Magento Module Development...HellWorld

[glenelkins]

Hi

 

I dont know whats going on with these modules. Im writing a test one called HelloWorld. But the only output i ever seem to get is through _toHtml() function inside the block ?? In the layout config xml i have this:

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <layout version="0.1.0">
        <helloworld_index_index>
            <reference name="root">
                <action method="setTemplate"><templates>page/1column.phtml</templates></action>
            </reference>
            <reference name="content">
                <block type="helloworld/helloworld" name="hello" templates="helloworld/helloworld.phtml" />
            </reference>
            
        </helloworld_index_index>
    </layout>

 

The file “helloworld/helloworld.phtml” has the content “Hello World!” but it never loads up, here is the IndexController followed by the HelloWorld block

 

<?php

class M4U_HelloWorld_IndexController extends Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action {

    public function indexAction() {
    
        $this->loadLayout();
        $this->renderLayout();

        
    }
    
}

?>

<?php

class M4U_HelloWorld_Block_HelloWorld extends Mage_Core_Block_Template {

    function _toHtml() {
    
        return "HELLO";
        
    }
}

?>

 

All the block seems to do is load the block template file and insert what is returned from _toHtml() if i dont have this function, then nothing gets displayed!

 

Here is the module config.xml

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <config>
        <global>
            <modules>
                <m4u_helloworld>
                    <version>0.1.0</version>
                </m4u_helloworld>
            </modules>
            <blocks>
                <helloworld>
                    <rewrite>
                        <helloworld>M4U_HelloWorld_Block_HelloWorld</helloworld>
                    </rewrite>
                </helloworld>
            </blocks>
        </global>
        <frontend>
            <routers>
                <helloworld>
                    <use>standard</use>
                    <args>
                        <module>M4U_HelloWorld</module>
                        <frontName>helloworld</frontName>
                    </args>
                </helloworld>
            </routers>
            <layout>
                <updates>
                    <helloworld>
                        <file>helloworld.xml</file>
                    </helloworld>
                </updates>
            </layout>
        </frontend>
    </config>