XML Module Product Page custom options.phtml problem

Question

I've a module in magento which is creating a new view of the product page, by calling a new options.phtml file.

the problem I have is that if I call, via ajax, this modified product page view, with the custom options.phtml file, (url is -> example.com/ajax/index/options/product_id/16490/) magento saves a cached version of it. Later if I go and visit the product page (normal magento product page NOT AJAX) the page loads the cached version of the custom options.phtml output and not the default one... and that's a problem because there's no photos product info etc. only the sizes and buy button plus header & footer

I've looked around and I think it might be the XML file, that I have in /app/design/frontend/default/MyTheme/layout/ajax.xml

here's the content of the file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout version="0.1.0">
    <catalog_category_default>
        <reference name='product_list'>
            <action method='setTemplate'><template>ajax/catalog/product/view/list.phtml</template></action>
        </reference>
    </catalog_category_default>

    <catalog_category_layered>
        <reference name='product_list'>
            <action method='setTemplate'><template>ajax/catalog/product/view/list.phtml</template></action>
        </reference>
    </catalog_category_layered>

    <ajax_index_options>
        <reference name="root">
            <action method="setTemplate"><template>page/empty.phtml</template></action>
        </reference>

        <reference name="head">
            <action method="addJs"><script>varien/product.js</script></action>
            <action method="addJs"><script>varien/configurable.js</script></action>
        </reference>

        <reference name="content">
            <block type="catalog/product_view" name="product.info" template="ajax/catalog/product/options.phtml">

                <block type="catalog/product_view" name="product.info.addtocart" as="addtocart" template="ajax/catalog/product/view/addtocart.phtml"/>

                <block type="catalog/product_view" name="product.info.options.wrapper" as="product_options_wrapper" template="catalog/product/view/options/wrapper.phtml" translate="label">
                    <label>Info Column Options Wrapper</label>
                    <block type="core/template" name="options_js" template="catalog/product/view/options/js.phtml"/>

                    <block type="catalog/product_view_options" name="product.info.options" as="product_options" template="catalog/product/view/options.phtml">
                        <action method="addOptionRenderer">
                            <type>text</type>
                            <block>catalog/product_view_options_type_text</block>
                            <template>catalog/product/view/options/type/text.phtml</template>
                        </action>

                        <action method="addOptionRenderer">
                            <type>file</type>
                            <block>catalog/product_view_options_type_file</block>
                            <template>catalog/product/view/options/type/file.phtml</template>
                        </action>

                        <action method="addOptionRenderer">
                            <type>select</type>
                            <block>catalog/product_view_options_type_select</block>
                            <template>catalog/product/view/options/type/select.phtml</template>
                        </action>

                        <action method="addOptionRenderer">
                            <type>date</type>
                            <block>catalog/product_view_options_type_date</block>
                            <template>catalog/product/view/options/type/date.phtml</template>
                        </action>
                    </block>
                </block>

                <block type="catalog/product_view" name="product.info.options.wrapper.bottom" as="product_options_wrapper_bottom" template="catalog/product/view/options/wrapper/bottom.phtml" translate="label">
                    <label>Bottom Block Options Wrapper</label>
                    <action method="insert"><block>product.tierprices</block></action>
                    <block type="catalog/product_view" name="product.clone_prices" as="prices" template="catalog/product/view/price_clone.phtml"/>
                    <action method="append"><block>product.info.addtocart</block></action>
                    <action method="append"><block>product.info.addto</block></action>
                </block>

                <block type="core/template_facade" name="product.info.container1" as="container1">
                    <action method="setDataByKey"><key>alias_in_layout</key><value>container1</value></action>
                    <action method="setDataByKeyFromRegistry"><key>options_container</key><key_in_registry>product</key_in_registry></action>
                    <action method="append"><block>product.info.options.wrapper</block></action>
                    <action method="append"><block>product.info.options.wrapper.bottom</block></action>
                </block>

                <block type="core/template_facade" name="product.info.container2" as="container2">
                    <action method="setDataByKey">
                        <key>alias_in_layout</key>
                        <value>container2</value>
                    </action>

                    <action method="setDataByKeyFromRegistry">
                        <key>options_container</key>
                        <key_in_registry>product</key_in_registry>
                    </action>

                    <action method="append">
                        <block>product.info.options.wrapper</block>
                    </action>

                    <action method="append">
                        <block>product.info.options.wrapper.bottom</block>
                    </action>
                </block>

                <action method="unsetCallChild">
                    <child>container1</child>
                    <call>ifEquals</call>
                    <if>0</if>
                    <key>alias_in_layout</key>
                    <key>options_container</key>
                </action>

                <action method="unsetCallChild">
                    <child>container2</child>
                    <call>ifEquals</call>
                    <if>0</if>
                    <key>alias_in_layout</key>
                    <key>options_container</key>
                </action>
            </block>
        </reference>
    </ajax_index_options>    
</layout>

Answer 1

Assuming you don't have any kind of full page cache, then the cached version is from the block cache.

The block cache works this way:

Block caching

You need:

• Lifetime in seconds
• Key, to distinguish the variants
• CacheTag, to group them and bulk delete them

Block caching

// app/code/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php:904 - shortened

final public function toHtml()
{

$html = $this->_loadCache();
if ($html === false) {
    $this->_beforeToHtml();
    $html = $this->_toHtml();
    $this->_saveCache($html);
}
$html = $this->_afterToHtml($html);

Block caching

# …/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php:1362

public function getCacheLifetime()
{
    if (!$this->hasData('cache_lifetime')) {
        return null;
    }
    return $this->getData('cache_lifetime');
}

overwrite getCacheLifetime() or $this->setCacheLifetime(120)

Block caching

# …/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php:1289

public function getCacheKey()
{
    if ($this->hasData('cache_key')) {
        return $this->getData('cache_key');
    }
    $key = $this->getCacheKeyInfo();
    $key = array_values($key);  // ignore array keys
    $key = implode('|', $key);
    $key = sha1($key);
    return $key;
}

Block caching

protected function getCacheKeyInfo() {}

overwrite or

$this->setCacheKey(
    $storeId.
    $customerId.
    $productId
);

Block caching

# …/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php:1311

public function getCacheTags()
{
    if (!$this->hasData('cache_tags')) {
        $tags = array();
    } else {
        $tags = $this->getData('cache_tags');
    }
    $tags[] = self::CACHE_GROUP;
    return $tags;
}

Block-Caching

$this->setCacheTags(array(
    Mage_Catalog_Model_Product::CACHE_TAG,
    'STORE_'.$storeId.'-PRODUCTS',
));

One cache entry can have multiple cache tags.