Creating a region that uses two templates. What am I doing wrong?

Just an empty div where the code should appear. The rest of the page works just fine. I've checked if perch_content creates a region, that works fine too. So I figured I must be doing something wrong with the perch_content_create function.

Just in case you need my diagnostics code:

Perch: 2.8.15, PHP: 5.5.25, MySQL: mysqlnd 5.0.11-dev - 20120503 - $Id: 15d5c781cfcad91193dceae1d2cdd127674ddb3e $, with PDO
Server OS: Linux, apache2handler
Installed apps: content (2.8.15), assets (2.8.15), categories (2.8.15)
App runtimes: <?php $apps_list = array( 'content', 'categories', );
PERCH_LOGINPATH: /perch
PERCH_PATH: /home/flexiuy104/domains/speeltuin.edwinvenhorst.nl/public_html/perch
PERCH_CORE: /home/flexiuy104/domains/speeltuin.edwinvenhorst.nl/public_html/perch/core
PERCH_RESFILEPATH: /home/flexiuy104/domains/speeltuin.edwinvenhorst.nl/public_html/perch/resources
Image manipulation: GD
PHP limits: Max upload 20M, Max POST 20M, Memory: 256M, Total max file upload: 20M
Resource folder writeable: Yes
HTTP_HOST: speeltuin.edwinvenhorst.nl
DOCUMENT_ROOT: /home/flexiuy104/domains/speeltuin.edwinvenhorst.nl/public_html
REQUEST_URI: /perch/core/settings/diagnostics/
SCRIPT_NAME: /perch/core/settings/diagnostics/index.php

Hi, I have been testing this out and discover:

1) Perch Content Create only seems to create a new region if you specify a template e.g. at the very least:

<?php perch_content_create('Perch Content Create needs a template', array(
    'template' => 'article.html',
    )); 
?>

I didn't think that was the case in the past, but it seems so now.

Secondly and surprisingly, I find that Perch Content Custom now actually creates a region:

<?php
    perch_content_custom('This Will Create a Region'); 
?>

This is the page debug-output:

Debug Message
SELECT regionID, regionTemplate, regionPage, regionRev AS rev FROM perch2_content_regions WHERE regionKey='Regionname' AND (regionPage='/index.php' OR regionPage='*')
No matching content regions found. Check region name (Regionname) and page path options.
SELECT * FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, c.regionID, idx.pageID, c.itemJSON, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM perch2_content_index idx JOIN perch2_content_items c ON idx.itemID=c.itemID AND idx.itemRev=c.itemRev AND idx.regionID=c.regionID JOIN perch2_content_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev AND idx2.indexKey='_order' WHERE idx.regionID IS NULL AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev ) as tbl GROUP BY itemID ORDER BY sortval ASC
Using template: /templates/content/template1.html
No matching content regions found. Check region name (Regionname) and page path options.
SELECT * FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, c.regionID, idx.pageID, c.itemJSON, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM perch2_content_index idx JOIN perch2_content_items c ON idx.itemID=c.itemID AND idx.itemRev=c.itemRev AND idx.regionID=c.regionID JOIN perch2_content_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev AND idx2.indexKey='_order' WHERE idx.regionID IS NULL AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev ) as tbl GROUP BY itemID ORDER BY sortval ASC
Using template: /templates/content/template2.html
SELECT regionKey, regionHTML FROM perch2_content_regions WHERE regionPage='/index.php' OR regionPage='*' ORDER BY regionPage DESC

Simon Clay said:

Secondly and surprisingly, I find that Perch Content Custom now actually creates a region:

<?php
  perch_content_custom('This Will Create a Region'); 
?>

You're right Simon, thanks for testing. I've also tested it and Perch Content Custom does seem to create it's own region. But now I don't know if it is supposed to do that and second, I don't know if it's possible to use two templates.

It's definitely possible to use 2 templates. You can use Perch Content Custom to output in any number of different templates.

You'd have 1 main template for the editor to enter all the information for the region. Eg:

<?php perch_content_create('Perch Content Create needs a template', array(
    'template' => 'main_template.html',
    )); 
?>

your main_template.html template would contain all the fields you require.

Then, with perch_content_custom you can use a different template to output any of the fields from main_template.html

Thank you Simon. I've used the code below and it works. But it seems a bit complex to me. Now I have to use three templates to get the custom output I need.

                    <?php 
                        perch_content_create('Regionname', array(
                            'template' => 'main_template.html',
                            'multiple'    => true,
                        )); 
                    ?>
                    <?php
                        perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
                            'template' => 'template1.html',
                        ));
                    ?>
                    <?php
                        perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
                            'template' => 'template2.html',
                        )); 
                    ?>                  

Ok, let's have a look :) So, it's a multiple item region. Could you show your templates?

