public function indexAction()
		{
			//Get current layout state
			$this->loadLayout();	

			$block = $this->getLayout()->createBlock(
				'checkout/cart', // OR 'Mage_Checkout_Block_Cart'
				'my_block_name_here',
				array('template' => 'custom/cart.phtml')
			);

			$this->getLayout()->getBlock('content')->append($block);
			$this->getLayout()->getBlock('root')->setTemplate('page/empty.phtml');

			//Release layout stream
			$this->renderLayout();
		}

any suggestions will be highly appreciated…. Thanks you.

$template = Mage::getConfig()->getNode(‘global/page/layouts/two_columns_right/template’);
$this->getLayout()->getBlock(‘root’)->setTemplate($template);

I want to add newsletter block into my one column products page. How to add newsletter block in desired location of the page.

Thanks

Your post is very helpful

Thanks,

X block name

X – new block that needs to be created, but how to do it in layout xml file?
Simply putting following will not work

Here’s the XML I posted:
<block type="**/****">…</block>

When you see a … in a layout file, you should know that it ultimately gets loaded by the Mage_Core_Model_Layout class, the same object type that gets returned by $this->getLayout()

The code above can also be written as follows:
$block = $this->getLayout()->createBlock(
‘core/template’,
‘my_block_name_here’)
)->setTemplate(‘activecodeline/developer.phtml’);

Is it not better to load the Block using it’s “alias name”, so that in case it gets overridden by another module, the overridden class will be loaded?

$this->getLayout()->getBlock(‘right’)->insert($block, ‘catalog.compare.sidebar’, true);

This will position it on right sidebar under the ‘catalog.compare.sidebar’ block.