Magento – Adding a Child Block Programmatically

blocks

I'm creating a block, and I wish it to have several child blocks that appear prior to the rendering of my main block.

Following the standards set in other, inherited classes, I can see the following:

public function _prepareLayout()
{
    $this->setChild('alias',
        $this->getLayout()->createBlock('modulename/block_name')
    );
    return parent::_prepareLayout();
}

If I follow the path to the parent _prepareLayout() function, it appears in exactly the same format. In addition, if I print out the $this->_children variable after the layout has processed, I get a list of elements that includes mine.

However, it's not rendering to the page and I've not idea what else I need to do output it.

My blocks are loaded programatically, i.e. without a layout or template file.

Best Answer

In order to view a block in the layout it fit in one of the 2 cases:

it has a _toHtml method that returns something
it extends Mage_Core_Block_Template and has a valid template associated.

Related Solutions

Custom Structural Block – Problem Adding Custom Structural Block in Magento

use the code as:

<layout version="0.1.0">
    <default>
        <reference name="root">
            <block type="core/template" name="menu" as="menu" template="menu.phtml" />
        </reference>
    </default>
</layout>

You don't need the second reference.

Can’t Add Child Block to Product List in Magento – How to Fix

The issue here is the order in which the blocks are specified in the layout XML.

catalog_category_view is technically the right handle, BUT in that handle the product_list block doesn't exist (yet!).

The product_list block only gets created in the catalog_category_default and catalog_category_layered handles. (And those handles are specified later in the XML than catalog_category_view.)

In short, when all the layout XML gets merged, your reference to product_list won't get executed, because it doesn't exist yet at that point.

The solution is to add your block in both catalog_category_default and catalog_category_layered, OR, create your own custom handle, add your block in that handle, and use the <update> directive to include your handle in catalog_category_default and catalog_category_layered.

Hope that worked for you.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Custom Structural Block – Problem Adding Custom Structural Block in Magento

Can’t Add Child Block to Product List in Magento – How to Fix

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