Question

Let’s say I have two categegories, A and B.

I set A to use ‘layout_a’ on Catalog -> Catalog Categories -> Click a category -> click custom design tab

I set B to use ‘layout_b’ on Catalog -> Catalog Categories -> Click a category -> click custom design tab

When I visit category A and B, theydisplays products using their own layout that I set on the admin panel. When I click an item on the product listing page, product view page does not use custom design.

How do I enforce product view page to use its category’s custom design?

Answer 1

I found the answer by myself.

1. Open product controller located in /app/code/Mage/Catalog/controllers/ProductController.php

2. add the following code into _initProductLayout method

   $update->addHandle(‘CATEGORY_’.$product->getCategoryId());

3. Open catalog layout xml located in /app/design/frontend/default/default/layout/catalog.xml

4. add

<CATEGORY_"your category id">
    <reference name="root">
  <action method="setTemplate"><template>yourtemplate here</template></action>
    </reference>
</CATEGORY_"your category id">