Magento module Invalid block type

Question

I created a module where I try to create a new Magento Category Layer Filter. I'm working in the "code/local" area because I overrided some core files. Everything was ok until I tryed to add a new Catalog Layer View block.

Let's say that I have this structure:

core/local/Mynamespace/Mymodule/etc/config.xml

Here I defined the module path for controllers, blocks, models and helpers

..

<config>
    ...
    <global>
        <blocks>
            <Mynamespace_Mymodule>
                <class>Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block</class>
            </Mynamespace_Mymodule>
        </blocks>
    ...

So, the blocks are well configured.

In the folder: core/local/Mynamespace/Mymodule/Block I have:

core/local/Mynamespace/Mymodule/Block/Catalog/Layer/View.php

and

core/local/Mynamespace/Mymodule/Block/Catalog/Layer/Newtype.php

In the View.php contains:

    class Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block_Catalog_Layer_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View
{

    protected $_newtypeBlockName;

        protected function _initBlocks()
        {
            parent::_initBlocks();

            $this->_newtypeBlockName = "mynamespace_mymodule/catalog_layer_filter_newtype;
        }


    protected function _prepareLayout()
        {
            $newtypeBlock = $this->getLayout()->createBlock($this->_newtypeBlockName)
                    ->setLayer($this->getLayer())
                    ->init();

            $this->setChild('newtype_filter', $newtypeBlock);

            return parent::_prepareLayout();
        }

In the function _prepareLayout, I receive an error at this code block, where I use the function "setLayer":

$newtypeBlock = $this->getLayout()->createBlock($this->_newtypeBlockName)
                    ->setLayer($this->getLayer())
                    ->init();

I debugged the error and the message is:

Invalid block type: Mage_Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block_Catalog_Layer_View

The error comes from the class: Mage_Core_Model_Layout, more exactly, from this function:

public function createBlock($type, $name='', array $attributes = array())
    {
        try {
            $block = $this->_getBlockInstance($type, $attributes);
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            var_dump($e);die(" - FROM HERE COMES THE ERROR");
            Mage::logException($e);
            return false;
        }

        if (empty($name) || '.'===$name{0}) {
            $block->setIsAnonymous(true);
            if (!empty($name)) {
                $block->setAnonSuffix(substr($name, 1));
            }
            $name = 'ANONYMOUS_'.sizeof($this->_blocks);
        } elseif (isset($this->_blocks[$name]) && Mage::getIsDeveloperMode()) {
            //Mage::throwException(Mage::helper('core')->__('Block with name "%s" already exists', $name));
        }
         ..

You can see that I edited this function and I used var_dump to display the error.

That function also calls this function:

protected function _getBlockInstance($block, array $attributes=array())
    {
        if (is_string($block)) {
            if (strpos($block, '/')!==false) {
                if (!$block = Mage::getConfig()->getBlockClassName($block)) {
                    Mage::throwException(Mage::helper('core')->__('Invalid block type: %s', $block));
                }
            }
            if (class_exists($block, false) || mageFindClassFile($block)) {
                $block = new $block($attributes);
            }
        }
        if (!$block instanceof Mage_Core_Block_Abstract) {
            Mage::throwException(Mage::helper('core')->__('Invalid block type: %s', $block));
        }
        return $block;
    }

And the exception is thrown on this line: if (!$block instanceof Mage_Core_Block_Abstract) {

In my case, the $block type is Mage_Core_Block_Template (which extends the Mage_Core_Block_Abstract class, but still doesn't help me).

I also have a frontend xml layout file, from where I'm loading the block:

<catalog_category_layered>
    <reference name="left_first">
        <reference name="catalog.leftnav">
            <action method="setTemplate">
                <template>Mynamespace/Mymodule/catalog/layer/view.phtml</template>
            </action>
        </reference>
        <block type="mynamespace_mymodule/catalog_layer_view" name="mynamespace_mymodule.catalog.leftnav" after="currency" template="Mynamespace/Mymodule/catalog/layer/view.phtml"/>
    </reference>
</catalog_category_layered>

When building my module, I followed this http://www.techytalk.info/create-custom-layered-navigation-filter-magento/ tutorial. Any idea why I'm getting the error that I mentioned earlyer?

The error was: Invalid block type: Mage_Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block_Catalog_Layer_View

Any help will be great, thanks.

Answer 1

You have call all the block types by block prefix mynamespace_mymodule

But you have define it as Mynamespace_Mymodule

 <blocks>
            <Mynamespace_Mymodule> <!-- call as block prefix -->
                <class>Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block</class>
            </Mynamespace_Mymodule>
        </blocks>

You need to change the block prefix Mynamespace_Mymodule by mynamespace_mymodule

<config>
    ...
    <global>
        <blocks>
            <mynamespace_mymodule>
                <class>Mynamespace_Mymodule_Block</class>
            </mynamespace_mymodule>
        </blocks>
    ...

Answer 2

In some cases (Magento 1.9), if we forgot to use construct function in block PHP file then put it and the issue will be fixed:

 protected function _construct()
    {
        parent::_construct();
    }