Override CatalogSearch Result not working

Question

Hi I'm trying to change my current search result page title. So I find the best way is override the file app/code/core/Mage/CatalogSearch/Block/Result.php method protected function _prepareLayout().

So I created a module in app/code/local with the following structure. Please note that this module does other things like post a message to our ERP on a new order or invoice.

app/code/local/Agvalue/Skambau/etc/config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Agvalue_Skambau>
            <version>1.0</version>
        </Agvalue_Skambau>
    </modules>
    <global>
        <models>
            <agvalue_skambau>
                <class>Agvalue_Skambau_Model</class>
            </agvalue_skambau>
        </models>
        <events>
            <sales_order_place_after>
                <observers>
                    <agvalue_skambau_order_observer>
                        <type>model</type>
                        <class>agvalue_skambau/observer</class>
                        <method>skambauCreateOrder</method>
                    </agvalue_skambau_order_observer>
                </observers>
            </sales_order_place_after>
            <sales_order_invoice_save_after>
                <observers>
                    <agvalue_skambau_invoice_observer>
                        <class>agvalue_skambau/observer</class>
                        <method>skambauCreateInvoice</method>
                    </agvalue_skambau_invoice_observer>
                </observers>
            </sales_order_invoice_save_after>
        </events>
        <blocks>
            <catalogsearch>
                <rewrite>
                    <result>Agvalue_Skambau_Block_Result</result>
                </rewrite>
            </catalogsearch>
        </blocks>
    </global>
</config>

app/code/local/Agvalue/Skambau/Block/Result.php

<?php
class Agvalue_Skambau_Block_Result extends Mage_CatalogSearch_Block_Result
{

    protected function _prepareLayout()
    {
        // add Home breadcrumb
        $breadcrumbs = $this->getLayout()->getBlock('breadcrumbs');
        if ($breadcrumbs) {
            $title = $this->__("Search results for: '%s'", $this->helper('catalogsearch')->getQueryText());
            $breadcrumbs->addCrumb('home', array(
                'label' => $this->__('Home'),
                'title' => $this->__('Go to Home Page'),
                'link'  => Mage::getBaseUrl()
            ))->addCrumb('search', array(
                'label' => $title,
                'title' => $title
            ));
        }
        // modify page title
        $title = $this->helper('catalogsearch')->getEscapedQueryText();
        $this->getLayout()->getBlock('head')->setTitle($title);

        return parent::_prepareLayout();
    }
}

app/etc/modules/Agvalue_Skambau.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Agvalue_Skambau>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>local</codePool>
        </Agvalue_Skambau>
    </modules>
</config>

Answer 1

There is an opportunity here to use an observer instead of overriding the original method. It’s considered a better practice to use that approach when possible. Here is how you could do it:

app/code/local/Agvalue/Skambau/etc/config.xml

Under the config/frontend/events node:

<core_block_abstract_prepare_layout_after>
    <observers>
        <updateSearchResultsTitle>
            <class>Agvalue_Skambau_Model_Observer</class>
            <method>updateSearchResultsTitle</method>
        </updateSearchResultsTitle>
    </observers>
</core_block_abstract_prepare_layout_after>

app/code/local/Agvalue/Skambau/Model/Observer.php

class Agvalue_Skambau_Model_Observer
{
    public function updateSearchResultsTitle(Varien_Event_Observer $observer)
    {
        $block = $observer->getBlock();
        if ($block instanceof Mage_CatalogSearch_Block_Result) {
            $title = Mage::helper('catalogsearch')->getEscapedQueryText();
            $block->getLayout()->getBlock('head')->setTitle($title);
        }
        return $this;
    }
}