Call static block into another static block through template

Question

I want to call a static block into another static block if the right conditions are met. I believe that my main problem is how to register the template in XML, as I never worked with it before.

First off I have a static block with the code: footer02-links. Here I'm trying to call my template file. I realise that the code below is missing the XML tags.

{{block template="custom/employee-links-template.phtml"}}

Then in the themes template folder in /custom/employee-links-template.phtml I have my conditional statement.

<?php if (Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->isLoggedIn() && Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->getCustomerGroupId() == "4") :?>
    <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('employee-links') ?>
<?php endif;?> 

So if the customer is logged in and part of customer group with ID 4, they will be shown the static block with the code: employee-links. In this static block I simply have a link to a otherwise hidden category.

<li><a title="Employee Offers" href="/employee-offers.phtml">Employee Monthly Offers</a></li>

So I guess my problem is how to register the block in the local.xml file, which I really have no idea of how to do. Furthermore there might be a better way to do what I'm trying to achieve?

Answer 1

First off, the code should be

{{block type="core/template" template="custom/employee-links-template.phtml"}}

No need to edit your local.xml you can call your static block in your custom/employee-links-template.phtml template, see below.

   <?php if (Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->isLoggedIn() && Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->getCustomerGroupId() == "4") :?>
    <?php echo $this->getLayout()->createBlock("cms/block")->setBlockId("your-static-block-id")->toHtml();?>
   <?php endif;?> 

Explanation: You cannot add children to blocks that are dynamically created with {{block}}, or access them from the layout XML, so you have to create the inner block directly from the template.

Answer 2

Here is the work around for your problem. You can use this code inside local.xml file.

File :app/design/frontend/<package>/<theme>/layout/local.xml

<layout>
    <default> <!-- Layout handle may be different depends upon in which page you need to show the template -->
        <reference name="content"> <!-- structural block may be different depend upon in which portion of the page you need to show the template -->
            <block  type="core/template" name="employee.links.template" template="custom/employee-links-template.phtml">
                <block type="cms/block" name="footer.custom.link" as="footer_custom_link">
                    <action method="setBlockId"><block_id>footer02-links</block_id></action>
                </block>
                <block type="cms/block" name="employee.custom.link" as="employee_custom_link">
                    <action method="setBlockId"><block_id>employee-links</block_id></action>
                </block>
            </block>
        </reference>
    </default>
</layout>

Here first we defined a block with name employee.links.template in the content part of the page (The block will get included in almost every page, since we have used default layout handle here). Now employee.links.template block holds two static blocks as its child. That's it.

Now we need to define the template file.

File : app/design/frontend/<package>/<theme>/custom/employee-links-template.phtml

<div>
    <?php
        //condition for first static block
        if (//put some condition here if any) :
    ?>
            <div><?php echo $this->getChildHtml('footer_custom_link'); ?></div>
    <?php
        endif;
        //condition for second block
        if (Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->isLoggedIn() && Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->getCustomerGroupId() == "4")) :
    ?>
            <div><?php echo $this->getChildHtml('employee_custom_link'); ?></div>
    <?php endif; ?>
</div>

Here we simply put two if conditions for our static blocks. If those condition satisfied, it will show the output in frontend. Otherwise it won't. If you need to just show the static blocks in your template, you can omit if condtions.

Hope that helps

Answer 3

Into *.phtml template file:

<?php
$block = Mage::app()->getLayout()->createBlock(
    'Customext_Extname_Block_Contacts_Fields',
    'some_index_name',
     array('template' => 'extname/contacts/fields.phtml')
);
echo $block->toHtml();
?>

Answer 4

 <?php if (Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->isLoggedIn() && Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->getCustomerGroupId() == "4") :?>
    <?php echo $this->getLayout()->createBlock("cms/block")->setBlockId("your-static-block-id")->toHtml();?>
   <?php endif;?> 
{{block type="core/template" template="custom/employee-links-template.phtml"}}