is it possible to have one views-view--VIEWNAME--page.tpl for multiple views?

Question

I have 8 content types and 4 of them are the same and the difference is just their name. they all have a page view and the way I display them on screen is the same. instead of having 8 pages. (VIEWNAME_i stands for the i-th view.)

• views-view--VIEWNAME_i--page.tpl
• views-view-field--VIEWNAME_i--page.tpl

I need a template function to reduce these 8 pages into 2. I want to define a general page for views-view--VIEWNAME_i--page.tpl. I would assign every view's variables in this function. I also want to do the same for fields page.

Answer 1

Same template file for multiple view pages

You don't need to use any preprocess function to call the same template file for multiple view pages.

Just edit the view, click on edit view name/description and add the View tag

Now, create template file views-view--my-custom-view.tpl.php and mark any view with the same tag, so all of them will use the same template file.

Same template file for multiple view pages and displays

If you have multiple views with the number of displays attached to them, and you need to define one template file for any view or display, you can achieve it with the following approaches:

Non-coding solution

You can create a separate view for each view display, and mark the view with the appropriate tag, for example:

view_custom_pages
  View tag: custom-pages
  displays: Page1, Page2, Page3 ...

view_custom_blocks
  View tag: custom-blocks
  displays: Block1, Block2, Block3 ...

Each page from view_custom_pages will use views-view--custom-pages.tpl.php

Each block from view_custom_blocks will use views-view--custom-blocks.tpl.php

Coding solution

If the above mentioned solution does not satisfy your needs, then you can use template_preprocess_views_view() to define theme suggestion for any view display

/**
 * Implements template_preprocess_views_view().
 */
function YOURTHEME_OR_MODULE_preprocess_views_view(&$vars) {

  $view = $vars['view'];

  // an array with views and displays which should use only ONE template file.
  $shared_themes = array(
    'SOME_VIEW_NAME' => array(
      array(
        'displays' => array(
          'page',
        ),
        'theme_suggestion' => 'views_view__custom_pages'
      ),
      array(
        'displays' => array(
          'block',
          'block_1'
        ),
        'theme_suggestion' => 'views_view__custom_blocks'
      ),
    ),
    'ANOTHER_VIEW_NAME' => array(
      array(
        'displays' => array(
          'page',
        ),
        'theme_suggestion' => 'views_view__another_custom_pages'
      ),
      array(
        'displays' => array(
          'block',
          'block_1',
          'block_2'
        ),
        'theme_suggestion' => 'views_view__another_custom_blocks'
      ),
    )
  );

  // use ONE template file for multiple views and displays.
  if (in_array($view->name, array_keys($shared_themes))) {
    foreach ($shared_themes[$view->name] as $key => $data) {
      if (in_array($view->current_display, $data['displays'])) {
        $vars['theme_hook_suggestion'] = $shared_themes[$view->name][$key]['theme_suggestion'];
      } 
    }
  }
}

Override or insert variables into the view template

Create common variables for your custom template using template_preprocess_views_view()

function YOURTHEME_OR_MODULE_preprocess_views_view(&$vars) {
  $view = $vars['view'];
  switch ($view->name) {

    case 'SOME_VIEW_NAME' :
      // here get some field value from view and create a variable
      $vars['some_variable'] = 'some value';
    break;

    case 'ANOTHER_VIEW_NAME' :
      // here get some field value from view and create a variable
      // use the same names in order to use it by one template file.
      $vars['some_variable'] = 'some value for another view';
    break;

  }
}

Notice: It is the same hook as mentioned in the coding solution.

Answer 2

Pretty quick and dirty way would be to simply have one file under multiple names. Main filesystems for Linux, and NTFS in Windows support both soft and hard links. Only this kind of link is called Junction in Windows. When you do that, Drupal will see these as separate files, but you will be able to edit them as one.

Answer 3

You probably can use a theme for that

Use hook_theme() in your custom module and call the theme() function directly in your view's .tpl file

With hook_theme() your can pass arguments to an other .tpl.php file

It's probably lighter to have 8 .tpl.php files associated to hook_theme() than severals view's .tpl suggestions

An example of use of hook_theme()

/**
 * Implements hook_theme().
 */
function yourmodule_theme($existing, $type, $theme, $path) {

return array(

  'my_theme' => array(
      'template' => 'your_theme_file', //your_theme_file.tpl.php in fact
      'variables' => array(
        'your_variable' => array(),
      )
  ),
}     

Your your_theme_file.tpl.php file contains :

<?php

print '<div>'. $your_variable .'</div>

You can use this theme everywhere even in your views templates :

theme('my_theme', array('your_variable' => 'foo'));

Answer 4

You probably can use a theme for that

Use hook_theme() in your custom module and call the theme() function directly in your view's .tpl file

With hook_theme() your can pass arguments to an other .tpl.php file

It's probably lighter to have 8 .tpl.php files associated to hook_theme() than severals view's .tpl suggestions

An example of use of hook_theme()

function yourmodule_theme($existing, $type, $theme, $path) {

return array(

   'my_theme' => array(
   'template' => 'your_theme_file', //your_theme_file.tpl.php in fact
   'variables' => array(
   'your_variable' => array(),
  )
  ),
}  

Your your_theme_file.tpl.php file contains :

print '<div>'. $your_variable .'</div>

You can use this theme everywhere even in your views templates :

theme('my_theme', array('your_variable' => 'foo'));