getChildHtml('content')

Question

I am using Magento 1.7.

In 1column.phtml under app/design/frontend/default/custom_theme/template/page, which is the page template I'm using, I find the following code:

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

which is responsible for adding the content to my page.

However, I would like to add some more content to my page, so that it is displayed when this line of code is executed. But I don't know how I should proceed. I read about the layout and blocks system, but still I am not able to add some content to my page.

I know that I can add content to header.phtml or footer.phtml under design/frontend/default/custom_theme/template/page which is then displayed in the frontend. However, in the case of what is inserted by <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('content') ?>, I don't know how to proceed. Could anyone explain me which steps I need to follow in order to add some additional content?

I am pretty new to Magento, so if you think there is some lack of info in my question, please tell me and I will provide it.

Answer 1

Assuming you just want to add some content via a simple template file you can add the following in your theme app/design/frontend/default/custom_theme/layout/local.xml

<default>
    <reference name="content">
        <block type="core/template" name="custom.content" template="my/custom/template.phtml" />
    </reference>
</default>

Then you just need to create your app/design/frontend/default/custom_theme/template/my/custom/template.phtml file with the content you need inside it

Answer 2

Just for your knowledge go to app\design\frontend\base\default\layout\page.xml

<block type="core/text_list" name="content" as="content" translate="label">
                <label>Main Content Area</label>
            </block>

content is a block name defined over there inside

<block type="page/html" name="root" output="toHtml" template="page/3columns.phtml"> </block>

These are structural blocks defined inside page.xml which defines how a page structure should be.

Now if you notice the block type of content block you will see core/text_list. In Magento if a block is core/text_list type then it will call any block inside it automatically.

So as per @Raphael's example

<default>
    <reference name="content">
        <block type="core/template" name="custom.content" template="my/custom/template.phtml" />
    </reference>
</default>

You just need to create the template.phtml file in my/custom/ location. And it will be called automatically.

In other cases(in case of other block types) you need to call that block by using getChildHtml('alias name or name');