Trying to write a simple Joomla plugin - database

Question

Please help, this is my first plugin I'm writing and I'm completely lost. I'm trying to write and update information in a table in a joomla database using my custom giveBadge() function. The functions receives two different variables, the first variable is the $userID and the second one is the digit 300 which I pass at the bottom of the class using giveBadge(300). At the same comparing the $userID in the Joomla database to ensure that the number 300 is given to the current user logged in the Joomla site.
Thanks in advance.
<?php
defined('JPATH_BASE') or die;
class plgUserBadge extends JPlugin
{
public function onUserLogin () {
$user =& JFactory::getUser();
$userID =& user->userID;
return $userID;
}
public function giveBadge ($userID, &$badgeID) {
// Get a db connection.
$db = JFactory::getDbo();
// Create a new query object.
$query = $db->getQuery(true);
// Fields to update.
$fields = array(
'profile_value=\'Updating custom message for user 1001.\'',
'ordering=2');
// Conditions for which records should be updated.
$conditions = array(
'user_id='.$userID,
'profile_key=\'custom.message\'');
$query->update($db->quoteName('#__user_badges'))->set($fields)->where($conditions);
$db->setQuery($query);
try {
$result = $db->query();
} catch (Exception $e) {
// Catch the error.
}es = array(1001, $db->quote('custom.message'), $db->quote('Inserting a record using insert()'), 1);
}
}
giveBadge(300); //attaches to $badgeID
?>

Answer 1

Here is not going well with your code:
You can drop the assign by reference in all your code (&) - you really don't need it, in 99% of the cases.
Use an IDE (for example Eclipse with PDT). At the top of your code you have & user->userID; Any IDE will spot your error and also other things in your code.
Study existing plugins to understand how they work. Here is also the documentation on plugins.
The method onUserLogin() will automatically be called by Joomla when the specific event is triggered (when your plugin is activated). Check with a die("My plugin was called") to see if your plugin is really called
inside onUserLogin() you do all your business logic. You are not supposed to return something, just return true. Right now your method does absolutely nothing. But you can call $this->giveBadge() to move the logic to another method.