Initial commit

Author: geoffstratton

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,73 @@
 # Drupal 7: Programmatically Create a Block
  How to programmatically create a block for your Drupal 7 web site
+
+So you want to add a block to your module in Drupal 7. First, define its internal name and human-readable title (for the Blocks UI) with hook_block_info():
+
+```php	
+/**
+* Implements hook_block_info().
+*/
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_info() {
+  $blocks = array();
+  $blocks['YOUR-BLOCK-NAME'] = array(
+    'info' => t('MY BLOCK TITLE'),
+    'cache' => DRUPAL_NO_CACHE
+  );
+  return $blocks;
+}
+```
+
+Then, give it the permissions needed to view it, a title (to appear for your site visitors), and some content with hook_block_view():
+
+```php	
+/**
+* Implements hook_block_view().
+*/
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_view($delta = '') {
+  $block = array();
+  switch ($delta) {
+    case 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME':
+      if (user_access('access content')) {
+          $block['subject'] = t('MY BLOCK TITLE');
+          $block['content'] = variable_get('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', '');
+      }
+      else {
+          $block['content'] = t('No content available.');
+      }
+    break;
+  }
+  return $block;
+}
+```
+
+If you want to give the block a visual configurator -- the "Configure" link in the Blocks UI -- beyond what's already provided by the Block module (title, description, visibility settings, etc.), use hook_block_configure() and hook_block_save():
+
+```php	
+/**
+ * Implements hook_block_configure()
+ */
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_configure($delta = '') {
+  $form = array();
+  if ($delta == 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME') {
+    $form['YOUR-BLOCK-NAME-FORM'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'textfield',
+      '#title' => t('Enter some text to display'),
+      '#size' => 128,
+      '#maxlength' => 128,
+      '#default_value' => variable_get('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', ''),
+    );
+  }
+  return $form;
+}
+ 
+/**
+ * Implements hook_block_save()
+ */
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_save($delta = '', $edit = array()) {
+  if ($delta == 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME') {
+    variable_set('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', $edit['YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT']);
+  }
+}
+```
+
+By using variable_set() and variable_get(), when you save some text in your custom field, Drupal will write the text into the variables table in its database and retrieve the text whenever the block is displayed.

drupal-7-block.php

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+* Implements hook_block_info().
+*/
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_info() {
+  $blocks = array();
+  $blocks['YOUR-BLOCK-NAME'] = array(
+    'info' => t('MY BLOCK TITLE'),
+    'cache' => DRUPAL_NO_CACHE
+  );
+  return $blocks;
+}
+
+/**
+* Implements hook_block_view().
+*/
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_view($delta = '') {
+  $block = array();
+  switch ($delta) {
+    case 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME':
+      if (user_access('access content')) {
+          $block['subject'] = t('MY BLOCK TITLE');
+          $block['content'] = variable_get('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', '');
+      }
+      else {
+          $block['content'] = t('No content available.');
+      }
+    break;
+  }
+  return $block;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_block_configure()
+ */
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_configure($delta = '') {
+  $form = array();
+  if ($delta == 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME') {
+    $form['YOUR-BLOCK-NAME-FORM'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'textfield',
+      '#title' => t('Enter some text to display'),
+      '#size' => 128,
+      '#maxlength' => 128,
+      '#default_value' => variable_get('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', ''),
+    );
+  }
+  return $form;
+}
+ 
+/**
+ * Implements hook_block_save()
+ */
+function YOUR-MODULE_block_save($delta = '', $edit = array()) {
+  if ($delta == 'YOUR-BLOCK-NAME') {
+    variable_set('YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT', $edit['YOUR-BLOCK-TEXT']);
+  }
+}
+
+?>