Magento local.xml Boilerplate

local.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<layout>
 
    <!-- ############# GLOBAL LAYOUT UPDATES ############# -->
 
    <default>
     
        <!-- Remove unwanted blocks entirely 
        <remove name="right.poll"/>
        <remove name="right.permanent.callout"/>
        <remove name="left.permanent.callout"/>
        <remove name="paypal.partner.right.logo"/>
        <remove name="tags_popular"/>
        <remove name="catalog.compare.sidebar"/>          
        <remove name="checkout.cart.shipping" />  
        <remove name="cart_sidebar"/>
        <remove name="footer_links"/>-->
 
        <!-- Default Head -->
         
        <reference name="head">
         
            <!-- Add extra Stylesheets -->
            <action method="addCss">
                <stylesheet>css/local.css</stylesheet>
            </action>
             
            <!-- Add extra Global JavaScript     
            <action method="addItem">
                <type>js</type>
                <name>scripts.js</name>
                <params/>
            </action>-->  
             
            <!-- Add extra theme directory JavaScript 
            <action method="addItem">
                <type>skin_js</type>
                <name>js/scripts.js</name>
                <params/>
            </action>-->
             
            <!-- Link to external JavaScript file (e.g Jquery CDN) 
            <block type="core/text" name="google.cdn.jquery">
                <action method="setText">
                    <text><![CDATA[<script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.2/jquery.min.js"></script>]]></text>
                </action>
            </block>-->
             
        </reference>
         
        <!-- Default Header -->
         
        <reference name="header">
            <!-- Example of adding search form and mini cart to the header 
            <block type="core/template" name="top.search" as="topSearch" template="catalogsearch/form.mini.phtml"/>
            <block type="checkout/cart_sidebar" name="topCart" template="checkout/cart/sidebar.phtml"/> -->
        </reference>
         
        <!-- Default Footer -->
         
        <reference name="footer">
        </reference>
         
        <!-- Default Root - Add blocks to your layout phtml files (1,2,3 cols etc) -->       
         
        <reference name="root">
        </reference>
         
        <!-- Default Left Column -->
     
        <reference name="left">
            <!-- Remove certain elements from Left only 
            <remove name="left.reports.product.viewed"/>
            <action method="unsetChild"><name>sale.reorder.sidebar</name></action> -->
        </reference>
     
        <!-- Default Right Column -->
     
        <reference name="right">
            <!-- Example of adding an additional navigation block to right column 
            <block type="catalog/navigation" as="sidenav" template="catalog/navigation/sidenav.phtml" /> -->
        </reference>
         
        <!-- When Customer is Logged out -->
        <customer_logged_out>
            <reference name="top.links">
                <action method="removeLinkByUrl"><url helper="customer/getLoginUrl"/></action>
            </reference>
        </customer_logged_out>
         
        <!-- When Customer is Logged in -->
        <customer_logged_in>
            <reference name="top.links">
                <action method="removeLinkByUrl"><url helper="customer/getLogoutUrl"/></action>
            </reference>
        </customer_logged_in>
         
    </default>    
     
    <!-- ############# MODULE-SPECIFIC LAYOUT UPDATES ############# -->
     
    <!-- Order Success Page -->
      
    <checkout_onepage_success translate="label">
        <reference name="head">
            <action method="setTitle"><title>Order Success</title></action>
            <action method="setDescription"><description>Thank you for your purchase!</description></action>
        </reference>
    </checkout_onepage_success>
     
    <!-- Order Failure Page -->
     
    <checkout_onepage_failure translate="label">
        <reference name="head">
            <action method="setTitle"><title>Order Cancelled</title></action>
            <action method="setDescription"><description>Your order has been cancelled and no purchase was made.</description></action>
        </reference>
    </checkout_onepage_failure>
     
</layout>