Field in custom node tpl - Simple issue that this newb can't figure out

Question

I have been trying to learn the ins and outs of hooks and basic theming in Drupal.

I currently have a template file for one of my content type (node--opportunities.tpl.php). Everything has been going great theming with this except for a field collection that I am now stuck on. I know there are a multiple ways of theming a field collection and this is the worse. But I can't figure it out when the array is perfectly right in front of me.

field_services is the field name. When I dsm($content) on the node you can see it perfectly. So I'm using a foreach to loop through the items, pull them out and load them. Then print their values with my markup. But it will not render. Even when I 'dsm' the final array, it shows me my fields perfectly. But when I try to render them, nothing happens.

Can anyone help me understand what I am doing wrong? I am more interested in why my investigative attempts to print the values of this array are fruitless than I am interested in actually theming the field collection.

    hide($content['field_services']); 
    //horizontal radios
    print '<div class="ec-controls">';
      print render($content['field_opportunity_type']);
    print '</div>';


    //if (!empty($content['field_services'])) {


        print '<div class="ec-collection">';


         foreach ($content['field_services']['#items'] as $entity_uri) {


          $a_field_collection_item = entity_load('field_collection_item',                 $entity_uri);


            foreach ($a_field_collection_item as $a_field_collection_item_object ) {


              dsm($a_field_collection_item_object); 


              print render($a_field_collection_item->field_service);
              print render($a_field_collection_item_object->field_service_multiplier);
              print render($a_field_collection_item_object->field_extend_service_total);


              //print render($a_field_collection_item_object->field_service['und'][0]);
              //$...->field_service['und'][0]['entity']->field_unit_price
              //->field_service['und'][0]       
            }
        }
        print '</div>' . "\n"; 
    //}

I've also tried these as suggested with no luck. Here is also a printscreen of the dpm:

DPM PS http://ecteam.net/Untitled.png

    dpm($a_field_collection_item_object);

    print 'test';
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0];
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0]['entity']->title;
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0]['target_id'];
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_service_multiplier['und'][0]['value'];
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_service_multiplier['und'][0]['value'];
    print $a_field_collection_item->field_extend_service_total['und'][0]['value'];

Note: field_services is the parent field collection, field_service is the individual field that contains the service title that I am trying to render from it.

Answer 1

Arpitr was correct but I was also referencing the wrong variable.

The foreach loops states foreach ($a_field_collection_item as $a_field_collection_item_object ) {

I guess I just wasnt paying attention. I used this:

    print render($a_field_collection_item->field_service);

but I should have used this:

    print render($a_field_collection_item_object ->field_service);

Final solution for how to theme a field collection in a node template

My content is called opportunities. So in my node--opportunities.tpl.php I put:

    if (!empty($content['MY_FIELD_COLLECTION'])) {
      hide($content['MY_FIELD_COLLECTION']);

      print '<div class="ec-collection">';

      foreach ($content['MY_FIELD_COLLECTION']['#items'] as $entity_uri) {

        $a_field_collection_item = entity_load('field_collection_item', $entity_uri);

            foreach ($a_field_collection_item as $a_field_collection_item_object ) {

                print $a_field_collection_item_object->field_service['und'][0]['entity']->title;
                print $a_field_collection_item_object->field_service_multiplier['und'][0]['value'];
                print $a_field_collection_item_object->field_extend_service_total['und'][0]['value'];

            }
    }
   print '</div>' . "\n"; 
   }

Answer 2

You do not need to call render function. render() is for renderable arrays.

In your case change from

print render($a_field_collection_item->field_service);

to

print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0]['value'];

similarly for others fields, do a dpm($a_field_collection_item); to ensure you pick the right keys for arrays.

For example if service is text field then to fetch you will use print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0]['value']; if its entity reference field than print $a_field_collection_item->field_service['und'][0]['target_id'];