Display custom block on Homepage

Question

I have a problem with custom module and displaying custom block template on homepage.

I create a custom module to show product form specified category.

my config.xml file:

<config>
 <modules>
 <Vendor_Module>
 <version>0.1.0</version>
 </Vendor_Module>
 </modules>
 <global>
 <blocks>
 <vendor_module>
 <class>Vendor_Module_Block</class>
 </vendor_module>
 </blocks>
 <models>
 <vendor_module>
 <class>Vendor_Module_Model</class>
 </vendor_module>
 </models>
 </global>
 <frontend>
 <layout>
 <updates>
 <promotedproducts>
 <file>promotedproducts.xml</file>
 </promotedproducts>
 </updates>
 </layout>
 </frontend>
</config>

my Model file:

<?php
class Vendor_Module_Model_Products extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Product
{
 public function getItemsCollection($valueId)
 {
 $category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($valueId);
 $productCollection = $category->getProductCollection();
 $productCollection
 ->addStoreFilter()
 ->setVisibility(Mage::getSingleton('catalog/product_visibility')->getVisibleInCatalogIds())
 ->addMinimalPrice()
 ->addFinalPrice()
 ->addAttributeToSelect(Mage::getSingleton('catalog/config')->getProductAttributes())
 ->addUrlRewrite();
 return $productCollection;
 }
}

my Block file:

<?php
class Vendor_Module_Block_List extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_Abstract
{
 protected $_itemCollection = null;
 public function getItems()
 {
 $catid = $this->getCatid();
 if (!$catid)
 return false;
 if (is_null($this->_itemCollection)) {
 $this->_itemCollection = Mage::getModel('vendor_module/products')->getItemsCollection($catid);
 }
 return $this->_itemCollection;
 }
}

and here is my template file :

<?php $_items = $this->getItems(); var_dump($_items);die; ?>
<div id="promoted-product-list">
 <div class="block-content">
 <ul class="promoted-products-list">
 <?php foreach ($_items as $_item): ?>
 <?php endforeach; ?>
 </ul>
 </div>
</div>

and here is my custom layout file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout version="0.1.0">
 <default>
 <reference name="head">
 <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/promotedproducts.css</stylesheet></action>
 </reference>
 </default>
 <cms_index_index>
 <reference name="head">
 <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/promotedproducts.css</stylesheet></action>
 </reference>
 <reference name="content">
 <block type="vendor_module/list" name="promotedproduct" template="vendor/module/list.phtml"/>
 </reference>
 </cms_index_index>
</layout>

So, when i use

{{block type="vendor_module/list" name="promotedproduct" template="vendor/module/list.phtml" catid="252"}}

in my cms contact page it shows as i expected. but on cms_index_index it does not show. the custom css file is included, but the block does not show. It gives me a warning

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach()

, and when I use

$_items = $this->getItems()->getData();

it gives me an error that it is type boolean, but using var_dump($_items) on cms_contact shows me object, and var_dump($_items->getData()) shows me array with 4 elements (I have 4 product in this category).

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

• Gulshan Maurya: Have you tried output="toHtml" attribute in block tag?
• SebastianT: Hi, thanks for answer. Could you be more accurate? block tag, you mean where? i add to template file <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('promotedproducts'); ?> . But it gives nothing. im new to magento. Greetings!

Answer 1

Try below block code

<block type="vendor_module/list" output="toHtml" name="promotedproduct" template="vendor/module/list.phtml"/>

• SebastianT: Unfortunately it still gives me an error. It seems like i dont get productCollection on homepage. Still warning "Invalid argument supplied for foreach()".
• Gulshan Maurya: protected $_itemCollection = array(); should resolve your warning.
• SebastianT: O.K. I solved this problem. It was my fault. I didnt see this. When you told me to change $_itemCollection to array, i checked one more time this block code and i saw that there is $catid var, and when i called this block from cms contac page i give attribute catid="252", but when i tried to call this block on homepage i didnt give an attribute value and it return false. Set $catid solved it. Thanks :D

Answer 2

O.K. I solved this problem. It was my fault. I didnt see this. When @GulshanMaurya told me to change $_itemCollection to array, i checked one more time this block code and i saw that there is $catid var, and when i called this block from cms contac page i give attribute catid="252", but when i tried to call this block on homepage i didnt give an attribute value and it return false. Set $catid solved it. When use the code from tutorial, read it twice :D