Magento custom blocks

Question

I am trying to show the popular product list using ajax in magento on the home page using ajax, I could do that for 5 or "N" no.of products, but what i want is the pagination toolbar to be added with the result set.

This is what i added to show the popular products,

// Magento layout
$magento_block = Mage::getSingleton('core/layout');
$productsHtml = $magento_block->createBlock('catalog/product');
$productsHtml->setTemplate('catalog/product/popular.phtml');
echo $productsHtml ->toHTML();

And under popular.phtml

<?php   

    $_productCollection = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->getCollection()
    ->addPriceData()
    ->addAttributeToSort('ordered_qty', 'DESC')
    ->addAttributeToSort('name', 'ASC')
    ->setPageSize($limit)
    ->setPage($p, $limit)       
    ->addAttributeToSelect(array('entity_id', 'entity_type_id', 'attribute_set_id', 'type_id', 'sku', 'category_ids', 'created_at', 'updated_at','has_options', 'sync', 'name', 'stock_status', 'wc_review_iwc_rating', 'wc_review_wa_rating', 'wc_review_bh_rating', 'small_image', 'status', 'pre_arrival', 'description', 'short_description', 'price', 'is_salable', 'stock_item', 'gift_message_available', 'featured'));

?>

So this gives me the popular products of specified page and limit, but i could not load the pagination toolbar(by directly adding the toolbar to popular.phtml or through create block layout function), Where am wrong? Could anybody tell me please.

Thanks

Answer 1

Try creating a Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_List block and setting the collection of the popular products yourself.

$collection = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->addAttributeToFilter('your popular products');
// do not load the collection yet, otherwise the toolbar will not work

$listBlock = Mage::getSingleton('core/layout')->createBlock('catalog/product_list');
$listBlock->setCollection($collection)->setTemplate('your/alternative/catalog/product/list.phtml');

The product list block always initializes a toolbar block itself. You can display the toolbar in the template by using <?php echo $this->getToolbarHtml() ?>

EDIT: Here is a working example of a sample frontend action in Magento 1.4.1.1:

public function productListAction()
{

    $collection = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->getCollection()
            ->addAttributeToSelect('*');

    Mage::getSingleton('catalog/product_visibility')->addVisibleInCatalogFilterToCollection($collection);

    $this->loadLayout();

    $listBlock = $this->getLayout()->createBlock('catalog/product_list')
            ->setTemplate('catalog/product/list.phtml')
            ->setCollection($collection);

    $this->getLayout()->getBlock('content')->append($listBlock);

    $this->renderLayout();
}

I hope that makes it clearer.

Answer 2

For others reference this is what i added as per Vinai's code.

$collection = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->getCollection()->addAttributeToSelect('*');
    Mage::getSingleton('catalog/product_visibility')->addVisibleInCatalogFilterToCollection($collection);       
    $magento_block = Mage::getSingleton('core/layout');
    $productsHtml  = $magento_block->createBlock('catalog/product_list');
    $productsHtml ->setTemplate('catalog/product/list.phtml')->setCollection($collection);
    echo $productsHtml ->toHTML();

It renders the pagination toolbar perfectly.

Answer 3

You should initialize the toolbar from your collection I guess. Have you seen this page?