Magento Useful snippets

Cart Counter:

<?php

$count = $this->helper('checkout/cart')->getSummaryCount();  //get total items in cart

$total = $this->helper('checkout/cart')->getQuote()->getGrandTotal(); //get total price

if ($count == 0) {

   echo $this->__('(0 ITEMS)', $count);

}

if ($count == 1) {

   echo $this->__('(1 ITEM)', $count);

}

if ($count > 1) {

   echo $this->__('(%s ITMES)', $count);

}

?>

Create Block By XML:

<block type="core/template" template="page/html/feature-ads.phtml" before="-" />  

Create block by PHP: 

<?php echo $this->getLayout()->createBlock('core/template')->setTemplate('page/html/feature-ads.phtml')->toHtml(); ?>  

Layout local.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<layout>

    <default>

        <!--Root/Default Layouts-->

        <reference name="root">

            <!--Appending Block-->

            <block type="page/html_breadcrumbs" name="breadcrumbs" as="breadcrumbs"/>

        </reference>

        <!--CSS and JS Files-->

        <reference name="head">

            <!--Add CSS and JS, skin Folder-->

            <action method="addItem"><type>skin_css</type><name>css/styles.css</name></action>

            <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/functions.js</name></action>

            <!--Remove CSS and JS, skin Folder-->

            <action method="removeItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>scripts/functions.js</name></action>

            <action method="removeItem"><type>skin_css</type><name>css/styles.css</name></action>

            <!--Remove JS, js Folder-->

            <action method="removeItem"><type>js</type><name>scripts/functions.js</name></action>

        </reference>

        <!--Header-->

        <reference name="header">

            <!--Append CMS Block-->

            <block type="cms/block" name="header.cms.block" as="headerCmsBlock">

                <action method="setBlockId"><block_id>header_cms_block</block_id></action>

            </block>

        </reference>

        <!--Change Block's Template if some Configuration is Set-->

        <reference name="catalog.topnav">

            <action method="setTemplate" ifconfig="pronav/pronavconfig/pronav_status">

                <template>pronav/navigation_top.phtml</template>

            </action>

        </reference>

        <!--Magento's Default Sidebar Blocks-->

        <remove name="cart_sidebar"/>                   <!--Cart Sidebar-->

        <remove name="catalog.product.related"/>        <!--Related products sidebar-->

        <remove name="wishlist_sidebar"/>               <!--Wishlist Sidebar-->

        <remove name="catalog.compare.sidebar"/>        <!--Compare Items Sidebar-->

        <remove name="right.permanent.callout"/>        <!--Right Callout Sample Data-->

        <remove name="left.permanent.callout"/>         <!--Left Callout Sample Data-->

        <remove name="right.reports.product.viewed"/>   <!--Viewed Products-->

        <remove name="right.reports.product.compared"/> <!--Compared Products-->

        <remove name="catalog.leftnav"/>                <!--Layered Navigation-->

        <remove name="left.newsletter"/>                <!--Sidebar Newsletter-->

        <remove name="right.poll"/>                     <!--Poll-->

        <remove name="tags_popular"/>                   <!--Popular Tags-->

        <remove name="paypal.partner.right.logo"/>      <!--Paypal logo Sample Data-->

        <remove name="catalogsearch.leftnav"/>          <!--Layered navigation on search result page-->

        <remove name="sale.reorder.sidebar"/>           <!--Reorder Sidebar When User Logged, in Dashboard-->

        <remove name="customer_account_navigation"/>    <!--Customer Navigation-->

    </default>

    <!--Home Page-->

    <cms_index_index>

    </cms_index_index>

    <!--All Cms Pages-->

    <cms_page>

    </cms_page>

    <!--Category View-->

    <catalog_category_view>

        <!--Set Page Template-->

        <reference name="root">

            <action method="setTemplate">

                <template>page/3columns.phtml</template>

            </action>

        </reference>

    </catalog_category_view>

    <!--Category View With Layered Navigation-->

    <catalog_category_layered>

    </catalog_category_layered>

    <!--Onepage Checkout Index Page-->

    <checkout_onepage_index>

    </checkout_onepage_index>

    <!--Onepage Checkout Success Page-->

    <checkout_onepage_success>

    </checkout_onepage_success>

    <!--Customer Accound Pages-->

    <customer_account>

        <!--Adds Body Class For All Dashboard Pages - MUST when Dashboard is present-->

        <reference name="root">

            <action method="addBodyClass"><className>customer-account-page</className></action>

        </reference>

    </customer_account>

    <!--Customer Logged In-->

    <customer_logged_in>

    </customer_logged_in>

    <!--Customer Logged Out-->

    <customer_logged_out>

    </customer_logged_out>

    <!--Product View-->

    <catalog_product_view>

        <!--Product Information Block-->

        <reference name="product.info">

            <!--Recently Viewed Products-->

            <block type="reports/product_viewed" name="product.viewed" template="reports/recently-viewed.phtml" />

        </reference>

    </catalog_product_view>

    <!--Catalogsearch Result Page-->

    <catalogsearch_result_index>

    </catalogsearch_result_index>

    <!--Advanced Search Result Page-->

    <catalogsearch_advanced_result>

    </catalogsearch_advanced_result>

    <!--Advanced Search Page-->

    <catalogsearch_advanced_index>

    </catalogsearch_advanced_index>

    <!--Cart-->

    <checkout_cart_index>

    </checkout_cart_index>

    <!--Contacts Page-->

    <contacts_index_index>

    </contacts_index_index>

</layout>