| name | prestashop-kb |
| description | Curated knowledge base for the PrestaShop platform — versions 8 and 9. Covers theme mechanics (theme.yml, parent-child, template inheritance, assets), Smarty templating + PS extensions ({l}, {hook}, {widget}), hooks (overview + listings), modules architecture (config.xml, controllers, lifecycle), install vs distribution (PS 9 source clone), and version migration PS 8 → 9 (Symfony BO, Twig, upgrade process). Use for platform-level PrestaShop questions independent of any specific theme. For Panda-theme-specific questions (`st*` modules, SunnyToo, Easy Builder) use the `panda-kb` skill instead. |
PrestaShop Knowledge Base
This skill exposes the curated PrestaShop platform knowledge base bundled with the prestashop-experts plugin. The prestashop-expert agent consults this KB before answering, but any agent can read these files directly.
When this skill is relevant
Load and read from this KB when the user mentions:
- PrestaShop mechanics independent of theme — hooks, modules, Smarty, themes parent-child, theme.yml, install vs distribution, migration.
- PS 8 vs PS 9 differences.
- Symfony BO (the new Symfony 6 + Twig back office in PS 9).
- Smarty templating in PS context —
{l}, {hook}, {widget}, {capture}.
- PS source clone vs distribution zip (
install-dev/ vs install/, admin-dev/ vs admin/).
- Hummingbird v2 theme — the default theme of PS 9 — and "which theme should I use" decision matrix.
- Composer/vendor,
parameters.php, .env in a PrestaShop project.
Do NOT load for: Panda-specific modules (use panda-kb), non-PrestaShop e-commerce, generic PHP/Symfony questions outside PrestaShop.
KB layout
references/
├── README.md # convenciones y índice de la KB
├── themes/ # 13 docs
│ ├── parent-child-feature.md # child theme mechanism (file path does NOT contain "child")
│ ├── theme-yml.md
│ ├── template-inheritance.md
│ ├── hummingbird-v2.md # PS 9 default theme + decision matrix vs Panda
│ └── ... (assets, layouts, etc.)
├── modules/ # 11 docs: arquitectura, config.xml, controllers, services.yml, lifecycle, hooks-in-modules
├── hooks/ # 3 docs: overview + listing of available hooks
├── smarty/ # 40 docs: Smarty templating + PS extensions
├── install/ # 1 doc: source-vs-distribution.md (PS 9 clone vs zip)
└── version-migration/ # 8 docs: PS 8 → 9, Symfony/Twig BO, upgrade process
How to use the KB
- Identify the topic of the question — themes / hooks / modules / smarty / install / migration — and jump to the matching subfolder.
themes/parent-child-feature.md is the canonical doc on child theme mechanics — note the file does NOT have "child" in its name (discoverability gotcha).- For Symfony BO (PS 9) work:
version-migration/ has the most context. Source code in CWD lives in ./src/PrestaShopBundle/.
- For legacy controllers (PS 8 + some PS 9 screens): still in
./controllers/admin/ and ./classes/. Not deeply covered in the KB — read source.
- Smarty syntax →
smarty/ (40 files) covers Smarty base + PS extensions. Read before improvising.
- install/source-vs-distribution.md: critical when the CWD has
install-dev/, admin-dev/, or a missing vendor/ folder — those indicate a source clone, not a distribution zip.
Key facts to surface to agents
- PS 9 default theme: Hummingbird v2 (accessibility-focused, EAA-aligned). Panda is still a valid premium alternative.
- PHP 8.1+ required in PS 9. PS 8 accepts PHP 7.4+.
- Symfony BO: PS 9 moves most BO to Symfony 6 + Twig. Legacy
controllers/admin/AdminXController.php still exist for non-migrated screens.
- Active theme is in DB:
ps_shop.theme_name. Files in ./themes/ are not authoritative on which theme is active.
- Hooks:
displayX hooks → inject HTML on the front.actionX hooks → execute logic on events.- Definitive read in CWD:
./classes/Hook.php, ./src/Core/Module/....
- Installed hooks: DB table
ps_hook.
- Theme.yml is authoritative on layouts, PS compatibility, assets, and child-parent relationship (
parent: declares the parent — not parent_theme:).
Project shape heuristics (PS 9)
When entering a project, check these to identify what you're dealing with:
| Signal | What it means |
|---|
./install-dev/ (not ./install/) | Source clone from GitHub, not distribution zip. |
./admin-dev/ (not ./admin/) | Same — /admin/ URL won't respond until rename. |
Missing ./vendor/ | composer install pending. PS won't boot. |
./themes/hummingbird/ present but no compiled assets | Needs npm ci && npm run build inside the theme to render. |
./.env / ./app/config/parameters.php | Env config — DB credentials, secret, etc. |
Gaps to be honest about
- Coverage is uneven:
smarty/ (40 docs) is well covered, install/ (1 doc) and hooks/ (3 docs) are minimal. For gaps, read source in CWD or consult devdocs.prestashop-project.org externally.
- PS 8-specific quirks are less covered than PS 9. If the question is PS 8 and the KB doesn't have it, say so.
- Performance, caching, profiling are not deeply covered. Recognize the gap and read source.
Cross-skill pointer
For Panda-theme-specific questions (st* modules, SunnyToo widgets, Easy Builder, Panda demos, "which Panda module for X"), use the sibling skill panda-kb and the agent panda-expert.
