5. Layouts:
Layout is a virtual component of the Magento application
Layout files are separated on a per-module basis, every module bringing with it its own layout file (for instance ‘catalog.xml’ is a layout file for the catalog module, ‘customer.xml’ is for the customer module…etc). These layout files are located in app/design/frontend/your_interface/your_theme/layout/
Tag :
Handle – Handle is an identifier by which the application determines Ex: <default> , <catalog_category_default>
<block> – Magento determines the behavior and visual representation of each building block of a page via the <block>
tag. Ex: – structural blocks and contentblocks
Having some attribute: type, name, before (and) after, template, action, as ($this->getChildHtml(‘header’)
<reference> – <reference> is used to make reference to another block , By making a reference to another block, the updates
inside <reference> will apply to the <block> it correlates like content, right , left
Ex:
<reference name=”right”>
<block type=”checkout/cart_sidebar” name=”cart_sidebar” before=”-“
template=”checkout/cart/sidebar.phtml”/”>
</reference”>