How to integrate my custom Administrator component with core Joomla database tables during install?

Question

Background: I am starting to package up three associated custom Joomla extensions that I've developed. (This is directly associated with my previous JSE question, if you want more context.) The package contains a component (com_o3_picture) that started as a clone of com_contact from the core, then was adjusted to suit client needs. Additionally, there is a editors-xtd plugin to generate placeholders into Articles and a content plugin to replace the placeholders with dynamic content.

Because I am using much of the same functionality of com_contact, my install.mysql.utf8.sql file creates a #__o3_picture_details table. This is successfully done already.

A couple of months ago, when I test-installed my component by itself, I realized that I didn't have the Pictures>Pictures and Pictures>Categories submenus that I needed in the Administrator Menu's Components>Pictures (to mirror the options that Contacts provides). So I manually inserted some rows into #__menu to solve the problem. This was something that I "eye-balled" because I needed to reference generated ids to properly assign the parent-child relationships.

Questions:

1. How do I automate the Menu option process? Can this be cleverly done in the install.mysql.utf8.sql? or do I use a preflight call? or postflight? or an entirely different/better way?

2. I know I need to insert to #__content_types. Are there any essential rows in other tables that should be inserted/updated? I mean, #__assets is a table that might not need to be spoken to, but I'd rather do everything in my install rather than running a sync from PWT's ACL asset fixer. Another example is #__associations -- I don't think I need to do anything to that one do I?

How can I be sure that I've created everything that is expected? Trial and Error? ...I'd rather not. Anyone have some experience/expertise to share?

Answer 1

1. Administrator menu items can be added to manifest file's <administration> section:

   <menu img="class:example">COM_EXAMPLE</menu>
   <submenu>
       <menu
           link="option=com_example"
           img="class:example-items"
           alt="Example/Items">COM_EXAMPLE_ITEMS</menu>
       <menu
           link="option=com_categories&amp;extension=com_example"
           view="categories"
           img="class:example-cat"
           alt="Example/Categories">COM_EXAMPLE_CATEGORIES</menu>
   </submenu>
   

   https://docs.joomla.org/Manifest_files#Menu_links_and_submenus

2. Unless you want to insert some sample items on installation, no. Component record will be added to #__assets table automatically.