Magento createBlock method not working, displaying static block data

Ok so Ive created static blocks in my CMS area, and Im trying to output them inside of a custom homepage template Ive built.

Every document I can find says to output the block as follows

    <?php echo $this->getLayout()->createBlock('cms/block')->setBlockId(开发者_高级运维'my-block-identifier')->toHtml() ?>

That didnt work for me, so then I tried another way. --

       <?php $block = Mage::getSingleton('core/layout')->createBlock('cms/block')->setBlockId('my-block-identifier');
        echo $block->toHtml();

All the sites referencing this tell me to use the actual blocks identifier to get the block. So then I decide to manually lookup the block_id in my cms_block table and see if using the block_id number in place of the literal my-block-identifier name will work - and it did. So I am confused... Can anyone tell me how I can get the block by the actual identifier, or look up the blocks id by the identifier so that I can grab the block by block name?

Any help much appreciated.

Looking at the cms/block block source, those tutorials have mislead you, or you misinterpreted them.

#File: app/code/core/Mage/Cms/Block/Block.php
class Mage_Cms_Block_Block extends Mage_Core_Block_Abstract
{
    protected function _toHtml()
    {
        if (!$this->_beforeToHtml()) {
            return '';
        }
        $html = '';
        if ($blockId = $this->getBlockId()) {
            $block = Mage::getModel('cms/block')
                ->setStoreId(Mage::app()->getStore()->getId())
                ->load($blockId);
            if (!$block->getIsActive()) {
                $html = '';
            } else {
                $content = $block->getContent();

                $processor = Mage::getModel('core/email_template_filter');
                $html = $processor->filter($content);
            }
        }
        return $html;
    }
}

The block content is always loaded with ->load($blockId); -- load with one parameter always means loding by a database ID.

So, with no supported way of doing this built into the block, you'll need to look up the block ID.

$model = Mage::getModel('cms/block')->getCollection()
->addFieldToFilter('identifier','footer_links')
->getFirstItem();

var_dump($model->getBlockId()); 

In the admin, when you are editing the contents of the static block, you will see a field called Identifier second from the top. Copy the value of that field, and insert it into your code. So if your Block is called contact-info in the admin, then your code will look like:

<?php echo $this->getLayout()->createBlock('cms/block')->setBlockId('contact-info')->toHtml() ?>

The value in that Identifier textbox in the admin is also what will be saved into the cms_block table, as you're worked out.

HTH, JD