Calling $this->getChildHtml on a new block outside template file

Question

I'd like to call $this->getChildHtml('product_type_data') to get product's price outside view.phtml template file.

Currently I have echo $this->getChildHtml('product_type_data') and that outputs contents of 'catalog/product/view/type/default.phtml'.

I need to move it to a file in a custom module(cache hole punch) so that it gets called separately. So in this file I've done:

$block = Mage::app()->getLayout()->createBlock('customerprices/catalog_product_view', $this->getId());
$block->setTemplate('catalog/product/view/type/default.phtml');
$block->setIsLoggedIn(Mage::getSingleton('customer/session')->isLoggedIn());
$out = $block->getChildHtml('product_type_data');

But in this case $out contains an empty string. Do I need to set something on this block so that it will return price html? If so how? I have a current $_product object if that's needed.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

---

Using Mage::getBlockSingleton(...)

when I use this code:

$thatx = Mage::getBlockSingleton('catalog/product_view');   
$cnamex = get_class($thatx);
echo 'cname: '.$cnamex;

$cnamex does not contain class name(empty string/variable). I consequence I can't run any methods on it.

Answer 1

If you need only product price block to be rendered you can use like this:

$out=Mage::getBlockSingleton('catalog/product_view')->getPriceHtml($_product);

See getPriceHtml() method of Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_Abstract which is parent class of Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_View

Second Way

Extend your block customerprices/catalog_product_view from Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_Abstract and use it:

class MyCompany_Customerprices_Catalog_Product_View extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_Abstract{

}

and

$block = Mage::app()->getLayout()->createBlock('customerprices/catalog_product_view', $this->getId());
$out=$block->getPriceHtml($_product);