Magento block not showing

Question

I am new to Magento and have been trying to create a module, to display block content using getChildHtml(). However, it is not working.

In app/design/frontend/muster/default/template/page/html/header/header4.phtml, I have the following code:

<div class="grid_10 v-grid">
    <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('userdropdown_menu_dropdown'); ?>
</div>

In app/design/frontend/muster/default/layout/muster/userdropdown.xml, I have the following structure:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <layout version="0.1.0">
        <default>
            <reference name="userdropdown.menu">
                <block type="bb_userdropdown/userdropdown_menu_dropdown" name="userdropdown_menu_dropdown" as="userdropdown" template="muster/userdropdown/userdropdown/menu/dropdown.phtml"/>
            </reference>
        </default>
    </layout>

In app/design/frontend/muster/default/template/muster/userdropdown/userdropdown/menu/dropdown.phtml, I have the following code:

<?php
    $test = $this->helloWorld(); 
    echo $test;
?>

In app/etc/modules I have created Muster_UserDropdown.xml, in which I have the following code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <config>
      <modules>
        <Muster_UserDropdown>
          <active>true</active>
          <codePool>community</codePool>
          <version>0.1.0</version>
        </Muster_UserDropdown>
      </modules>
    </config>

I have created the folder app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown, which has the following subfolders:

Block
Helper
controllers
etc
sql

The following ones are empty:

Helper
Model
controllers
sql

Inside app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/Block, I have the following file:

app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/Block/Userdropdown/Menu/Dropdown.php

The code in app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/Block/Userdropdown/Menu/Dropdown.php is as follows:

<?php
    class Muster_UserDropdown_Block_Userdropdown_Menu_Dropdown extends Mage_Core_Block_Template
    {
        /**
         * TESTING
         */
        public function helloWorld()
        {
            return 'Hello world!';
        }
    }

Inside app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/etc, I have the following file:

app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/etc/config.xml

The code in app/code/community/Muster/UserDropdown/etc/config.xml is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Muster_UserDropdown>
            <version>0.1.0</version>
        </Muster_UserDropdown>
    </modules>
    <frontend>
        <routers>
            <bbuserdropdown>
                <use>standard</use>
                <args>
                    <module>Muster_UserDropdown</module>
                    <frontName>bbuserdropdown</frontName>
                </args>
            </bbuserdropdown>
        </routers>
        <translate>
            <modules>
                <bb_userdropdown>
                    <files>
                        <default>BB_UserDropdown.csv</default>
                    </files>
                </bb_userdropdown>
            </modules>
        </translate>
        <layout>
            <updates>
                <bb_punchcard>
                    <file>muster/userdropdown.xml</file>
                </bb_punchcard>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </frontend>
</config>

What is wrong since getChildHtml('userdropdown_menu_dropdown') does not return anything?

Mihir Bhende Mihir Bhende · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-21T14:02:25

Few options to check the solution :

1) Check to which template the reference block name="userdropdown.menu" is related. It should be app/design/frontend/muster/default/template/page/html/header/header4.phtml as you are calling getChildHtml inside it.

2) Make sure all the template files has proper permissions and owners assigned.

3) Try using alias (as) to get childhtml like below :

4) Make sure the block names or alias are not duplicated.

Magento block not showing

1 Answers