Extending Magento Layered Navigation
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The document details a solution for extending Magento's layered navigation to improve e-commerce catalog browsing and filtering by using category branches. It outlines the drawbacks of current data replication practices and provides a coding approach to create a custom module that integrates new category filters without redundancy. The author, Nadia Sala, emphasizes the benefits of this method, which avoids data duplication and simplifies maintenance.
![EXTEND MAGE_CATALOG_BLOCK_LAYER_VIEW / 1
Child blocks initialization, one for each configured category
class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Block_Catalog_Layer_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View{
/**
* Prepare child blocks
* @return Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View
*/
protected function _prepareLayout()
{
/** @var Mage_Catalog_Model_Category $current_category */
$current_category = Mage::helper('catalog')->getCategory();
foreach ($this->_layeredCategories as $layeredCatConfig) {
$categoryId = $layeredCatConfig['category'];
// check if current category navigation is in path of categorylayered
if ($current_category->getId() && in_array($categoryId, $current_category->getPathIds())) {
continue;
}
// create categoryLayered filter block
$blockAttributes = array(
'categoryId' => $layeredCatConfig['category'],
'requestParam' => $layeredCatConfig['filter']
);
$blockName = 'categorylayered_'.$categoryId;
$categoryBlock = $this->getLayout()
->createBlock($this->_categoryLayeredBlockName, $blockName, $blockAttributes)
->setLayer($this->getLayer())](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/nadiaslides-160219081825/85/Extending-Magento-Layered-Navigation-15-320.jpg)
![EXTEND MAGE_CATALOG_BLOCK_LAYER_VIEW / 2
For each configured category, add block to filters list
managing position
class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Block_Catalog_Layer_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View
{
/**
* Get all layer filters
* @return array
*/
public function getFilters()
{
$filters = parent::getFilters();
foreach ($this->_layeredCategories as $layeredCatConfig) {
$categoryId = $layeredCatConfig['category'];
$position = $layeredCatConfig['position'];
if (($categoryFilter = $this->_getLayeredCategoryFilter($categoryId))) {
$filters = array_merge(
array_slice(
$filters,
0,
$position
),
array($categoryFilter),
array_slice(
$filters,
$position,
count($filters)
)
);
}](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/nadiaslides-160219081825/85/Extending-Magento-Layered-Navigation-16-320.jpg)
![CREATE NEW CATALOG LAYER FILTER MODEL / 1
Retrieve subcategories as filter items.
class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer_Filter_Abstract
{
/**
* Get data array for building filter items
* @return array
*/
protected function _getItemsData()
{
$key = $this->getLayer()->getStateKey().'_'.$this->_requestVar;
$data = $this->getLayer()->getAggregator()->getCacheData($key);
if ($data === null) {
// load children for root category or current selected category for this filter
$categories = $this->_appliedCategory instanceof Mage_Catalog_Model_Category ?
$this->_appliedCategory->getChildrenCategories() :
$this->_rootCategory->getChildrenCategories();
$this->getLayer()->getProductCollection()
->addCountToCategories($categories);
$data = array();
foreach ($categories as $category) {
/** @var $category Mage_Catalog_Model_Categeory */
if ($category->getIsActive() && $category->getProductCount()) {
$data[] = array(
'label' => Mage::helper('core')->escapeHtml($category->getName()),
'value' => $category->getId(),
'count' => $category->getProductCount(),](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/nadiaslides-160219081825/85/Extending-Magento-Layered-Navigation-17-320.jpg)
![CREATE NEW CATALOG LAYER FILTER MODEL / 2
Apply filter logic adding a join on
catalog/category_product_index table
class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer_Filter_Abstract
/**
* Apply category filter to layer
* @param Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request
* @param Mage_Core_Block_Abstract $filterBlock
* @return Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered
*/
public function apply(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request, $filterBlock)
{
$filter = (int) $request->getParam($this->getRequestVar());
if (!$filter) {
return $this;
}
// load data for applied category
$this->_appliedCategory = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')
->setStoreId(Mage::app()->getStore()->getId())
->load($filter);
if ($this->_appliedCategory->getId()) {
// create join and conditions for additional category filter
$tableAlias = 'category_layered_'.$this->_rootCategory->getId();
$conditions = array();
$conditions['category_id'] = $filter;
$conditions['store_id'] = Mage::app()->getStore()->getId();
if (!$this->_appliedCategory->getIsAnchor()) {
$conditions['is_parent'] = 1;](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/nadiaslides-160219081825/85/Extending-Magento-Layered-Navigation-18-320.jpg)
Extending Magento Layered Navigation
- 1. EXTENDING MAGENTO LAYERED NAVIGATION MAGE TITANS ITALIA - MILAN, FEBRUARY 5TH 2016 Nadia Sala Extending Magento layered navigation by Nadia Sala
- 2. ABOUT ME PHP DEVELOPER MAGENTO BACKEND DEVELOPER @nadiasala nadia.sala@bitbull.it
- 3. THE STORY "Once upon a time there was an e-commerce website that exposed a catalog with many descriptive information."
- 4. You can imagine a fashion catalog, so you mind about: Product type, Occasion, Color, Gender, Designer, Price, Size, ...and more
- 5. SCENARIO Some information is useful for browsing catalog Some information is useful for filtering catalog Some information is useful for both
- 6. COMMON APPROACH Some information is useful for browsing catalog I can create categories and include them in the navigation menu
- 7. COMMON APPROACH Some information is useful for filtering catalog I can configure some attributes to be used as filters in layered navigation
- 8. COMMON APPROACH Some information is useful for both I have to create attributes in addition to categories and duplicate the same data
- 9. DRAWBACKS I have to keep attribute options in sync with category children I have to maintain proper correspondence between product attribute values and category assignment Filter redundancy
- 12. THE SOLUTION Extending Magento layered navigation to use category branches such as filters!
