Inherit Widgets from Theme Parent

Question

[[ TLDR: I'm looking for info about (or a module) that would allow me to have child themes inherit widgets from their parents. For widgets that were created on the backend. ]]

This is for Magento 1.9x (1.9.3.8 to be exact). I'll describe what I did; and then what I expected it to do but doesn't. To start with, we're using the default theme rwd/default.

Step 1: Make a static block named test_block

Step 2: make a widget, configure it to show on the right-side column

Result: GOOD - This works just fine when viewing the site with rwd/default theme

---

Step 3: make a new theme: rwd/green

specified parentage in app/design/frontend/rwd/green/etc/theme.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<theme>
    <parent>rwd/default</parent>
</theme>

and switch appropriate settings in Configuration > GENERAL > Design > Themes so the site uses the rwd/green theme.

Result: BAD -- the widget does not get inherited into the child theme

Observed behaviour: widgets don't get inherited.

Expected behaviour: I expected the child theme to inherit the widget from its parent instead of me having to explicitly specify all widgets on all child themes.

This can/will be a significant pain with temporary themes (ie xmas/easter/summer break themes that are minor tweaks based on a parent and used sporadically or for a short time) or with customizations used only under a specific scope (ie. one category or one product with theme tweaks by using a child theme)

As you can imagine, specifying all those widgets explicitly for each theme color variation or for each seasonal theme is going to be an issue. I would like to be able to propagate the widgets into the child themes thus only have to set the widgets once, at the parent.

Is there a module floating around out there that covers this?

To be clear this is a question about widgets/cms blocks made using the backend system and not the layout xml/template phtml files.

Answer 1

Solution you may be looking for

I used this quite often for the issue that I believe you are experiencing.

Detailed explanation:

https://ericwie.se/blog/magento-infinite-theme-fallback-fix

Module:

https://github.com/ericthehacker/magento-themefallbackfix

---

Not solution you are looking for

In addition to the theme.xml in the theme's etc/, you may want to consider adding a widget.xml. Use the enterprise edition's widget.xml as an example, where the rwd/enterprise theme is the child and inherits from the parent rwd/default.

Hopefully, this is not any violation of copyright or Magento's policies. If so, then it obviously can be removed or modified to show an example without exposing a piece of the Enterprise edition's source.

magento/app/design/frontend/rwd/enterprise/etc/widget.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
/**
 * Magento Enterprise Edition
 *
 * NOTICE OF LICENSE
 *
 * This source file is subject to the Magento Enterprise Edition End User License Agreement
 * that is bundled with this package in the file LICENSE_EE.txt.
 * It is also available through the world-wide-web at this URL:
 * http://www.magento.com/license/enterprise-edition
 * If you did not receive a copy of the license and are unable to
 * obtain it through the world-wide-web, please send an email
 * to license@magento.com so we can send you a copy immediately.
 *
 * DISCLAIMER
 *
 * Do not edit or add to this file if you wish to upgrade Magento to newer
 * versions in the future. If you wish to customize Magento for your
 * needs please refer to http://www.magento.com for more information.
 *
 * @category    design
 * @package     rwd_enterprise
 * @copyright Copyright (c) 2006-2017 X.commerce, Inc. and affiliates (http://www.magento.com)
 * @license http://www.magento.com/license/enterprise-edition
 */
-->
<widgets>
    <new_products>
        <parameters>
            <template>
                <values>
                    <list_default translate="label">
                        <value>catalog/product/widget/new/column/new_default_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>New Products Images and Names Template</label>
                    </list_default>
                    <list_names translate="label">
                        <value>catalog/product/widget/new/column/new_names_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>New Products Names Only Template</label>
                    </list_names>
                    <list_images translate="label">
                        <value>catalog/product/widget/new/column/new_images_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>New Products Images Only Template</label>
                    </list_images>
                </values>
            </template>
        </parameters>
        <supported_blocks>
            <left_column>
                <block_name>left</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </left_column>
            <main_content>
                <block_name>content</block_name>
                <template>
                    <grid>default</grid>
                    <list>list</list>
                </template>
            </main_content>
            <right_column>
                <block_name>right</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </right_column>
        </supported_blocks>
    </new_products>

    <catalog_product_link>
        <!--supported_blocks>
            <page_header>
                <block_name>top.container</block_name>
                <template>
                    <block_link>default</block_link>
                </template>
            </page_header>
            <main_content>
                <block_name>content</block_name>
                <template>
                    <block_link>default</block_link>
                    <inline_link>link_inline</inline_link>
                </template>
            </main_content>
            <left_column>
                <block_name>left</block_name>
                <template>
                    <block_link>default</block_link>
                </template>
            </left_column>
            <right_column>
                <block_name>right</block_name>
                <template>
                    <block_link>default</block_link>
                </template>
            </right_column>
            <page_footer>
                <block_name>footer</block_name>
                <template>
                    <block_link>default</block_link>
                </template>
            </page_footer>
        </supported_blocks-->
    </catalog_product_link>

    <recently_viewed>
        <parameters>
            <template>
                <values>
                    <list_default translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/viewed/column/viewed_default_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Viewed Products Images and Names Template</label>
                    </list_default>
                    <list_names translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/viewed/column/viewed_names_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Viewed Products Names Only Template</label>
                    </list_names>
                    <list_images translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/viewed/column/viewed_images_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Viewed Products Images Only Template</label>
                    </list_images>
                </values>
            </template>
        </parameters>
        <supported_blocks>
            <left_column>
                <block_name>left</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </left_column>
            <main_content>
                <block_name>content</block_name>
                <template>
                    <grid>default</grid>
                    <list>list</list>
                </template>
            </main_content>
            <right_column>
                <block_name>right</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </right_column>
        </supported_blocks>
    </recently_viewed>
    <recently_compared>
        <parameters>
            <template>
                <values>
                    <list_default translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/compared/column/compared_default_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Compared Products Images and Names Template</label>
                    </list_default>
                    <list_names translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/compared/column/compared_names_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Compared Product Names Only Template</label>
                    </list_names>
                    <list_images translate="label">
                        <value>reports/widget/compared/column/compared_images_list.phtml</value>
                        <label>Compared Product Images Only Template</label>
                    </list_images>
                </values>
            </template>
        </parameters>
        <supported_blocks>
            <left_column>
                <block_name>left</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </left_column>
            <main_content>
                <block_name>content</block_name>
                <template>
                    <grid>default</grid>
                    <list>list</list>
                </template>
            </main_content>
            <right_column>
                <block_name>right</block_name>
                <template>
                    <default>list_default</default>
                    <names_only>list_names</names_only>
                    <images_only>list_images</images_only>
                </template>
            </right_column>
        </supported_blocks>
    </recently_compared>
</widgets>

Answer 2

So, since I couldn't find an extension that does this... I went and made my own :P

Palasis_Inheritwidgets

This makes themes inherit widgets from their parents

https://github.com/mpalasis/Palasis_Inheritwidgets

enjoy