How to override layout files properly

Question

In Joomla 3.x we can use the JLayout class to override the files located in ROOT/layouts folder

According to this doc http://docs.joomla.org/J3.x:JLayout_Improvements_for_Joomla!

all we need to do is add something like this;

        $layout = new JLayoutFile('joomla.edit.frontediting_modules'); 
        $layout->addIncludePaths(YJSGPATH .'includes/html/layouts');

        print_r($layout);

This snippet is added in my system plugin in onAfterRoute function.

Now the array looks fine and points to the right direction

JLayoutFile Object
(
    [layoutId:protected] => joomla.edit.frontediting_modules
    [basePath:protected] => 
    [fullPath:protected] => 
    [includePaths:protected] => Array
        (
            [0] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x\plugins\system\yjsg\includes/html/layouts
            [1] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x/templates/creatus/html/layouts
            [2] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x/layouts
        )

    [options:protected] => Joomla\Registry\Registry Object
        (
            [data:protected] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [component] => 
                    [client] => 0
                )

        )

    [debugMessages:protected] => Array
        (
        )

)

and file frontediting_modules.php is located in my folder http://prntscr.com/4lijlf

but the override is not happening.

I removed the call for bootstrap popover and tooltips http://prntscr.com/4lijz3 just to test it but it does not work

if I move the override folder to my template html folder the override works.

Can someone please advise.

Thank you!

Answer 1

The addIncludePaths call only affects that particular instance of the $layout variable. Unless you are also rendering the layout in the plugin, your code will have no effect on the actual rendering.

It looks like you are trying to affect this line from the document renderer:

JLayoutHelper::render('joomla.edit.frontediting_modules', $displayData);

This uses the JLayoutHelper's render method which will instantiate a new instance of JLayoutFile:

public static function render($layoutFile, $displayData = null, $basePath = '', $options = null)
{
    $basePath = empty($basePath) ? self::$defaultBasePath : $basePath;

    // Make sure we send null to JLayoutFile if no path set
    $basePath = empty($basePath) ? null : $basePath;
    $layout = new JLayoutFile($layoutFile, $basePath, $options);
    $renderedLayout = $layout->render($displayData);

    return $renderedLayout;
}

To do what you are trying to do, you would have to get your line ($layout->addIncludePaths(YJSGPATH .'includes/html/layouts');) in between the $layout setting and the render call within this method.

Since that would involve editing the core code, you will likely want to avoid it. However, there does not appear to be a way to do what you are trying to do in the CMS (yet!).

This is a very new piece of the CMS, so this will likely be an option in the future, but it just isn't there yet.

Answer 2

OK , found a workaround since we are already extending few classes I managed to extend the JLayoutFile class and add my path in between layout and template/html/layout

via this method How to override core classes?

http://prntscr.com/4ln5dt

so the array now reads

JLayoutFile Object
(
    [layoutId:protected] => joomla.edit.frontediting_modules
    [basePath:protected] => 
    [fullPath:protected] => 
    [includePaths:protected] => Array
        (
            [0] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x/templates/creatus/html/layouts
            [1] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x\plugins\system\yjsg\includes/html/layouts
            [2] => D:\wamp\www\Development\Yjsgv2-DEV\3x/layouts
        )

    [options:protected] => Joomla\Registry\Registry Object
        (
            [data:protected] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [component] => 
                    [client] => 0
                )

        )

    [debugMessages:protected] => Array
        (
        )

)

And checks

• layouts
• my_plugin/layouts
• template/html/layouts

it would be great if we can just do

jimport('cms.layout.file');
JLayoutFile::addIncludePath(YJSGPATH .'includes/html/layouts');

in the future since the addIncludePath method already exists.

Answer 3

Just stumbled upon this; the top answer is not correct, and the workaround offered is not needed. As they were posted a long time ago, information was probably not well known at the time.

It is the main purpose of JLayout to be overridable, so it was the case from day 1 (in Joomla 3.0.0).

All you have to do to override, say joomla.edit.frontediting_modules is to coy the original layout file to your template override folder. In that example, you would copy:

/layouts/joomla/edit/frontediting_modules.php

to

/templates/{your_templates}/html/layouts/joomla/edit/frontediting_modules.php

and just make your changes as usual for other types of overrides.

Here is the corresponding Joomla documentation page (Look at the "Template overrides" paragraph.

Rgds