Question

I am learning Magento and I come across this problem.

Template File code

    <?php $testimonials = $this->getTestimonials(); ?>
<?php $i = 0;?>
<?php if ($testimonials->count() > 0): ?>
<div class="block testimonials_sidebar">
    <div class="block-title">
    <strong><span><?php echo $this->__('Testimonials') ?></span></strong>
    </div>
    <div class="block-content">
        <?php foreach ($testimonials as $testimonial): ?>
            <div class="testimonial_sidebar_box">
                <div class="testimonial_sidebar_text"><?php echo $testimonial->getTestimonialText(); ?></div>
                <div class="testimonial_sidebar_name"><?php echo $testimonial->getTestimonialName(); ?></div>
            </div>
        <?php endforeach; ?>
        <div class="actions">
            <a href="<?php echo $this->getUrl('testimonials'); ?>"><?php echo $this->__('View All Testimonials'); ?></a>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<?php endif;?>

When I go to block to see the First line of code in the Template file which is

 <?php $testimonials = $this->getTestimonials(); ?>

And I could not find this method declared in that block class, instead I can see this method but in commented section. But This method hasn’t been declared anywhere in the module. How is this happening? Block class code below.

/**
 * Frontend block for testimonials
 *
 * @method Turnkeye_Testimonial_Model_Mysql4_Testimonial_Collection getTestimonials()
 */
class Turnkeye_Testimonial_Block_Testimonial extends Mage_Core_Block_Template
{

    /**
     * Before rendering html, but after trying to load cache
     *
     * @return Turnkeye_Testimonial_Block_Testimonial
     */
    protected function _beforeToHtml()
    {
        $this->_prepareCollection();
        return parent::_beforeToHtml();
    }

    /**
     * Prepare testimonial collection object
     *
     * @return Turnkeye_Testimonial_Block_Testimonial
     */
    protected function _prepareCollection()
    {
        /* @var $collection Turnkeye_Testimonial_Model_Mysql4_Testimonial_Collection */
        $collection = Mage::getModel("turnkeye_testimonial/testimonial")->getCollection();
        if ($this->getSidebar()){
            $collection->addFieldToFilter('testimonial_sidebar', '1');
        }

        $collection->setOrder('testimonial_position', 'ASC')
                   ->load();
        $this->setTestimonials($collection);
        return $this;
    }

}

If I am ctrl click on that method in template file it’s taking me to that method in comments. I can see it’s pointing towards collection so here is my collection code.

class Turnkeye_Testimonial_Model_Mysql4_Testimonial_Collection extends Mage_Core_Model_Mysql4_Collection_Abstract
{

/**
 * Initialization here
 *
 */
public function _construct()
{
    parent::_construct();
    $this->_init('turnkeye_testimonial/testimonial');
}

}

Answer 1

Magento makes uses the magic __call() method to dynamically “create” accessor methods for private (hidden) data in Magento objects.

Most classes in Magento inherit from Varien_Object, where the magic __call() method is defined.

If you want to know more about the magic __call() function in PHP, you can read about it here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.overloading.php#object.call.

Other magic methods can be found here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.magic.php. (Similar to __call() are the magic methods __get() and __set()).

I found an article that gives an explanation of how this all works in Magento: http://codemagento.com/2011/02/where-are-my-getters-and-setters/.

The comment line that you saw that starts with @method is a hint to document generators, IDEs, and to you, that while this method isn’t defined in the code, it should be accessible by the magic __call() method. If you’re using an IDE like Netbeans or Eclipse, you should get code completion for the method.