Some useful Magento template code snippets

Over the last 2 month, I’ve built a few Magento sites during which I’ve had certain requests to add some basic extras to the site template – basic it may sound however if you have even a little experience with Magento, you’ll be aware of its complexity.

Product Reviews and Review form in a tab

1. Add the following:

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<catalog_product_view>
<reference name="product.info.tabs">
<block type="review/form" name="product.review.form" as="review_form"/>
<action method="addTab" translate="title" module="review">
<alias>avis</alias>
<title>Avis / commentaires</title>
<block>review/product_view_list</block>
<template>review/product/view/list.phtml</template>
</action>
</reference>

2. Add

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<?php
layout = Mage::getSingleton('core/layout');
$block = $layout->getBlock('content')->getChild('product.info')->getChild('info_tabs')->getChild('review_form');
echo $block->toHtml();
?>

to app/design/frontend/[your_theme]/template/review/product/list.phtml

Note: For the above to work, your theme should already be using product tabs (Many tutorials are available online if you don’t have tabs)

Source: http://www.magentocommerce.com/boards/viewthread/31712/

Show Sub-Categories (as images with text) on Category or product Pages (and sort by name)

If a category contains both products and further sub-categories, then this code can be used so such a category shows both products and sub-categories.

Add the following:

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<?php
function sortCategories($a, $b) {
return strcmp($a['name'], $b['name']);
}
?>
<?php
$obj = new Mage_Catalog_Block_Navigation();
$cat = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($obj->getCurrentCategory()->getId()); //get current cat
$subcats = $cat->getChildren(); // Get sub cats
// loop on it
if ($subcats) { ?>
<h2 class="catptitle">Sub-categories</h2>
<?php }
$categoryArray = array();
foreach(explode(',',$subcats) as $subCatid){ // split up the mage data for use
$_category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($subCatid);
if($_category->getIsActive()){
$caturl  = $_category->getURL(); // get link to image
$catname = $_category->getName(); // get the name
$catdesc = $_category->getDescription(); // get the name
if($_category->getImageUrl()){
$catimg = $_category->getImageUrl(); // hey, we got image
}else{
$catimg=null;
continue;
} // this is the basic testing data, format as desired & good luck!
$catdescTwo = substr(strip_tags($catdesc), 0, 70);
$categoryArray[] = array(
'name' => $catname,
'url' => $caturl,
'desc' => $catdescTwo,
'img' => $catimg
);
}
}
usort($categoryArray, "sortCategories");
foreach ($categoryArray as $categoryItem) {
echo '<a href="'.$categoryItem['url'].'">'.$categoryItem['name'].'</a>
<a href="'.$categoryItem['url'].'"><img alt="" src="'.$categoryItem['img'].'" /></a>
'.$categoryItem['desc'].'...';
}
?>

to app/design/frontend/[your_theme]/template/catalog/category/list.phtml

OR app/design/frontend/[your_theme]/template/catalog/product/list.phtml

Display RSS Feed items

Step 1

Create a file called latest_news.phtml in app/design/frontend/default/[your_theme]/template/callouts/latest_news.phtml with the following:

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<?php $channel = new Zend_Feed_Rss('INSERT FEED URL'); ?>
<div class="block block-latest-news">
<div class="sideBestS">
<h2><?php echo $this->__('Latest News') ?></h2>
</div>
<div class="block-content">
<ol id="graybox-latest-news">
<?php $i = 0; ?>
<?php foreach ($channel as $item): ?>
<?php if ($i != 3) { ?>
<li><a href="<?php echo $item->link; ?>"><?php echo $item->title; ?></a>
<p><?php echo substr($item->description,0,179) . "..."; ?></p>
</li>
<?php $i++; ?>
<?php } ?>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</ol>
</div>
</div>

Step 2

Add the following:

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<reference name="right">
<block type="core/template" name="top.search" as="topSearch" template="catalogsearch/form.mini.phtml"/>
<block type="core/template" name="right.permanent.callout" template="callouts/right_col.phtml"/>
<block type="core/template" name="right.latest.news" template="callouts/latest_news.phtml"/>
</reference>

to app/design/frontend/[your_theme]/layout/page.xml

Note: The above will add the code to the right sidebar – you can reference it elsewhere on the site

Display a product’s “quantity in stock” on your Product Pages

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<?php $stock_count = (int) Mage::getModel('cataloginventory/stock_item')->loadByProduct($this->getProduct())->getQty(); ?>
<?php echo $stock_count ?>

Flush/force DNS (Windows only)

Many a time, when you change the DNS records and nameservers of a domain to point to the new site, it can take up to 72 hours to propagate over the internet. Unfortunately sometimes, the client/customer/general users may see the new site before the developer and if there are any issues then the developer won’t be able to fix them until they can see the new site. Previously i used to wait like anybody else however recently a colleague showed me a method by which I can force my browser to  view the new site!

Step 1:

Open command promt (search/run “CMD” in windows)

In Command promt, type the following:

“ipconfig /flushdns”

Step 2

Go to the folder:

%SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\

For windows 7, %SystemRoot% is C:\Windows\

For windows XP, it may be a little different.

Inside the folder “etc” is a file named – “hosts”. Open this with Notepad and add the line

xx.xxx.xxx.xx www.YOUR-DOMAIN.co.uk

At the bottom of the file (where xx.xxx.xxx.xx is the ip address of the new host)

Then you will have to clear your browser cache.

Ecommerce tracking in Magento Using Google Analytics

This one is simple.

Go to System > Configuration > Google API and insert you analytics ID.

Then

• login to Google analytics
• Select the account for your site
• Click edit
• on “Main Website Profile Information”, click edit
• tick the radio button “Yes, an E-Commerce site”

Site search tracking in Magento Using Google Analytics

• login to Google analytics
• Select the account for your site
• Click edit
• on “Main Website Profile Information”, click edit
• tick the radio button “Do Track Site Search”
• insert the letter “q” in the input box

Display PHTML files in Dreamweaver

http://www.dreamweaverclub.com/dreamweaver-phtml-inc.php

Conclusion

Is there anything else you would like to do with Magento? leave a note below and I’ll see what i can do!