e_Abst r act Mage_Shi ppi ng_Model _Rat e_Request Mage_Shi ppi ng_Model _Rat e_Resul t Mage/ Shi ppi ng/ Model / Rat e/ Resul t / * Mage_Shi ppi ng_Model _I nf o Mage/ Shi ppi ng/ Model / Car r i er / * Mage/ Shi ppi ng/ Model / Resour ce/ Car r i er / * Describe the programmatic structure of payment methods and how to implement new methods: How can payment method behavior be customized (for example: whether to charge or authorize a credit card; controlling URL redirects; etc.)? Which class is the basic class in the payment method hierarchy? How can the stored data of payment methods be customized (credit card numbers, for example)? What is the difference between payment method and payment classes (such as or der _payment , quot e_payment , etc.)? What is the typical structure of the payment method module? How do payment modules support billing agreements? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Payment _Model _Met hod_Abst r act Mage_Payment _Model _Met hod_Cc Mage_Payment _Model _I nf o Mage/ Paypal / * Mage/ Paypal Uk/ * Magento multishipping implementation Describe how to extend the Magento multishipping implementation Identify limitations of the multishipping implementation: How does the storage of quotes for multishipping and onepage checkouts differ? Which quotes in a multishipping checkout flow will be virtual? What is the difference in the multishipping processing for a quote with virtual products in it? Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
35 How can different product types be split among multiple addresses when using multishipping in Magento? How many times are total models executed on a multishipping checkout in Magento? Which model is responsible for multishipping checkout in Magento? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Checkout _Model _Type_Mul t i shi ppi ng Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e_Addr ess Mage_Sal es_Model _Quot e Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
36 9- Sales and Customers This topic comprises approximately 11% of the exam. Items are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Sales Describe order creation in the admin Describe the differences in order creation between the frontend and the admin: Which classes are involved in order creation in the admin? What are their roles (especially the role of adminhtml classes)? How does Magento calculate price when an order is created from the admin? Which steps are necessary in order to create an order from the admin? What happens when existing orders are edited in the admin? What is the difference between order status and order state? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Addr ess Mage_Admi nht ml _cont r ol l er s_Or der _Cr eat eCont r ol l er Mage_Admi nht ml _Model _Sal es_Or der _Cr eat e Card operations (capturing and authorization): Which classes and methods are responsible for credit card operations (for example authorization or capturing)? What is the difference between pay and capture operations? What are the roles of the or der , or der _payment , i nvoi ce, and payment methods in the process of charging a card? What are the roles of the total models in the context of the invoice object? How does Magento store information about invoices? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _I nvoi ce Mage/ Sal es/ Model / Or der / I nvoi ce/ * Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
37 Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Payment Mage_Payment _Model _Met hod_I nf o Mage_Payment _Model _Met hod_Abst r act Describe the order shipment structure and process: How shipment templates be customized? How can different items from a single order be shipped to multiple addresses? Is it possible at all? How does Magento store shipping and tracking information? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Shi pment Mage/ Sal es/ Model / Or der / Shi pment / * Describe the architecture and processing of refunds: Which classes are involved, and which tables are used to store refund information? How does Magento process taxes when refunding an order? How does Magento process shipping fees when refunding an order? What is the difference between online and offline refunding? What is the role of the credit memo total models in Magento? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Cr edi t memo Mage/ Sal es/ Model / Or der / Cr edi t memo/ * Describe the implementation of the three partial order operations (partial invoice, partial shipping, and partial refund): How do partial order operations affect order state? How is data for partial operations stored? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _I nvoi ce Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Payment Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Shi pment Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Cr edi t memo Mage_Payment _Model _Met hod_Abst r act Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
38 Describe cancel operations: What cancel operations are available for the various order entities in Magento (order, order item, shipment, invoice, credit memo)? Do all of them support cancellation? How are taxes processed during cancel operations? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Admi nht ml _Sal es_Or der Cont r ol l er Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _I nvoi ce Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Payment Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Shi pment Mage_Sal es_Model _Or der _Cr edi t memo Customer Describe the architecture of the customer module Describe the role of customer addresses Describe how to add, modify, and display customer attributes: What is the structure of tables in which customer information is stored? What is the customer resource model? How is customer information validated? How can customer-related email templates be manipulated? What is the difference between shipping and billing addresses for a customer? How does the number of shipping and billing address entities affect the frontend interface for customers? How does customer information affect prices and taxes? How can attributes be added to a customer address? How are custom address attributes you added converted to an order address? Can a customer be added to two customer groups at the same time? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage/ Cust omer / et c/ conf i g. xml Mage_Cust omer _Model _Cust omer Mage_Cust omer _Model _Resour ce_Cust omer Mage_Cust omer _Model _Cust omer _Addr ess Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
39 10- Advanced features This topic comprises approximately 13% of the exam. Items are drawn randomly from the following topics and objectives: Widgets Create frontend widgets and describe widget architecture: What classes are typically involved in Magento widget architecture? How are admin-configurable parameters and their options specified? These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Wi dget _Model _Wi dget API Use the Magento API to implement third party integrations Extend the existing Magento API to allow for deeper integrations into third party products Describe the different Web Service APIs available within the Magento Core Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the available Web Service APIs in Magento Identify the configuration files used for the v2 SOAP API Describe the purpose of the configuration files related to the API Ask yourself these questions: What are the syntactical differences between API versions? How is the final WSDL composed? How can it be customized? How are existing methods overwritten? How can additional methods be added?
Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
40 These code references can be used as an entry point to find answers to the questions above: Mage_Api _Model _Wsdl _Conf i g Mage_Api _Model _Ser ver Other Skills Integrate Google features (Google Wallet, Checkout, AdWords, Analytics) into Magento implementation Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
41 Sample Questions These questions are representative of the types of question on the exam. Answers are given on the page following the last question.
1- In which of the following methods would you log event names? A. Mage: : addObser ver ( ) B. Var i en_Event : : di spat chEvent ( ) C. Mage: : l ogEvent ( ) D. Mage_Cor e_Model _App: : di spat chEvent ( )
2- In which order are translations loaded?
1- Module translation files under app/ l ocal e/ [ l ocal e] / *. xml 2- Translations stored in the DB table cor e_t r ansl at e 3- Theme translations in the t r ansl at e. csv file located in the theme l ocal e/ [ l ocal e] / directory
A. 1,2,3 B. 1,3,2 C. 2,1,3 D. 2,3,1
3 - When specifying a custom connection resource for a module that handles the DB reads, which of the following is a possible resource name? A. <modul ename_r eadonl y> B. <modul ename_r ead> Magento
Certified Developer Exam Study Guide page
2013 X.commerce, Inc. version 1.2 J anuary 2013
42 C. <modul ename_def aul t > D. <modul ename_set up> E. <modul ename_connect i on_r ead>
4 - Assuming a setup class of Mage_Sal es_Model _Resour ce_Set up, which of the following will correctly add an attribute to the sales/order entity? A. $i nst al l er - >addAt t r i but e( ' sal es_or der _ent i t y' , ' f oo' , ar r ay ( ' t ype' => ' i nt ' ) ) ; B. $i nst al l er - >addAt t r i but e( ' sal es/ or der ' , ' f oo' , ar r ay( ' t ype' =>' i nt ' ) ) ; C. $i nst al l er - >addAt t r i but e( ' or der ' , ' f oo' , ar r ay( ' t ype' => ' i nt ' ) ) ; D. $i nst al l er - >addAt t r i but e( ' sal es_f l at _or der ' , ' f oo' , ar r ay( ' t ype' =>' i nt ' ) ) ; Magento