Add new customer > only 1 name required

[tabstop]

Hi,

when I add a new customer in my magento, the fields of Prename and Surname are required.

I often work with tradecustomer and only want to use the company name. 

How can I make one of the names optional, so I have to fill only one name?

How can I do this.

Thank you in advance.

Regards

[Elsner_Tech]

Please try below code to remove required field from customer "Last Name"  using sql installation script

$installer = $this;
$setup = new Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Setup('core_setup');
$installer->startSetup();
/*** Update customer address attributes*/
$setup->updateAttribute('customer', 'lastname', 'is_required', 0); 

$installer->endSetup();

Please try below code to remove required field from customer Address "Last Name"

$installer = $this;
$setup = new Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Setup('core_setup');
$installer->startSetup();
/*** Update customer address attributes*/
$setup->updateAttribute('customer_address', 'lastname', 'is_required', 0); 

$installer->endSetup();

Using above code Required Option removed from Customer and Customer Address "Last Name"

But from frontend need to change

1. Rewrite app/code/core/Mage/Customer/Helper/Address.php

Change Code from 

public function getAttributeValidationClass($attributeCode)
    {
        /** @var $attribute Mage_Customer_Model_Attribute */
        $attribute = isset($this->_attributes[$attributeCode]) ? $this->_attributes[$attributeCode]
            : Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')->getAttribute('customer_address', $attributeCode);
        $class = $attribute ? $attribute->getFrontend()->getClass() : '';

        if (in_array($attributeCode, array('firstname', 'middlename', 'lastname', 'prefix', 'suffix', 'taxvat'))) {
            if ($class && !$attribute->getIsVisible()) {
                $class = ''; // address attribute is not visible thus its validation rules are not applied
            }

            /** @var $customerAttribute Mage_Customer_Model_Attribute */
            $customerAttribute = Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')->getAttribute('customer', $attributeCode);
            $class .= $customerAttribute && $customerAttribute->getIsVisible()
                ? $customerAttribute->getFrontend()->getClass() : '';
            $class = implode(' ', array_unique(array_filter(explode(' ', $class))));
        }

        return $class;
    }

Change To 

public function getAttributeValidationClass($attributeCode ,$attributeEntity = 'customer_address')
    {
        /** @var $attribute Mage_Customer_Model_Attribute */
        $attribute = isset($this->_attributes[$attributeCode]) ? $this->_attributes[$attributeCode]
            : Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')->getAttribute($attributeEntity, $attributeCode);
        $class = $attribute ? $attribute->getFrontend()->getClass() : '';

        if (in_array($attributeCode, array('firstname', 'middlename', 'lastname', 'prefix', 'suffix', 'taxvat'))) {
            if ($class && !$attribute->getIsVisible()) {
                $class = ''; // address attribute is not visible thus its validation rules are not applied
            }

            /** @var $customerAttribute Mage_Customer_Model_Attribute */
            $customerAttribute = Mage::getSingleton('eav/config')->getAttribute('customer', $attributeCode);
            $class .= $customerAttribute && $customerAttribute->getIsVisible()
                ? $customerAttribute->getFrontend()->getClass() : '';
            $class = implode(' ', array_unique(array_filter(explode(' ', $class))));
        }

        return $class;
    }

And in name.phtml file line 82

app/design/frontend/base/default/template/customer/widget/name.phtml

Change From 

<input type="text" id="<?php echo $this->getFieldId('lastname')?>" name="<?php echo $this->getFieldName('lastname')?>" value="<?php echo $this->escapeHtml($this->getObject()->getLastname()) ?>" title="<?php echo Mage::helper('core')->quoteEscape($this->getStoreLabel('lastname')) ?>" maxlength="255" class="input-text <?php echo $this->helper('customer/address')->getAttributeValidationClass('lastname') ?>" <?php echo $this->getFieldParams() ?> />

Change To

<input type="text" id="<?php echo $this->getFieldId('lastname')?>" name="<?php echo $this->getFieldName('lastname')?>" value="<?php echo $this->escapeHtml($this->getObject()->getLastname()) ?>" title="<?php echo Mage::helper('core')->quoteEscape($this->getStoreLabel('lastname')) ?>" maxlength="255" class="input-text <?php echo $this->helper('customer/address')->getAttributeValidationClass('lastname' , 'customer') ?>" <?php echo $this->getFieldParams() ?> />