Your own template blocks #

A Template block (block type tpl_block, palette group Placeholders) shows a template whose name you type in the editor. The developer decides what (the template), the editor decides where (the layout, zone and order). The Fit & Healthy header, breadcrumb and footer are template blocks (How the header is built).

Contents #

1. Write the template
2. Place it in a layout
3. The result
4. How a template block finds its template

1. Write the template #

In your design extension: extension/mysite/design/media/templates/explayouts/tpl_block/latest_fitness.tpl, here the three newest articles of Fitness (node 92):

{def $latest = fetch( 'content', 'list', hash( 'parent_node_id', 92,
                                                'class_filter_type', 'include',
                                                'class_filter_array', array( 'ng_article' ),
                                                'sort_by', array( 'published', false() ),
                                                'limit', 3 ) )}
<div class="container latest-fitness">
    <h2>{'Latest in Fitness'|i18n( 'mysite' )}</h2>
    <ul>
    {foreach $latest as $item}
        <li><a href={$item.url_alias|ezurl}>{$item.name|wash}</a></li>
    {/foreach}
    </ul>
</div>
{undef $latest}

The name may use lower-case letters, digits and _. Clear the template cache after adding the file (./console exp:cache clear --tag=template).

2. Place it in a layout #

Open the layout in the editor, open the block palette, scroll to Placeholders and drag Template block into a zone. Select it, open the Design tab and type the name into Template name: latest_fitness. The block then reads "Template block: latest_fitness". Publish layout.

3. The result #

How a template block finds its template #

On the media design, explayouts/block/tpl_block.tpl asks the operator tpl_block_template() (in extension/sevenx_themes_media/autoloads/sevenxthemesmediaoperators.php):

1. a fixed map of the theme's own block IDs (13 header, 477 breadcrumb, 14 footer, and the article and topic parts);
2. by place: a root block in zone header, a block in a column of zone header, a root block in zone footer;
3. by its Template name: explayouts/tpl_block/<name>.tpl, if a design has that file. A name without a file renders nothing (and no empty wrapper).

So a template block you add in a header or footer zone of the shared layout is taken for the theme's header, breadcrumb or footer by rule 2, whatever name you type. Put your own template blocks in other zones (post_header, main, pre_footer), or in another layout.

The standard design of Layouts has its own placeholders under extension/explayouts/design/standard/templates/explayouts/tpl_block/ (header.tpl, breadcrumb.tpl, footer.tpl); a design without the media theme's operator includes design:explayouts/tpl_block/<name>.tpl directly.

Related pages #

• How the header is built
• Add a block type
• Your own design extension
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.