How do I display a block in frontend?

Question

In the image below you can see the structure of my module:

enter image description here

This is the content of Block/Product/View.php:

 <?php
 class NetGroup_Attributegrouping_Block_Product_View extends Mage_Core_Block_Template
 {
 function _construct(){
 $this->setTemplate('netgroup/attributegrouping/list.phtml');
 }
 function indexAction(){
 $this->setTemplate('netgroup/attributegrouping/list.phtml');
 }
 }

This is the content of etc/config.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
 <modules>
 <Netgroup_Attributegrouping>
 <version>1.0.0</version>
 </Netgroup_Attributegrouping>
 </modules>
 <global>
 <blocks>
 <netgroup_attributegrouping>
 <class>Netgroup_Attributegrouping_Block</class>
 </netgroup_attributegrouping>
 </blocks>
 <helpers>
 <netgroup_attributegrouping>
 <class>Netgroup_Attributegrouping_Helper</class>
 </netgroup_attributegrouping>
 </helpers>
 </global>
 <admin>
 <routers>
 <adminhtml>
 <args>
 <modules>
 <netgroup_attributegrouping after="Mage_Adminhtml">Netgroup_Attributegrouping_Adminhtml</netgroup_attributegrouping>
 </modules>
 </args>
 </adminhtml>
 </routers>
 </admin>
 <adminhtml>
 <layout>
 <updates>
 <netgroup_attributegrouping>
 <file>netgroup_attributegrouping.xml</file>
 </netgroup_attributegrouping>
 </updates>
 </layout>
 </adminhtml>
 <frontend>
 <layout>
 <updates>
 <netgroup_attributegrouping>
 <file>netgroup_attributegrouping.xml</file>
 </netgroup_attributegrouping>
 </updates>
 </layout>
 </frontend>
</config>

In the design/frontend/netlogiq/default/layout/netgroup_attributegroping.xml content is:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout>
 <catalog_product_view>
 <reference name="product.info">
 <block type="netgroup_attributegrouping/product_view" ></block>
 </reference>
 </catalog_product_view>
</layout> 

In the design/frontend/netlogiq/default/template/netgroup/attributegrouping/list.phtml content is:

<?php 
 echo 111111111111;
?>

AND finally in the app/design/frontend/netlgiq/default/template/catalog/product/view.phtml i have :

<div class="TEST"> TEST<br>
 <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('netgroup_attributegrouping'); ?>
</div>

I want to display my product in catalog/product/view.phtml. It does not display "1111111111" . I know there is a lot of mistakes, but what should i do , to make my module to work ? thx

Answer 1

 <reference name="product.info">
 <block type="netgroup_attributegrouping/product_view" name="netgroup_attributegrouping" as="netgroup_attributegrouping"></block>
 </reference>
then this will work `<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('netgroup_attributegrouping'); ?>`

• Attila Naghi: ok it works, but could you explain me this part : name="netgroup_attributegrouping" as="netgroup_attributegrouping" ?
• Pradeep Sanku: you are calling the getChildHtml and passing the parameter which is the name of the block ie netgroup_attributegrouping. but their is no block with this name netgroup_attributegrouping.so when you calling block with this name you are not getting this block.so we have to give a name to this block
• Attila Naghi: any ideea why $_product is null if a put this code: $_product = $this->getProduct(); int list.phtml ?

Answer 2

You have not mention the block name and as. So change your layout file need to like this

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout>
 <catalog_product_view>
 <reference name="product.info">
 <block type="netgroup_attributegrouping/product_view" name="netgroup_attributegrouping" as="netgroup_attributegrouping"/>
 </reference>
 </catalog_product_view>
</layout> 

Then only you can get the file by this code

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('netgroup_attributegrouping'); ?>

Note: You have to pass block as value not block name to the getChilHtml function parameter

• Attila Naghi: it works, thx. question: what is name="product.info" ? where is defined? and im confused a little bit. I saw using this characters "/", "_","." in the name and i do not know the differences between them
• MeenakshiSundaram R: @Chester check your catalog.xml file product.info is block name , so you have call that use that block.
• MeenakshiSundaram R: @Chester "/", "_","." i can't understand what your asking
• Attila Naghi: what does "." represents in the name ?
• MeenakshiSundaram R: @Chester it just a character, you can use any thing in this. i.e., Each block name must be unique.