Basic concepts

This topic explains how default templates work in the application.

How templates are initiated

Templates are initiated in layout files, and each layout block has an associated template.

The template is specified in the template attribute of the <block> layout instruction.

Take this example from app/code/Magento/Catalog/view/frontend/layout/catalog_category_view.xml:

<block class="Magento\Catalog\Block\Category\View" name="category.image" template="Magento_Catalog::category/image.phtml">
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<block class="Magento\Catalog\Block\Category\View" name="category.image" template="Magento_Catalog::category/image.phtml">

The category.image block is rendered by the image.phtml template in the category subdirectory of the Magento_Catalog module templates directory.

The templates directory of Magento_Catalog is app/code/Magento/Catalog/view/frontend/templates.

Templates may also be specified in the PHP Block class using the $_template protected variable.

Here is an example from the app/code/Magento/Review/view/frontend/layout/review_product_view.xml layout:

<block class="Magento\Review\Block\View" name="review_view" ifconfig="catalog/review/active"/>
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<block class="Magento\Review\Block\View" name="review_view" ifconfig="catalog/review/active"/>

The template for the review_view block is not specified using the template attribute of the <block> layout instruction. Instead, it is specified in the app/code/Magento/Review/Block/View.php block class.

protected $_template = 'Magento_Review::view.phtml';
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protected $_template = 'Magento_Review::view.phtml';

Template location

Templates are stored in the following locations:

Module templates: <module_dir>/view/frontend/templates/<path_to_templates>
Theme templates: <theme_dir>/<Namespace>_<Module>/templates/<path_to_templates>

<path_to_templates> indicates zero or more directory levels.

Examples:

app/code/Magento/Catalog/view/frontend/templates/product/widget/new/content/new_grid.phtml
app/code/Magento/Checkout/view/frontend/templates/cart.phtml

Template overrides

For template files with the same name, the following override rules apply:

Theme templates override module templates
Child theme templates override parent theme templates

To change the output defined by an existing template, override the template in your custom theme. This concept is the basis of template customization.

See Theme inheritance

Root template

<Magento_Theme_module_dir>/view/base/templates/root.phtml is the root template for all storefront pages in the application. This file can be overridden in a theme just like any other template file.

Unlike other templates, root.phtml contains the doctype specification and contributes to <head> and <body> sections of all pages rendered by application.

Getting argument values from layout

Arguments values set in a layout file are accessed in templates using the block's get{ArgumentName}() and has{ArgumentName}() methods.

Templates must not instantiate new objects within their code. All objects must be passed from the Block object. This way, the template remains stateless and its sole responsibility is to display the data it receives from the Block object. This approach promotes a clear separation of concerns, improves testability, and makes the code more modular and easier to maintain. It also ensures that the template does not have unexpected side effects, as it is not responsible for creating objects or managing their lifecycle.

For example, set an argument in the block: <argument name="store_name" xsi:type="string">ExampleCorp</argument>.

Get the argument value, in the template:
- $block->getData('store_name')
- $block->getStoreName()
Check if the argument exists:
- $block->hasData('store_name')
- $block->hasStoreName()

See Block arguments for more information.

Using PHP short tags in template PHTML files

The echo command in PHP can be written using the short tag in templates.

For example:

<?= $block->getAdjustmentsHtml() ?>
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<?= $block->getAdjustmentsHtml() ?>

is the same as writing

<?php echo $block->getAdjustmentsHtml() ?>
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<?php echo $block->getAdjustmentsHtml() ?>

Localization

In order to support the translation of content, the text must be wrapped inside __('sample text').

<span><?= $escaper->escapeHtml(__('Back to Product Reviews')) ?></span>
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<span><?= $escaper->escapeHtml(__('Back to Product Reviews')) ?></span>

Templates

Customization walkthrough