Magento 1.9 – Custom Static Blocks on Home Page

layoutmagento-1.9theme

I am converting an HTML template into Magento theme. Here I have to separate each blocks into custom static block files such as footermenu.phtml, tweet.phtml and copyright.phtml to call like,

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('footermenu'); ?> 
<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('tweet'); ?> 
<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('copyright'); ?>

After reading this blog tutorial, added a new block like the following but it is not appearing with my Magento 1.9.0.1

app/design/frontend/base/default/layout/local.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <layout>
        <reference name="root">
            <block type="core/text_list" name="newreference" as="newreference" translate="label">
                <label>New Reference</label>
            </block>
        </reference>
        <reference name="newreference">
            <block type="core/template" name="newreferenceblock" template="newreference.phtml" />
        </reference>
    </layout>

In app/design/frontend/base/default/template/page/2columns-right.phtml

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('newreference') ?>

app/design/frontend/base/default/template/page/template/newreference.phtml

<h1 style="background-color:yellow">Hello New Reference!</h1>

Best Answer

If you want add this blocks to home page then you need to add this template under cms_index_index hadler:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <layout>
    <cms_index_index> <!-- add home page handler for showing on home page -->
        <reference name="root">
            <block type="core/text_list" name="newreference" as="newreference" translate="label">
                <label>New Reference</label>
            </block>
        </reference>
        <reference name="footer">
            <block type="core/template" name="footermenu" template="page/template/footermenu.phtml" />
            <block type="core/template" name="tweet" template="page/template/tweet.phtml" />
    <block type="core/template" name="copyright" template="page/template/copyright.phtml" />
        </reference>
    </cms_index_index>
    </layout>

if want to show it at all pages then change handler cms_index_index to default

As your reference block name is footer then it need add code at footer.phtml

[Edit need] because getChildHtml() not exit for class render all chld phtml file of footer.phtml

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('footermenu'); ?> 
<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('tweet'); ?> 
<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('copyright'); ?>

More details at

http://www.magentocommerce.com/design_guide/articles/intro-to-layouts http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/11/30/introducing-magento-layout/

You have to put your child template files in app/design/frontend/[base]/[default]/template/

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