local.xml column layout not having an effect - how to fix or debug?

Question

My local.xml is not affecting my product page layout. Any idea how to debug it or, better yet, fix it?

I have this in my theme/local.xml.

...
    </default>
<catalog_product_view>
   <reference name="root"><!-- was set to pages/2columns-right.phtml, changing it does nothing -->
      <action method="setTemplate"><template>pages/2columns-left.phtml</template></action>
   </reference>
</catalog_product_view>
...

Changing it has no effect. Another developer has used per-product layout updates to "fix" the problem, but I think the best solution is to get the xml directive to work, rather than fill up the database with 1 million new entries.

I found this magento.stackexchange answer on how to trace the layout building process, but it isn't helping me find the actual problem.

I've inserted this into the top of my theme/product/view.phtml:

<pre><?php var_dump(Mage::app()->getLayout()->getUpdate()->getHandles()); ?></pre>

The output is essentially the same for a product that has no per-product layout update applied vs one that does have one applied:

1.) no per-product layout applied:

array(11) {
  [0]=>
  string(7) "default"
  [1]=>
  string(13) "STORE_default"
  [2]=>
  string(28) "THEME_frontend_default_mytheme"
  [3]=>
  string(20) "catalog_product_view"
  [4]=>
  string(19) "PRODUCT_TYPE_simple"
  [5]=>
  string(14) "PRODUCT_157610"
  [6]=>
  string(19) "customer_logged_out"
  [7]=>
  string(9) "MAP_popup"
  [8]=>
  string(19) "MAP_price_msrp_item"
  [9]=>
  string(14) "SHORTCUT_popup"
  [10]=>
  string(17) "SHORTCUT_uk_popup"
}

2.) per-product layout applied (visible in the admin product page under Design/Page Layout: "2 columns with right bar")

array(11) {
  [0]=>
  string(7) "default"
  [1]=>
  string(13) "STORE_default"
  [2]=>
  string(28) "THEME_frontend_default_mytheme"
  [3]=>
  string(20) "catalog_product_view"
  [4]=>
  string(19) "PRODUCT_TYPE_simple"
  [5]=>
  string(12) "PRODUCT_2563"
  [6]=>
  string(19) "customer_logged_out"
  [7]=>
  string(9) "MAP_popup"
  [8]=>
  string(19) "MAP_price_msrp_item"
  [9]=>
  string(14) "SHORTCUT_popup"
  [10]=>
  string(17) "SHORTCUT_uk_popup"
}

Answer 1

You have a typo, it's page/2columns-left.phtml not pages/2columns-left.phtml.

Answer 2

use following code in your local.xml

<catalog_product_view>
    <reference name="root">
        <action method="setTemplate"><template>page/2columns-left.phtml</template></action>
    </reference>
</catalog_product_view>