Create dynamic page based on URL

Question

I'm trying to create very simple thing - when user goes to URL http://example.com/brands/brand_name it should show a brand page that should be created based on .phtml template.

I have already added a router and successfully matched the URL:

class My_Module_Controller_Router extends Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Abstract
{

    public function match(Zend_Controller_Request_Http $request) 
    {
        // let's assume that URL is http://example.com/brands/adidas

        $pageId = $request->getPathInfo(); // "brands/adidas"
        $params = trim($pageId, '/'); 
        $params = explode('/', $params); // array(brands, adidas)

        if($params[0] === 'brands') {

            // Here I need somehow to create brand page based on custom template (.phtml file that I already built)

            return true;
        }

    }

}

Please help me to understand how to tell Magento to print the template phtml file that I need.

Thank you!

Answer 1

You should redirect the the request to one of your controller actions. From there you can use the default Magento layout/block system to present the data you want the customer to see.
Here is what worked for me.
app/etc/modules/Easylife_Brand.xml - declaration file

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Easylife_Brand>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>local</codePool>
            <depends>
                <Mage_Core />
            </depends>
        </Easylife_Brand>
    </modules>
</config>

app/code/local/Easylife/Brand/etc/config.xml - configuration file

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Easylife_Brand>
            <version>0.0.1</version>
        </Easylife_Brand>
    </modules>
    <frontend>
        <routers>
            <brand>
                <use>standard</use>
                <args>
                    <module>Easylife_Brand</module>
                    <frontName>brand</frontName>
                </args>
            </brand>
        </routers>
        <layout>
            <updates>
                <easylife_brand>
                    <file>easylife_brand.xml</file>
                </easylife_brand>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </frontend>
    <global>
        <events>
            <controller_front_init_routers>
                <observers>
                    <brand>
                        <class>Easylife_Brand_Controller_Router</class>
                        <method>initControllerRouters</method>
                    </brand>
                </observers>
            </controller_front_init_routers>
        </events>
    </global>
</config>

app/code/local/Easylife/Brand/Controller/Router.php - custom router.

<?php
class Easylife_Brand_Controller_Router extends Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Abstract{
    public function initControllerRouters($observer){
        $front = $observer->getEvent()->getFront();
        $front->addRouter('brand', $this);
        return $this;
    }
    public function match(Zend_Controller_Request_Http $request){
        if (!Mage::isInstalled()) {
            Mage::app()->getFrontController()->getResponse()
                ->setRedirect(Mage::getUrl('install'))
                ->sendResponse();
            exit;
        }
        $pathInfo = trim($request->getPathInfo(), '/');
        $params = explode('/', $pathInfo);
        if(isset($params[0]) && $params[0] == 'brands') {
             //redirect to mymodule/brands/index/brand_name/addidas
             $request->setModuleName('brand')  
                     ->setControllerName('index')
                     ->setActionName('index');
            if (isset($params[1])){
                 $request->setParam('brand_name', $params[1]);
            }
            $request->setAlias(
                Mage_Core_Model_Url_Rewrite::REWRITE_REQUEST_PATH_ALIAS,
                $pathInfo
            );
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

app/code/local/Easylife/Brand/controllers/IndexController.php - the controller

<?php
class Easylife_Brand_IndexController extends Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action{
    public function indexAction(){
        $brandName = $this->getRequest()->getParam('brand_name', null);
        $this->loadLayout();
        $block = $this->getLayout()->getBlock('brands');//get the block instance
        if ($block){ //if block is valid
             if (is_null($brandName)){//if no brand name is supplied
                 $block->setTemplate('easylife_brand/no_brand.phtml');
             }
             else{
                 $block->setTemplate('easylife_brand/adidas.phtml');
             }
        }
        $this->renderLayout();
    }
}

app/design/frontend/base/default/layout/easylife_brand.xml - layout file

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout>
    <brand_index_index>
        <reference name="content">
            <block type="core/template" name="brands" as="brands" />
        </reference>
    </brand_index_index>
</layout>

app/design/frontend/base/default/template/easylife_brand/no_brand.html - demo template shown when no brand parameter is passes.

<div>
No brand selected:<br /><br />
List of brands:<br />
Adidas<br />
Nike<br />
</div>

app/design/frontend/base/default/template/easylife_brand/adidas.html - demo template shown when a brand parameter is passes.

<div>This is the adidas brand page.</div>

Clear the cache.
Now when I call mysite.com/brands/ I get the first template (the one with 'No brand selected'.
If I call mysite.com/brands/addidas or mysite.com/brands/something I get the second template. ('this is the adidas brand page').