- 13. LET'S CODE ! Create custom module Add system configuration Create new catalog layer filter block Create new catalog layer filter model Extend catalog layer view block Define module layout update
- 14. ADD SYSTEM CONFIGURATION <!--?xml version="1.0"?--> <config> <tabs> <bitbulltab translate="label" module="bitbull_categorylayered"> <label>BITBULL</label> <sort_order>999</sort_order> </bitbulltab> </tabs> <sections> <bitbull_categorylayered translate="label" module="bitbull_categorylayered"> <label>Category Layered Navigation</label> <tab>bitbulltab</tab> <frontend_type>text</frontend_type> <sort_order>100</sort_order> <show_in_default>1</show_in_default> <show_in_website>1</show_in_website> <show_in_store>1</show_in_store> <groups> <configuration translate="label" module="bitbull_categorylayered"> <label>Configuration</label> <sort_order>10</sort_order> <show_in_default>1</show_in_default> <show_in_website>1</show_in_website> <show_in_store>1</show_in_store> <fields> <categories translate="label"> <label>Category List</label> <comment>List of categories to use in layered navigation</comment> <frontend_model>bitbull_categorylayered/config_categories</frontend_model> <backend_model>adminhtml/system_config_backend_serialized_array</backend_model> <sort_order>20</sort_order> <show_in_default>1</show_in_default>
- 15. EXTEND MAGE_CATALOG_BLOCK_LAYER_VIEW / 1 Child blocks initialization, one for each configured category class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Block_Catalog_Layer_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View{ /** * Prepare child blocks * @return Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View */ protected function _prepareLayout() { /** @var Mage_Catalog_Model_Category $current_category */ $current_category = Mage::helper('catalog')->getCategory(); foreach ($this->_layeredCategories as $layeredCatConfig) { $categoryId = $layeredCatConfig['category']; // check if current category navigation is in path of categorylayered if ($current_category->getId() && in_array($categoryId, $current_category->getPathIds())) { continue; } // create categoryLayered filter block $blockAttributes = array( 'categoryId' => $layeredCatConfig['category'], 'requestParam' => $layeredCatConfig['filter'] ); $blockName = 'categorylayered_'.$categoryId; $categoryBlock = $this->getLayout() ->createBlock($this->_categoryLayeredBlockName, $blockName, $blockAttributes) ->setLayer($this->getLayer())
- 16. EXTEND MAGE_CATALOG_BLOCK_LAYER_VIEW / 2 For each configured category, add block to filters list managing position class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Block_Catalog_Layer_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_View { /** * Get all layer filters * @return array */ public function getFilters() { $filters = parent::getFilters(); foreach ($this->_layeredCategories as $layeredCatConfig) { $categoryId = $layeredCatConfig['category']; $position = $layeredCatConfig['position']; if (($categoryFilter = $this->_getLayeredCategoryFilter($categoryId))) { $filters = array_merge( array_slice( $filters, 0, $position ), array($categoryFilter), array_slice( $filters, $position, count($filters) ) ); }
- 17. CREATE NEW CATALOG LAYER FILTER MODEL / 1 Retrieve subcategories as filter items. class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer_Filter_Abstract { /** * Get data array for building filter items * @return array */ protected function _getItemsData() { $key = $this->getLayer()->getStateKey().'_'.$this->_requestVar; $data = $this->getLayer()->getAggregator()->getCacheData($key); if ($data === null) { // load children for root category or current selected category for this filter $categories = $this->_appliedCategory instanceof Mage_Catalog_Model_Category ? $this->_appliedCategory->getChildrenCategories() : $this->_rootCategory->getChildrenCategories(); $this->getLayer()->getProductCollection() ->addCountToCategories($categories); $data = array(); foreach ($categories as $category) { /** @var $category Mage_Catalog_Model_Categeory */ if ($category->getIsActive() && $category->getProductCount()) { $data[] = array( 'label' => Mage::helper('core')->escapeHtml($category->getName()), 'value' => $category->getId(), 'count' => $category->getProductCount(),
- 18. CREATE NEW CATALOG LAYER FILTER MODEL / 2 Apply filter logic adding a join on catalog/category_product_index table class Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer_Filter_Abstract /** * Apply category filter to layer * @param Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request * @param Mage_Core_Block_Abstract $filterBlock * @return Bitbull_CategoryLayered_Model_Catalog_Layer_Filter_CategoryLayered */ public function apply(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request, $filterBlock) { $filter = (int) $request->getParam($this->getRequestVar()); if (!$filter) { return $this; } // load data for applied category $this->_appliedCategory = Mage::getModel('catalog/category') ->setStoreId(Mage::app()->getStore()->getId()) ->load($filter); if ($this->_appliedCategory->getId()) { // create join and conditions for additional category filter $tableAlias = 'category_layered_'.$this->_rootCategory->getId(); $conditions = array(); $conditions['category_id'] = $filter; $conditions['store_id'] = Mage::app()->getStore()->getId(); if (!$this->_appliedCategory->getIsAnchor()) { $conditions['is_parent'] = 1;
- 19. Frontend Demo Backend Demo
- 20. CONCLUSION By extending Magento layered navigation as shown we can: avoid data replication and maintenance filter deeply until selected category has subcategories avoid filter redundancy Without touching the core
- 21. THANK YOU ! NAMASTÉ ANY QUESTION ? @nadiasala nadia.sala@bitbull.it https://github.com/bitbull-team/magento-module-category-layered