CODEWITHSUNDEEP
magento
Charles Yeung
Charles Yeung

Reputation: 38805

Magento - Layout

<block type="catalog/product_compare_sidebar" before="cart_sidebar" name="catalog.compare.sidebar" template="catalog/product/compare/sidebar.phtml"/>
<block type="catalog/product_list"...>

I have studyed http://magebase.com/magento-tutorials/demystifying-magentos-layout-xml-part-1/, it mention that a type attribute, which defines the block class name.

In the code above, catalog/product_compare_sidebar and catalog/product_list should be a block class, so, where is the location of the php file that declared these block(Any hint from "catalog/product_compare_sidebar" and "catalog/product_list")?

There are many block type, how can I know which block type is available and how to choose which block type is suitable for the existing block?

Thanks you

Upvotes: 1

Views: 568

Answers (1)

greg0ire
greg0ire

Reputation: 23255

here is the association:

catalog/product_compare_sidebar => /app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Block/Product/Compare/Sidebar.php
catalog/product_list => app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Block/Product/List.php

If you use eclipse PDT, just press Ctrl+Shift+T and type: *Catalog*Product_Compare_Sidebar to find the first class.

UPDATE: Searching for "class Block" will give you all the available block types. If you use eclipse PDT, just press Ctrl+Shift+T and type: Block . The paragraph at the end of your link describes the most important one fairly well. Personnaly, I often create my own type and inherit from Mage_Core_Block_Template , or use it directly.

UPDATE_2: In Mage_Core_Block_Abstract, you can see this method

/**
 * Set block attribute value
 *
 * Wrapper for method "setData"
 *
 * @param   string $name
 * @param   mixed $value
 * @return  Mage_Core_Block_Abstract
 */
public function setAttribute($name, $value=null)
{
    return $this->setData($name, $value);
}

I think it must be called on each xml attribute somewhere. To know where, simply put a breakpoint here, or die here and look at the stack trace.

Upvotes: 2

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