Hooks API
This page describes the Hooks API which is a replacement for some of the lib.php based one-to-many plugin callbacks implementing on PSR-14.
The most common use case for hooks is to allow customisation of standard plugins or core functionality through hook callbacks in local plugins. For example adding a custom institution password policy that applies to all enabled authentication plugins through a new local plugin.
General concepts
Mapping to PSR-14
Moodle does not allow camelCase for naming of classes and method and Moodle already has events, however the PSR-14 adherence has higher priority here.
| PSR-14 | Hooks |
|---|---|
| Event | Hook |
| Listener | Hook callback |
| Emitter | Hook emitter |
| Dispatcher | Hook dispatcher (implemented in Hook manager) |
| Listener Provider | Hook callback provider (implemented in Hook manager) |
Hook emitter
A Hook emitter is a place in code where core or a plugin needs to send or receive information to/from any other plugins. The exact type of information flow facilitated by hooks is not defined.
Hook instance
Information passed between subsystem and plugins is encapsulated in arbitrary PHP class instances.
These can be in any namespace, but generally speaking they should be placed in the some_component\hook\*
namespace. Where possible, hooks are expected to implement the core\hook\described_hook interface.
The names of hook classes should follow the standard pattern of general to more specific, this groups
hooks for the same item when sorting alphabetically. For example core\hook\course_delete_pre instead
of pre_course_delete.
Hook callback
The code executing a hook does not know in advance which plugin is going to react to a hook.
Moodle maintains an ordered list of callbacks for each class of hook. Any plugin is free to register
its own hook callbacks by creating a db/hooks.php file. The specified plugin callback method is called
whenever a relevant hook is dispatched.
Hooks overview page
The Hooks overview page lists all hooks that may be triggered in the system together with all registered callbacks. It can be accessed by developers and administrators from the Site administration menu.
This page is useful especially when adding custom local plugins with hook callbacks that modify standard Moodle behaviour.
In special cases administrators may override default hook callback priorities or disable some unwanted callbacks completely:
$CFG->hooks_callback_overrides = [
\mod_activity\hook\installation_finished::class => [
'test_otherplugin\\callbacks::activity_installation_finished' => ['disabled' => true],
],
];
The hooks overview page will automatically list any hook which is placed inside any *\hook\* namespace within any Moodle component.
If you define a hook which is not in this namespace then you must also define a new \core\hook\discovery_agent implementation in [component]\hooks.
Adding new hooks
- Developer first identifies a place where they need to ask or inform other plugins about something.
- Depending on the location a new class implementing
core\hook\described_hookis added tocore\hook\*orsome_plugin\hook\*namespace as appropriate. - Optionally the developer may wish to allow the callback to stop any subsequent callbacks from receiving the object.
If so, then the object should implement the
Psr\EventDispatcher\StoppableEventInterfaceinterface. - Optionally if any data needs to be sent to hook callbacks, the developer may add internal hook constructor, some instance properties for data storage and public methods for data access from callbacks.
Hook classes may be any class you like. When designing a new Hook, you should think about how consumers may wish to change the data they are passed.
All hook classes should be defined as final, if needed traits can help with code reuse in similar hooks.
If you define a hook which is not in the [component]\hook\* namespace then you must also define a new \core\hook\discovery_agent implementation in [component]\hooks.
<?php
namespace mod_example;
class hooks implements \core\hook\hook_discovery_agent {
public static function discover_hooks(): array {
return [
[
'class' => \mod_example\local\entitychanges\create_example::class,
'description' => 'A hook fired when an example was created',
],
];
}
}
Example of hook creation
Imagine mod_activity plugin wants to notify other plugins that it finished installation, then mod_activity plugin developer adds a new hook and calls it at the end of plugin installation process.
<?php
namespace mod_activity\hook;
class installation_finished implements \core\hook\described_hook {
public static function get_hook_description(): string {
return 'Hook dispatched at the very end of installation of mod_activity plugin.';
}
}
<?php
function xmldb_activity_install() {
$hook = new \mod_activity\hook\installation_finished();
\core\hook\manager::get_instance()->dispatch($hook);
}
Registering of hook callbacks
Any plugin is free to register callbacks for all core and plugin hooks.
The registration is done by adding a db/hooks.php file to plugin.
Callbacks must be provided as PHP callable strings in the form of "some\class\name::static_method".
Hook callbacks are executed in the order of their priority from highest to lowest. Any guidelines for callback priority should be described in hook descriptions if necessary.
Callbacks are executed during system installation and all upgrades, the callback methods must verify the plugin is in correct state. Often the easiest way is to use function during_initial_install() or version string from the plugin configuration.
Example of hook callback registration
First developer needs to add a new static method to some class that accepts instance of a hook as parameter.
<?php
namespace local_stuff\local;
use \mod_activity\hook\installation_finished;
class hook_callbacks {
public static function activity_installation_finished(installation_finished $hook): void {
if (during_initial_install()) {
return;
}
if (!get_config('local_stuff', 'version') {
return;
}
// Do something...
