Question

How can i reference category name and image from a static block in magento through the magento backend? I’m running 1.7.

Answer 1

I am not aware of a way in which you can easily reference these values from within a static block.

Instead, I would suggest you create and use a widget (one of the most underused features of Magento in my opinion) which will provide a much cleaner and more extendible way of achieving this – though it does require more work upfront 🙂

Please see code below for a full (simplified) example of a Magento Widget which does exactly what you have asked from the static block:

app/etc/modules/YourCompany_Categorywidget.xml

<config>
    <modules>
        <MyCompany_Categorywidget>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>community</codePool>
        </MyCompany_Categorywidget>
    </modules>
</config>

app/code/community/MyCompany/Categorywidget/etc/config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<config>
    <modules>
        <MyCompany_Categorywidget>
            <version>1.0.0</version>
        </MyCompany_Categorywidget>
    </modules>
    <global>
        <blocks>
            <categorywidget>
                <class>MyCompany_Categorywidget_Block</class>
            </categorywidget>
        </blocks>
        <helpers>
            <categorywidget>
                <class>MyCompany_Categorywidget_Helper</class>
            </categorywidget>
        </helpers>
    </global>
</config>

app/code/community/MyCompany/Categorywidget/etc/widget.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<widgets>
    <category_widget type="categorywidget/catalog_category_widget_info" translate="name description" module="categorywidget">
        <name>Category Info Block</name>
        <description>Category Info Block showing name, image etc</description>
        <parameters>
            <block_title translate="label">
                <required>1</required>
                <visible>1</visible>
                <label>Block Title</label>
                <type>text</type>
            </block_title>
            <template>
                <required>1</required>
                <visible>1</visible>
                <label>Template</label>
                <type>select</type>
                <value>categorywidget/info.phtml</value>
                <values>
                    <default translate="label">
                        <value>categorywidget/info.phtml</value>
                        <label>Category Widget Info Block - Default Template</label>
                    </default>
                    <!-- Add different temmplates here for different block positions -->
                </values>
            </template>
            <category translate="label">
                <visible>1</visible>
                <required>1</required>
                <label>Category</label>
                <type>label</type>
                <helper_block>
                    <type>adminhtml/catalog_category_widget_chooser</type>
                    <data>
                        <button translate="open">
                            <open>Select Category...</open>
                        </button>
                    </data>
                </helper_block>
                <sort_order>10</sort_order>
            </category>
        </parameters>
    </category_widget>
</widgets>

app/code/community/MyCompany/Categorywidget/Helper/Data.php

<?php

class MyCompany_Categorywidget_Helper_Data extends Mage_Core_Helper_Abstract
{}

app/code/community/MyCompany/Categorywidget/Block/Catalog/Category/Widget/Info.php

<?php

class MyCompany_Categorywidget_Block_Catalog_Category_Widget_Info
    extends MyCompany_Categorywidget_Block_Catalog_Category_Info
        implements Mage_Widget_Block_Interface
{
    protected function _prepareCategory()
    {
        $this->_validateCategory();

        $category = $this->_getData('category');
        if (false !== strpos($category, '/')) {
            $category = explode('/', $category);
            $this->setData('category', (int)end($category));
        }
        return parent::_prepareCategory();
    }
}

app/code/community/MyCompany/Categorywidget/Block/Catalog/Category/Info.php

<?php

class MyCompany_Categorywidget_Block_Catalog_Category_Info extends Mage_Core_Block_Template
{
    protected $_category;

    protected function _beforeToHtml()
    {
        $this->_category = $this->_prepareCategory();
        return parent::_beforeToHtml();
    }

    protected function _prepareCategory()
    {
        $this->_validateCategory();
        return Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($this->_getData('category'));
    }

    protected function _validateCategory()
    {
        if (! $this->hasData('category')) {
            throw new Exception('Category must be set for info block');
        }
    }

    public function getCategoryName()
    {
        return $this->_category->getName();
    }

    public function getCategoryImage()
    {
        return $this->_category->getImageUrl();
    }
}

app/design/frontend/base/default/template/categorywidget/info.phtml

<?php
    $_categoryName = $this->getCategoryName();
    $_categoryImage = $this->getCategoryImage();
 ?>

 <div class="categoryinfo_block block">
    <p><strong><?php echo $_categoryName ?></strong></p>
    <img src="<?php echo $_categoryImage ?>" alt="<?php echo $_categoryName  ?>" />
 </div>