PrestaShop $this->context->smarty is null - prestashop

Question

I'm making a PrestaShop 1.6 module and something weird is happening. In the configure page of this module I offer the user two forms. One to configure an automatic email and other to test the e-mail. My problem is that after submitting the second form the $this->context->smarty is null giving me this error:
Fatal error: Call to a member function assign() on null in /Users/andre/Projects/Web/xxx/modules/closecustomerthreademail/closecustomerthreademail.php on line 90
In line 90 I have: $this->context->smarty->assign('module_dir', $this->_path); which is inside of this function:
public function getContent()
{
/**
* If values have been submitted in the form, process.
*/
if (((bool)Tools::isSubmit('submitClosecustomerthreademailModule')) == true) {
$this->postProcess();
}
$this->context->smarty->assign('module_dir', $this->_path);
$output = $this->context->smarty->fetch($this->local_path.'views/templates/admin/configure.tpl');
return $output.$this->renderForm();
}
This is how I add two forms in the screen (renderForm method): return $helper->generateForm(array($this->getConfigForm(), $this->getTestForm()));
The postProcess. Sorry for pasting so much code, I'm trying to provide all the details I find relevant.
protected function postProcess()
{
if(Tools::isSubmit('test_form')) {
$this->sendTestEmailTo(Tools::getValue('CLOSECUSTOMERTHREADEMAIL_EMAIL_TO_TEST'));
}
elseif(Tools::isSubmit('config_form')) {
$form_values = $this->getConfigFormValues('config_form');
foreach (array_keys($form_values) as $key) {
Configuration::updateValue($key, Tools::getValue($key));
}
}
}
The sendTestEmailTo just has an IF statement and then call this function:
public function sendEmail($to_email, $to_name = null){
$id_lang = $this->context->language->id;
$template_dir = _PS_MODULE_DIR_.$this->name.'/views/templates/email/';
$vars = array(
'{html}' => Configuration::get('CLOSECUSTOMERTHREADEMAIL_EMAIL_HTML_BODY'),
'{text}' => Configuration::get('CLOSECUSTOMERTHREADEMAIL_EMAIL_TEXT_BODY')
);
require(_PS_CONFIG_DIR_.'config.inc.php');
require_once(_PS_ROOT_DIR_.'/init.php');
$send = Mail::Send(
(int)$id_lang,
'email',
Configuration::get('CLOSECUSTOMERTHREADEMAIL_EMAIL_SUBJECT'),
$vars,
$to_email,
$to_name,
null,
null,
null,
null,
$template_dir,
false,
(int)$this->context->shop->id,
null
);
return $send;
}
I'm failing to see what could be causing $this->context->smarty to be null. Would you have any tips to help me investigate?
EDIT
The construct method:
public function __construct()
{
$this->name = 'closecustomerthreademail';
$this->tab = 'others';
$this->version = '1.0.0';
$this->author = 'andre';
$this->need_instance = 0;
/**
* Set $this->bootstrap to true if your module is compliant with bootstrap (PrestaShop 1.6)
*/
$this->bootstrap = true;
parent::__construct();
$this->displayName = $this->l('Close Customer Thread e-mail');
$this->description = $this->l('Sends an e-mail whenever you close a customer thread');
$this->confirmUninstall = $this->l('Are you sure you want to uninstall this module?');
$this->ps_versions_compliancy = array('min' => '1.6', 'max' => _PS_VERSION_);
}

Answer 1

I'm glad that you've solved. But I guess that the problem is this:
require(_PS_CONFIG_DIR_.'config.inc.php');
require_once(_PS_ROOT_DIR_.'/init.php');
Remove those lines :), you shouldn't never include that files in a class method.

Answer 2

I couldn't figure out before the delivery so I had to do this to solve, a redirect:
protected function postProcess()
{
if(Tools::isSubmit('test_form')) {
$this->sendTestEmailTo(Tools::getValue('CLOSECUSTOMERTHREADEMAIL_EMAIL_TO_TEST'));
}
elseif(Tools::isSubmit('config_form')) {
$form_values = $this->getConfigFormValues('config_form');
foreach (array_keys($form_values) as $key) {
Configuration::updateValue($key, Tools::getValue($key));
}
}
$actual_link = (isset($_SERVER['HTTPS']) ? "https" : "http") . "://$_SERVER[HTTP_HOST]$_SERVER[REQUEST_URI]";
Tools::redirectAdmin($actual_link);
}