Magento

How/where can I modify the default layout for the catalog? All categories everywhere, to 2-column with right bar?

I’m using Magento 1.13, and I found where there’s a fix in 1.14 to make unique design changes affect entire sections, but I want to alter the default.

Any help? Thanks!!

hey beau,

have a look in the catalog.xml file. This can be found in the design\layout folder

You can define what template is used for all pages

Thanks for your help. I went through catalog.xml and deleted all blocks marked “left”, but the newsletter box is still loading on that side, even though it’s also appearing on the right.

I checked the CMS block and there’s no way to indicate that it should be in either column, so it’s showing up some other way.

Any ideas?
http://www.mctwinklinsonline.com/index.php/winter-spring-summer-fall-christmas-halloween/spring

One thing you can do is change all of your categories (indivisually) to 2 column left (admin > catalog > manage categories > (cilck on a category) > Custom Design (Page layout drop down)

Also, don’t edit the default design! You can overwrite it with your own easily. (IDK if you are doing that, just wanted to point that out).

However, the best way to do this is to not edit catalog.xml, but page.xml

under <default> , edit the first block you see there:
<block type="page/html" name="root" output="toHtml" template="page/3columns.phtml">

to

<block type="page/html" name="root" output="toHtml" template="page/2columns-right.phtml">

Thank you so much. That did the trick. I didn’t want to have to edit every category because there’s quite a few of them, and then I’d also have to remember this with every new category, which made no sense this the two-column design is going to BE the default.

Thanks very much!

Thank you so much “nikefido”. You reply really helpful.
Thanks again.

Thanks nikefido,This saved me a lot of time

hello, nikefido
i want to make my magento store pages layout to 2columns-left bar except home page as default layout.i try to change page.xml but nothing happened i m using 1.4.3 version of magento.

@idaib

You have to flush magento’s cache (system > cache management in admin)

Thanks nikefido worked great.

Although there really needs to be a solution for this in newer Magento version as well as for customers using 1.3.2+

Magento Design Development

Thanks nikefido!

Thanks nikefido, your advise about not editing the default theme was also a good pointer!

Alan

Thanks Nikefido !

Hello,

In your catalog.xml file

add this code around line number 76

in the xml tag
<catalog_category_default translate="label">

JUst go to the above xml tag and then add this code it will set the defaiult template to 2columt right

<reference name="root">
<action method="setTemplate"><template>page/2columns-right.phtml</template></action>
</reference>

I hope this helps.

Thanks kdecom-magento, your answer helped

nikefido, that doesn’t actually work for me… I have tried flushing the cache, but every time it is still 2 col with right bar. I would like it to be 2 col with left bar.

I copied page.xml into app/design/frontend/default/mytheme/page.xml and have also tried updating the base page.xml but neither seems to make a difference? Any clues as to what I might be doing wrong?