Multiple category lists?

[jh79]

Hello, I have a client who wants an HTML page with four boxes, the boxes are labled, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

When a box is pressed it would go to a section of my zencart site with that corresponding season.

For this to happen I would need 4 seperate php pages, one for each season's products.

Can this be done? If so what are the steps involved? I hope I explained my problem correctly.

Thanks so much!

[gjh42]

You have explained your desires, though what you specifically asked for is not the best way to get what you want. There is no need for some separate HTML page.

Make your top categories Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Use the "show active category" mod referenced in this thread, and when you go to a season, you will see only items related to that season in the menu. The season's subcategory descriptions/images will display in the center column.
There are other category-specific mods you can make to the page display, depending on what you need.

[jh79]

Thank you Glen, I am following your advise and wroking though the problem,

Will there be a way for me to list the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter Categories and their sub-catagories in four differnt boxes on the home page? or do the have to be in the left menu all together?

Thanks so much for the help!

[gjh42]

That depends on the overall layout you want for the home page. Do you want it to be similar to the inner pages, or completely different?

You can certainly get the four season links in different boxes, but the best method will depend on your overall layout.

See a thread started by dvasdekis for an example of categories displayed in three different boxes in the center of the page.

[jh79]

I am following you, but that is why I wanted to create an HTML Splash page with the four boxes with each season, otherwise it would screw up the zencart layout, because the customer only want the four boxes displayed one time.

I don't know how to show the four boxes one time only in the Zencart on the home page. If I have it on an html page I can just kick to the zen cart after they click a box and then dont have to worry about the four boxes anymore.

here is what I have so far

http://www.mycolorimage.com


Thanks again for your help!

[gjh42]

Ok, in that case you want to use define_main_page.php (Tools > Define Pages Editor), and put the boxes and links in there. Turn off whatever you don't want on the splash page (like the standard categories sidebox) with a custom copy of the stylesheet in /includes/templates/your_template/css/index_home.css.

[jh79]

I attempted to do what you said, with no results, I am way to new to Zen cart to understand all the procedures you describe, I will just do categories and sub categories and forget about the boxes on a zen HTML page,

Thanks for trying to help me, but again I am way to new to know all off these things

[gjh42]

I see you are using a Template Monster template. Someone who posted just a day or two ago was trying to use define_main_page.php, and I found on examining the right file that TM had commented out the define_main_page display code so that it could not function. That may be happening to you, which would be why you are getting no results. It's not your fault.

If you like, I can look at your code tomorrow and see if that's it - if it is, it's an easy fix.

[jh79]

Sure, what do you need from me Glen?

this is the only code in define_main_page.php

<a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/466605"><img src="images/large/e-start-book.gif" alt="get your manual today" title="Have you got yours yet? Join the 1000’s of Zen Cart users that have bought the only comprehensive owners manual !" /></a>
<p>This file is located in<code> /languages/english/html_includes/classic/</code></p>
<p><strong>NOTE: Always backup the files in<code> /languages/english/html_includes/your_template</code></strong></p>

[jh79]

Glenn I sent you an email, please reply ASAP

Thanks