Adding a new attribute to order in magento

newOrderAttribute.md

Assuming that you want to add my_custom_input_field to your order and add a field to your admin create order page (to add the field to the frontend you just need to add the input field to the front template and double check the observer)

In /app/code/local/MageIgniter/CustomOrderStatus/etc/config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus>
            <version>1.1</version>
        </MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus>
    </modules>

    <global> 
         <fieldsets>
            <sales_convert_quote>                           
                <my_custom_input_field><to_order>*</to_order></my_custom_input_field>
            </sales_convert_quote>

            <sales_convert_order>                                              
                <my_custom_input_field><to_quote>*</to_quote></my_custom_input_field>
            </sales_convert_order>
        </fieldsets>
        <helpers>
            <customorderstatus>
                <class>MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus_Helper</class>
            </customorderstatus>            
        </helpers>

        <models>
            <customorderstatus>
                <class>MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus_Model</class>
                <resourceModel>customorderstatus_mysql4</resourceModel>
            </customorderstatus>
        </models>
        <resources>
            <customorderstatus_setup>
                <setup>
                    <module>MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus</module>
                    <class>Mage_Sales_Model_Mysql4_Setup</class>
                </setup>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_setup</use>
                </connection>
            </customorderstatus_setup>
            <customorderstatus_write>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_write</use>
                </connection>
            </customorderstatus_write>
            <customorderstatus_read>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_read</use>
                </connection>
            </customorderstatus_read>
        </resources>

        <events>
            <adminhtml_sales_order_create_process_data_before>
                <observers>
                    <customorderstatus>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>customorderstatus/observer</class>
                        <method>saveCustomData</method>
                    </customorderstatus>
                </observers>
            </adminhtml_sales_order_create_process_data_before>
        </events>

        <blocks>
            <customorderstatus>
                <class>MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus_Block</class>
            </customorderstatus>
        </blocks>
    </global>
</config>

Explainations in addition to the original tutorial : In this configuration, the node <sales_convert_quote> add the new field in the collection that "transform" the quote in order.

At the contrary, the node <sales_convert_order> do the exact thing but for the collection wich "transfom" the order in quote. This transformation isn't use as the first one because it's when the customer choice to re-order a previous order. That take an order and transform into a quote.

They are not linked and you can only use first one but it can be safer to put it both.

In /app/code/local/MageIgniter/CustomOrderStatus/sql/customorderstatus_setup/mysql4-install-1.1.php

<?php
$installer = $this;
$installer->startSetup();

$installer->addAttribute("order", "my_custom_input_field", array("type"=>"varchar"));
$installer->addAttribute("quote", "my_custom_input_field", array("type"=>"varchar"));
$installer->endSetup();

In /app/code/local/MageIgniter/CustomOrderStatus/Model/Observer.php

class MageIgniter_CustomOrderStatus_Model_Observer 
{
    public function saveCustomData($event)
    {
        $quote = $event->getSession()->getQuote();
        $quote->setData('my_custom_input_field', $event->getRequestModel()->getPost('my_custom_input_field'));

        return $this;
    }
}

(You should avoid make changes to core default - you should do some research on way around this)

In /app/design/adminhtml/default/default/template/sales/order/view/info.phtml

<?php if($_order->getMyCustomInputField()): ?>
<tr>
    <td class="label"><label><?php echo Mage::helper('sales')->__('My Custom Input Field') ?></label></td>
    <td class="value"><strong><?php echo $_order->getMyCustomInputField() ?></strong></td>
</tr>
<?php endif; ?>

In /app/design/adminhtml/default/default/template/sales/order/create/form/account.phtml

(to add to frontend change the value="<?php echo Mage...>")

<input id="my_custom_input_field" name="my_custom_input_field" value="<?php echo Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session_quote')->getQuote()->getMyCustomInputField() ?>" class="input-text" type="text">

At admin html i cannot see the value of attribute but just My Custom Input Field.
I have 2 questions....

1. where in db it must be created
2. what you mean with (to add to frontend change the value="<?php echo Mage...>")