Sure, I really appreciate your help. I use these templates with the output mentioned above:

main-template

                    <perch:before>
                    <!-- Start van de Bootstrap carousel -->
                    <div id="carousel-example-generic" class="carousel slide" data-ride="carousel">
                        <!-- Indicators -->
                        <ol class="carousel-indicators">
                        </perch:before>
                            <li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="<perch:content id="perch_item_zero_index" type="hidden" />" <perch:if id="perch_item_index" match="eq" value="1">class="active"</perch:if>></li>
                        <perch:after>
                        </ol>
                        </perch:after>
                        <perch:before>
                        <!-- Wrapper for slides -->
                        <div class="carousel-inner" role="listbox">
                        </perch:before>
                            <div class="item<perch:if id="perch_item_index" match="eq" value="1"> active</perch:if>">
                                <img src="<perch:content id="slide" type="image" label="Foto" width="720px" height="350px" crop="true" />" alt="<perch:content id="logoalt" type="text" label="Omschrijving van de foto" required="true" help="Vul deze tekst altijd in. Het helpt voor een betere positie in Google." />">
                                <div class="carousel-caption">
                                    <perch:content id="logoalt" type="text" />
                                </div>
                            </div>
                            <perch:after>
                        </div>
                        <!-- Controls -->
                        <a class="left carousel-control" href="#carousel-example-generic" role="button" data-slide="prev">
                            <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-left" aria-hidden="true"></span>
                            <span class="sr-only">Previous</span>
                        </a>
                        <a class="right carousel-control" href="#carousel-example-generic" role="button" data-slide="next">
                            <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-right" aria-hidden="true"></span>
                            <span class="sr-only">Next</span>
                        </a>
                        </div>
                    <!-- Einde van de Bootstrap carousel -->  
                    </perch:after>

template1

                    <perch:before>
                    <!-- Start van de Bootstrap carousel -->
                    <div id="carousel-example-generic" class="carousel slide" data-ride="carousel">
                        <!-- Indicators -->
                        <ol class="carousel-indicators">
                        </perch:before>
                            <li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="<perch:content id="perch_item_zero_index" type="hidden" />" <perch:if id="perch_item_index" match="eq" value="1">class="active"</perch:if>></li>
                        <perch:after>
                        </ol>
                        </perch:after>

template2

                        <perch:before>
                        <!-- Wrapper for slides -->
                        <div class="carousel-inner" role="listbox">
                        </perch:before>
                            <div class="item<perch:if id="perch_item_index" match="eq" value="1"> active</perch:if>">
                                <img src="<perch:content id="slide" type="image" label="Foto" width="720px" height="350px" crop="true" />" alt="<perch:content id="logoalt" type="text" label="Omschrijving van de foto" required="true" help="Vul deze tekst altijd in. Het helpt voor een betere positie in Google." />">
                                <div class="carousel-caption">
                                    <perch:content id="logoalt" type="text" />
                                </div>
                            </div>
                            <perch:after>
                            ...
                        </div>
                        <!-- Controls -->
                        <a class="left carousel-control" href="#carousel-example-generic" role="button" data-slide="prev">
                            <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-left" aria-hidden="true"></span>
                            <span class="sr-only">Previous</span>
                        </a>
                        <a class="right carousel-control" href="#carousel-example-generic" role="button" data-slide="next">
                            <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-right" aria-hidden="true"></span>
                            <span class="sr-only">Next</span>
                        </a>
                        </div>
                    <!-- Einde van de Bootstrap carousel -->  
                    </perch:after>

Yes, it is appearing and I can add content.

I will have a look at the templates as soon as pos, to see if there's a better way to do it. It's the <ol> Indicators that make it slightly tricky.

They do, but Edwin was wondering if there was a way to do it with less templates.

Yep, that's right. When I use perch_content_create I have to assign a main template to it, otherwise it doesn't create a region. To get the output I want I need to use two templates, which are in fact the same as the main template only cut in two. So I need a total of three templates to get the correct output and I think that it can be done with two.

I thought it would be possible to create a region using perch_content_create and the assign two templates to that region in the following way:

<?php perch_content_create('Regionname'); ?>
<?php
   perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
   'template' => 'template1.html',
   ));
?>
<?php
   perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
   'template' => 'template2.html',
   )); 
?>

But I have to use this method to get what I want

 <?php 
  perch_content_create('Regionname', array(
  'template' => 'main_template.html',
  'multiple' => true,
  )); 
 ?>
<?php
  perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
  'template' => 'template1.html',
  ));
?>
<?php
  perch_content_custom('Regionname', array(
  'template' => 'template2.html',
  )); 
?> 

I agree with Drew :) that's the most efficient way I can see.

On the other points raised here Drew, should we be able to create a region without needing to specify a template (we might want the client to be able to choose it from the list)?

<?php perch_content_create('Regionname'); ?> <!-- doesn't create a region -->

<?php perch_content_custom('Regionname'); ?> <!-- does create a region, surprisingly -->

Thanks guys, this looks like a nice solution. I'll clean up my code and will share the solution on this forum, so other newbie-users can benefit from it.

@Simon: Isn’t what you’re suggesting what the standard perch_content() function does? It adds the region, but lets the editor choose the template?