ceon_uri_mapping

probably the best Zen Cart URI Mapping/SEO Module in the world! ...ever!

Configuration

Essential Points - PLEASE READ!

Table Of Contents

  1. Configuring the URI Mapping Auto-generation settings
  2. Specifying the current URI Mapping for a Category
  3. Specifying the current URI Mapping for a Product
  4. Specifying the current URI Mapping for an EZ-Page
  5. Organise EZ-Pages into Site Sections
  6. Specifying the current URI Mapping for any other Zen Cart page
  7. Using Static URIs as an Alias for another Static URI
  8. Specifying URI Parts for standard Zen Cart pages related to a Product
  9. Enabling/Disabling the URI Mapping module

Configuring the URI Mapping Auto-generation settings

The configuration utility can be used to change the Capitalisation setting, Whitespace Replacement Character, to edit the list of words which are automatically Removed when auto-generating the URIs and to edit the list of characters/strings that will be Replaced when auto-generating URIs (along with their respective replacements).

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Specifying the current URI Mapping for a Category

Specifying the current URI mapping for a Category, for each language used by the store, is easily accomplished:

The URI mapping can be automatically generated using the store's URI mapping auto-generation settings:

Or the current URI mapping can be entered manually:

Changing the current URI Mapping for a Category

Changing the current URI mapping for a Category is easily accomplished by following the same steps as for specifying one in the first place.

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the category but anyone using it will be redirected to the current URI - this prevents broken links.

Removing the current URI mapping for a Category

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the category but anyone using it will be redirected to the standard Zen Cart dynamic URI for the category - this prevents broken links.

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Specifying the current URI Mapping for a Product

Specifying the current URI mapping for a Product, for each language used by the store, is easily accomplished:

The URI mapping can be automatically generated using the store's URI mapping auto-generation settings:

Or the current URI mapping can be entered manually:

Changing the current URI Mapping for a Product

Changing the current URI mapping for a Product is easily accomplished by following the same steps as for specifying one in the first place.

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the product but anyone using it will be redirected to the current URI - this prevents broken links.

Removing the current URI mapping for a Product

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the product but anyone using it will be redirected to the standard Zen Cart dynamic URI for the product - this prevents broken links.

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Specifying the current URI Mapping for an EZ-Page

Specifying the current URI mapping for an EZ-Page, for each language used by the store, is easily accomplished:

The URI mapping can be automatically generated using the store's URI mapping auto-generation settings:

Or the current URI mapping can be entered manually:

Changing the current URI Mapping for an EZ-Page

Changing the current URI mapping for an EZ-Page is easily accomplished by following the same steps as for specifying one in the first place.

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the EZ-Page but anyone using it will be redirected to the current URI - this prevents broken links.

Removing the current URI mapping for an EZ-Page

Please Note: The previous URI mapping will still point towards the EZ-Page but anyone using it will be redirected to the standard Zen Cart dynamic URI for the EZ-Page - this prevents broken links.

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Organise EZ-Pages into Site Sections

EZ-Pages can be organised into logical sections by simply putting a bit of thought into the format of their URI mappings.

Hard-coded menus (e.g. Javascript drop-down menus etc.) could then make use of these URIs to link directly to the appropriate section or page within a section, giving the illusion of a structured site with a logical hierarchy!

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Specifying a Static URI for any other Zen Cart page

There are two ways to specify static URIs for a Zen Cart page. The first is the most useful as it results in all links to that page on the site using the static URI instead of the standard dynamic Zen Cart URI (just as with Products etc. using URI mappings).

The second is designed to allow data to be supplied to Zen Cart, by initialising the GET variables for the Zen Cart page when it is loaded!

Static URIs can be used for any Zen Cart page by directly entering the URIs to map from and to in the database table for the module.

    • Use software such as PHPMyAdmin to add a new record to the ceon_uri_mapping table.
    • The URI mapping to be mapped from should be entered in the uri field.
    • The number representing the language ID this URI mapping applies for should be entered in the language_id field.
    • The current_uri field should be set to “1” to make this the “current” URI.
    • The Zen Cart page to be mapped to should be entered in the main_page field.
    • The date/time this URI mapping was added should be set in the date_added (or just use the “NOW()” SQL function).
    • Use software such as PHPMyAdmin to add a new record to the ceon_uri_mapping table.
    • The URI mapping to be mapped from should be entered in the uri field.
    • The number representing the language ID this URI mapping applies for should be entered in the language_id field.
    • The current_uri field should be set to “1” to make this the “current” URI.
    • The Zen Cart URI to be mapped to should be entered in the alternate_uri field.
    • If any GET variables should be set, simply append them to the query string after the main_page variable setting. For example, to map to a custom survey page, with the necessary survey_id for the survey to be shown, the alternate_uri field would be set to:
    • /index.php?main_page=survey&survey_id=2
    • The date/time this URI mapping was added should be set in the date_added (or just use the “NOW()” SQL function).

We're considering building some software, URI Mappings Manager, with an easy-to-use interface for setting up and managing all the URI mappings this module can use. If you think this would be useful, please encourage us by letting us know via our website.

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Using Static URIs as an Alias for another Static URI

Redirecting from one URI mapping to another is easily done.

We're considering building some software, URI Mappings Manager, with an easy-to-use interface for setting up and managing all the URI mappings this module can use. If you think this would be useful, please encourage us by letting us know via our website.

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Specifying URI Parts for standard Zen Cart pages related to a Product

The Reviews and Tell-A-Friend sections are automatically made “subsections” of the product's main info page, by appending some specific URI parts to the product info page's static URI.

The URI Parts which are used by default in the module may not match the format of the store's other URI mappings and so it may be desirable to specify different ones.

Please Note: This must be done for each language the store uses.

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Enabling/Disabling the URI Mapping module

The URI mappings module is fully “backwards compatible” with Zen Cart's standard URIs so there's no realistic need ever to disable it. All of the store's existing Zen Cart URIs will continue to work as always (and will redirect to any current URI mapping which matches a particular page!).

However, some store owners may decide that they don't want the links in their site to use their newly-added static URIs until they've finished adding all the mappings.

The module can be disabled (and re-enabled again) easily through an option in the Zen Cart admin:

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