Intermittent Meta tags not saving for additional languages

[Lavanya]

Hi,

i am using zencart v1.3.9d with 3 languages.

I am having the problem, that I have set up first the metatags for the default languages (German) and want now the set up the metatags for the other 2 languages (English and French). The changes are seen in the preview, but they are not saved after clicking the save button.

I have checked, for a new product the metatag changes will be saved if i set up the metags for all languages in one process. If I add first the metatags for one language only, i get the same problem again.

What can i do about this - in future i can make sure to set up all languages in one process - but what can I do now to add the metatags for the other langues of the existing products?

Any advice / help ?

[DrByte]

What PHP version?
What addons are installed?
Are there any myDebug-adm-xxxxxxx log files? https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=82 If so, what are the contents of the ones generated when you attempt to save other-language data?

[Lavanya]

Hi DrByte,

I have tried with the error log, but it doesn't produce any entry when I am trying to save other languages and it fails to do so.

In my testing environment I am using WAMP 2 with php 5.2.0. (But is also not working online)

I just made a fresh testing zen cart installation with the demo files included. I added the german language pack and I have got the same problem in this installation.

The second change will be saved in the database, but after having saved twice a change in the database, the third change will not be saved anymore in the other languages, in case there was not yet any entry in the other languages.

I can delete the first entry, then everything is working fine again until i do the the same mistake again of not not entering the metatags for the other languages twice. Hence i could now delete all the German Metatags and enter them newly together with the metatags for the other languages.... AND NEVER forget again to enter for all languages an entry immediatly.

Would be nice if there is another possibility.??


Sorry for the long text, wanted to give you as much testing results as possible.


Thank you, Lavanya

[DrByte]

The way it works is this:
(starting with just one language, for example)
a) You create a product.
b) You edit its metatags, which then creates the metatags record in the database.
c) If you edit the metatags again, it will update the record.
d) (if you blank-out the title/keywords/description fields when editing the metatags again then it will delete the metatags record for that language, which could allow you to start afresh)
e) Then you add a new language
f) During the process of adding a new language, the system goes thru all the metatags records in the database, and creates new records for the newly added language, by copying the record from the default language to the new one.
g) Next you edit that product's metatags, and you'll see the new language there, but with the default language text in the box. Simply edit the text as desired, and save. This will update the existing records for both languages using whatever you had typed in.
h) Repeat as necessary for additional languages or other products, etc.

[DrByte]

So, in studying the process, it seems the problem you describe could be caused by step (d) above, where the record is deleted if the three text fields are left blank, but *only* for that particular language. And then the symptom begins because there will be no record to update when you do decide to add the text for that missing language metatag record.

[DrByte]

One possible temporary workaround to prevent that "delete" from happening could be to alter /admin/includes/modules/update_product_meta_tags.php, line 64:
From this:

                              if (empty($_POST['metatags_title'][$language_id]) && empty($_POST['metatags_key......

to this:

                              if ($n==1 && empty($_POST['metatags_title'][$language_id]) && empty($_POST['metatags_key......

And then for your damaged data, manually add the missing records by hand using phpMyAdmin so they could then be edited/managed by your ZC admin screens again.