}
}
Then developer has to register this new method as the hook callback by adding it to the db/hooks.php file.
<?php
$callbacks = [
[
'hook' => mod_activity\hook\installation_finished::class,
'callback' => local_stuff\local\hook_callbacks::class . '::activity_installation_finished',
'priority' => 500,
],
];
Callback registrations are cached, so developers should to either increment the version number for the component they place the hook into. During development it is also possible to purge caches.
In this particular example, the developer would probably also add some code to db/install.php
to perform the necessary action in case the hook gets called before the local_stuff plugin
is installed.
Deprecation of legacy lib.php callbacks
Hooks are a direct replacement for one-to-many lib.php callback functions that were implemented
using the get_plugins_with_function(), plugin_callback(), or component_callback() functions.
If a hook implements the core\hook\deprecated_callback_replacement interface, and if deprecated lib.php
callbacks can be listed in get_deprecated_plugin_callbacks() hook method
then developers needs to only add extra parameter to existing legacy callback functions
and the hook manager will trigger appropriated deprecated debugging messages when
it detects plugins that were not converted to new hooks yet.
Please note it is possible for plugin to contain both legacy lib.php callback and PSR-14 hook
callbacks.
This allows community contributed plugins to be made compatible with multiple Moodle branches.
The legacy lib.php callbacks are automatically ignored if hook callback is present.
Example how to migrate legacy callback
This example describes migration of after_config callback from the very end of lib/setup.php.
First we need a new hook:
<?php
namespace core\hook;
final class after_config implements described_hook, deprecated_callback_replacement {
public static function get_hook_description(): string {
return 'Hook dispatched at the very end of lib/setup.php';
}
public static function get_deprecated_plugin_callbacks(): array {
return ['after_config'];
}
}
The hook needs to be emitted immediately after the current callback execution code,
and an extra parameter $migratedtohook must be set to true in the call to get_plugins_with_function().
// Allow plugins to callback as soon possible after setup.php is loaded.
$pluginswithfunction = get_plugins_with_function('after_config', 'lib.php', true, true);
foreach ($pluginswithfunction as $plugins) {
foreach ($plugins as $function) {
try {
$function();
} catch (Throwable $e) {
debugging("Exception calling '$function'", DEBUG_DEVELOPER, $e->getTrace());
}
}
}
// Dispatch the new Hook implementation immediately after the legacy callback.
core\hook\manager::get_instance()->dispatch(new core\hook\after_config());
Hooks which contain data
It is often desirable to pass a data object when dispatching hooks.
This can be useful where you are passing code that consumers may wish to change.
Since the hook is an arbitrary PHP object, it is possible to create any range of public data and/or method you like and for the callbacks to use those methods and properties for later consumption.
<?php
namespace core\hook;
final class block_delete_pre implements described_hook, deprecated_callback_replacement {
public static function get_hook_description(): string {
return 'A hook dispatched just before a block instance is deleted';
}
public function __construct(
protected stdClass $blockinstance,
) {}
public function get_instance(): stdClass {
return $this->blockinstance;
}
public static function get_deprecated_plugin_callbacks(): array {
return ['pre_block_delete'];
}
}
When dispatching the hook, it behaves as any other normal PHP Object:
// Allow plugins to use this block before we completely delete it.
if ($pluginsfunction = get_plugins_with_function('pre_block_delete', 'lib.php', true, true)) {
foreach ($pluginsfunction as $plugintype => $plugins) {
foreach ($plugins as $pluginfunction) {
$pluginfunction($instance);
}
}
}
}
$hook = new \core\hook\block_delete_pre($instance);
core\hook\manager::get_instance()->dispatch($hook);
Hooks which can be stopped
In some situations it is desirable to allow a callback to stop execution of a hook. This can happen in situations where the hook contains that should only be set once.
The Moodle hooks implementation has support for the full PSR-14 specification, including Stoppable Events.
To make use of Stoppable events, the hook simply needs to implement the Psr\EventDispatcher\StoppableEventInterface interface.
<?php
namespace core\hook;
final class block_delete_pre implements
described_hook,
deprecated_callback_replacement.
Psr\EventDispatcher\StoppableEventInterface
{
public static function get_hook_description(): string {
return 'A hook dispatched just before a block instance is deleted';
}
public function __construct(
protected stdClass $blockinstance,
) {}
public function get_instance(): stdClass {
return $this->blockinstance;
}
public function isPropagationStopped(): bool {
return $this->stopped;
}
public function stop(): void {
$this->stopped = true;
}
public static function get_deprecated_plugin_callbacks(): array {
return ['pre_block_delete'];
}
}
A callback will only be called if the hook was not stopped before-hand. Depending on the hook implementation, it can stop he
<?php
namespace local_myplugin;
class callbacks {
public static function block_pre_delete(\core\hook\block_delete_pre $hook): void {
// ...
$hook->stop();
}
}