Magento – using local.xml to avoid repetition

layout

I hope you don't mind me expanding on this question. Using what's explained I got the css working in my template file. But I have not been able to get it working from local.xml, so I am repeating myself several times within the same layout file.

I got to thinking that a local.xml file would be useful in this situation, so what I tried to do was take the node that worked in the layout file and wrap it in a reference node in local.xml and call that reference node

This works

frontend/base/default/layout/modulename/layoutFileForModule

<user_register_form>
    <block type="page/html_head" name="head" output="toHtml">
        <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/normalize.css</stylesheet></action>
    </block>
    <block type="core/template" name="prefcentre_regform" output="toHtml" template="ps/prefcentre/signup.phtml" />
</user_register_form>

This does not work

frontend/base/default/layout/local.xml

<reference name="someReferenceHandle">
    <block type="page/html_head" name="head" output="toHtml">
        <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/normalize.css</stylesheet></action>
    </block>
</reference>

frontend/base/default/layout/modulename/layoutFileForModule

<user_register_form>
    <reference name="someReferenceHandle">
        <block type="core/template" name="prefcentre_regform" output="toHtml" template="ps/prefcentre/signup.phtml" />
    </reference>
</user_register_form>

I have misunderstood a tutorial somewhere, I thought Magento would look for the layout.xml file first when it compiles all the .xml files, then by me using the reference handle I was able to reference the block within that handle.

Why does example one work and example two fail?

Best Answer

Yes, you seem to have misunderstood the syntax involved in what you want to do (though it seems you've understood the principles, and that's half the battle!).

Don't use an output block with a typical Magento layout, as the root block is already set as an (the) output block (ref. page.xml):
```
<block type="page/html_head" name="head" output="toHtml"> 
```

You should not be redeclaring the head block; rather, you should reference the one already created (again, ref page.xml):

<!-- <block type="page/html_head" name="head" output="toHtml"> This replaces the original! -->
<reference name="head">
    <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/normalize.css</stylesheet></action>
</reference>

Collect would-be-repeated directives in a custom layout update handle and use the <update> directive to include them in other handles:

<UTILITY_HANDLE>
    <reference name="head">
        <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/normalize.css</stylesheet></action>
    </reference>
    <reference name="content">
        <block type="core/template" name="prefcentre_regform" template="ps/prefcentre/signup.phtml" />
    </reference>
</UTILITY_HANDLE>
<!-- include the above on catalog product view page -->
<catalog_product_view>
    <update handle="UTILITY_HANDLE" />
</catalog_product_view>

Related Solutions

Magento – Magento Core: identical block name in one handle

Erfan is right that the html is outputted twice, once as a child of 'checkout.onepage.login' and once as a child of 'checkout.onepage.billing'

Thus there are two child blocks with the same name. Each can have a different template, and each gets rendered as a child of the parent.

To change the persistent block in either of the parent blocks, you need to target the parent block directly such as:

<checkout_onepage_index>
    <reference name="checkout.onepage.login">
            <block type="persistent/form_remember" name="persistent.remember.me" template="my/custom/template.phtml" />
        </reference>
</checkout_onepage_index>

The above will only change the template in the login block.

If you only target the child block 'persistent.remember.me' then magento seems to only change the occurrence of the first found block. Start Speculation: This is most likely in order or alpha occurrence , with 'checkout.onepage.billing' appearing alphabetically before 'checkout.onepage.login', in whatever array is used to store the block internally. The fact that .billing is rendered after .login just makes it look like it is only changing the second occurrence. :) End Speculation

Magento – Conditionally add CSS file in layout XML (local.xml)

Bottom line: you need to have a value calculated by PHP, therefore the approach of using a helper is appropriate. I think it makes sense to use the addCss convenience method rather than addItem a it's a little cleaner and should work fine for your needs:

<{handle}>
    <action block="head" method="addCss">
        <stylesheet helper="my_module/my_helper/getFileName" />
    </action>
</{handle}>

Your helper seems to be calculating the path to the CSS files using the design model, but this will be done again by the page/html_head block. Change your helper to simply return the file paths relative to the theme (i.e. not using the design model) and your problem is solved.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Magento – Magento Core: identical block name in one handle

Magento – Conditionally add CSS file in layout XML (local.xml)

Related Topic