Include a .phtml file on One Page Checkout (billing.phtml)

Question

I need to add some complex information to 'one page checkout', in billing.phtml. As it requires a lot of php code I need to put it in a separate phtml file. How do I insert this file after billing form(address details)?

I've tried putting this code into custom .xml layout file:

<layout version="0.1.0">
 <checkout_onepage_index translate="label">
  <reference name="checkout.onepage">
   <block type="core/template" name="checkout.onepage.dealer" after="checkout.onepage.billing" template="checkoutfields/search.phtml" as="checkout_dealer_search" />
  </reference>
 </checkout_onepage_index>
</layout> 

and then calling this in username/persistent/checkout/onepage/billing.phtml (the one that was being used):

echo $this->getChildHtml('checkout_dealer_search'); 

but nothing was added under address details form. My search.phtml contains a test string.

---

Update

When I change reference in checkoutfields.xml to

<reference name="checkout.onepage.billing">

it doesn't work but when I paste my block into base layout file persistence.xml in

<checkout_onepage_index>
 <reference name="checkout.onepage.billing">

it works. I have a feeling that I am missing something simple. Do I have to register this custom xml file somehow(it's not a part of a module)?

Answer 1

try the following:

<layout version="0.1.0">
 <checkout_onepage_index translate="label">
  <reference name="checkout.onepage.billing">
   <block type="core/template" name="checkout.onepage.dealer" template="checkoutfields/search.phtml" as="checkout_dealer_search" />
  </reference>
 </checkout_onepage_index>
</layout>

and use echo $this->getChildHtml('checkout_dealer_search'); in the billing.phtml.

UPDATE:

if the checkoutfields.xml is not part of any module, you can create local.xml in the respected layout folder and move the code in it.

Answer 2

I think, you need to put it inside the billing.phtml block, not the onepage block. You should change this. In this scenario $this->getParent()->getChildHtml('checkout_dealer_search') should work. But don'T do it this way. Order your blocks correct!