adding description to new or featured products

[winky3d]

Has anyone been able to add product descriptions to new or featured products?

Both new and featured pull from a db table that doesn't include a description.

Note: It would seem logical that tpl_modules_whats_new.php could be overwritten by tpl_products_new_default.php (which includes descriptions), BUT that does not work for the front page - it can't find the products.

[winky3d]

More info...

In modules/featured_products.php, there is this line:

left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id), " .

So I think it's pulling from the table that holds product descriptions.

But how do I add it to the 'text' => etc ?
I tried adding: $featured_products->fields['products_description']
but nothing appears.

[winky3d]

Solution add pd.products_description to the query, like so:

$featured_products_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name, pd.products_description

[magneteye]

I am trying to do this too, can you give me a little more detail?

Thanks!


here's what i have...

if ( (!isset($featured_products_category_id)) || ($featured_products_category_id == '0') ) {
  $featured_products_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name, pd.products_description
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id )
                           where p.products_id = f.products_id and p.products_id = pd.products_id and p.products_status = 1 and f.status = 1 and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'";
} else {
  $featured_products_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name, pd.products_description
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id), " .
  TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c, " .
  TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c
                           where p.products_id = p2c.products_id
                           and p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id
                           and c.parent_id = '" . (int)$featured_products_category_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = f.products_id and p.products_id = pd.products_id and p.products_status = 1 and f.status = 1 and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'";

}

[winky3d]

It looks like you are pulling the products_description from the database, so now you need to display it... ?


This helped me a lot.
http://www.kirkhamsystems.com/zencart_layout_changes
I think what you want is in the second code box in that article.

[magneteye]

It looks like you are pulling the products_description from the database, so now you need to display it... ?


This helped me a lot.
http://www.kirkhamsystems.com/zencart_layout_changes
I think what you want is in the second code box in that article.

yes, its not displaying. look at my cart. no description for the featured product (daily spectacular).

[cocoon]

Ok thanks for the tip i was half way (the other half!)

Here is the solution after adding the sql query you need to add the line

$featured_products->fields['products_description'] 

where you want the description to show.

This is my file for your perusal.

Hope it helps, seems to be working for me.

Oh and strip out all those nasty <br /> tags and wrap the price, name etc in tags so you can control them, dont know why they still keep those nasty breaks in zen cart!

<?php
/**
 * featured_products module - prepares content for display
 *
 * @package modules
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2006 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: featured_products.php 4629 2006-09-28 15:29:18Z ajeh $
 */
if (!defined('IS_ADMIN_FLAG')) {
  die('Illegal Access');
}
if ( (!isset($new_products_category_id)) || ($new_products_category_id == '0') ) {
  $featured_products_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name, pd.products_description
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id )
                           where p.products_id = f.products_id and p.products_id = pd.products_id and p.products_status = 1 and f.status = 1 and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'";
} else {
  $featured_products_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id), " .
  TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c, " .
  TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c
                           where p.products_id = p2c.products_id
                           and p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id
                           and c.parent_id = '" . (int)$new_products_category_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = f.products_id and p.products_id = pd.products_id and p.products_status = 1 and f.status = 1 and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'";

}
$featured_products = $db->ExecuteRandomMulti($featured_products_query, MAX_DISPLAY_SEARCH_RESULTS_FEATURED);

$row = 0;
$col = 0;
$list_box_contents = array();
$title = '';

$num_products_count = $featured_products->RecordCount();

// show only when 1 or more
if ($num_products_count > 0) {
  if ($num_products_count < SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_FEATURED_PRODUCTS || SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_FEATURED_PRODUCTS == 0) {
    $col_width = floor(100/$num_products_count);
  } else {
    $col_width = floor(100/SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_FEATURED_PRODUCTS);
  }
  while (!$featured_products->EOF) {

    $products_price = zen_get_products_display_price($featured_products->fields['products_id']);

    $list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' =>'class="centerBoxContentsFeatured centeredContent back"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
    'text' => (($featured_products->fields['products_image'] == '' and PRODUCTS_IMAGE_NO_IMAGE_STATUS == 0) ? '' : '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($featured_products->fields['products_id']), 'products_id=' . $featured_products->fields['products_id']) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $featured_products->fields['products_image'], $featured_products->fields['products_name'], IMAGE_FEATURED_PRODUCTS_LISTING_WIDTH, IMAGE_FEATURED_PRODUCTS_LISTING_HEIGHT) . '</a><br />') . '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($featured_products->fields['products_id']), 'products_id=' . $featured_products->fields['products_id']) . '">' . $featured_products->fields['products_name'] . '</a><br />' . $products_price . $featured_products->fields['products_description'] );

    $col ++;
    if ($col > (SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_FEATURED_PRODUCTS - 1)) {
      $col = 0;
      $row ++;
    }
    $featured_products->MoveNextRandom();
  }

  if ($featured_products->RecordCount() > 0) {
    if (isset($new_products_category_id) && $new_products_category_id !=0) {
      $category_title = zen_get_categories_name((int)$new_products_category_id);
      $title = '<h2 class="centerBoxHeading">' . TABLE_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS . ($category_title != '' ? ' - ' . $category_title : '') . '</h2>';
    } else {
      $title = '<h2 class="centerBoxHeading">' . TABLE_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS . '</h2>';
    }
    $zc_show_featured = true;
  }
}
?>

[cocoon]

Oh does anyone know how to limit the characters output from the description!!?!?

It would be awesome to be able to limit it to a certain number of characters.

[magneteye]

Thanks! Finally after 2 months I got it to work. You rock!

[cocoon]

Ok worked out how to truncate the description too

instead of using this code to get the description

$featured_products->fields['products_description'] 

You can add this

zen_trunc_string(zen_clean_html(stripslashes(zen_get_products_description($featured_products->fields['products_id'], $_SESSION['languages_id']))), PRODUCT_LIST_DESCRIPTION) 

And it will truncate the description, probably to the same amount of characters set in the product listing description admin setting.

Not sure on that as yet but it works.