Searching by Zipcode

[IronTank]

Oh, I see.

It will most likely have one or two zip codes I don't believe extra fields need to be added for this since each category will be the store itself. I am planning to put it in the "Categories Description" section when creating the category.

If I'm not over explaining..
You'll be a visitor, wanting to order (mainly food) online. You'd most likely want to search for a restaurant nearby (zip code), then the categories(stores) containing the zipcode will display. Then, you'd be able to pick and choose the restaurant you'd want to order from.

The Search function for ZC works great on products, no qualms about it. But, will expanding it to search in category descriptions require hard coding? Or is there an option I forgot to turn on which already allows searching in categories?

[Ajeh]

You have a Category Steak House (categories_id 27), and you put in the Zip Code 44026 ... does this mean ALL Products should now show from that Steak House Category (categories_id 27)?

[IronTank]

Nope, it should only display the category(ies) containing the Zip: 44026.
Since, if you decide to order from "SteakHouse" .. after you click into steackhouse all its subcategories will show, which will display the store's food in subcats.

As a real example, right now I have this set up:
Florida > Chopsticks > Appetizers > products
Florida > Chopsticks > Lunch > Products

When I click on "Chopsticks" I see two choices "Appetizers" and "Lunch".

I don't really need the actual food/products to display when searching the zip code (or what ever's in the categories desc.), just the category itself containing these keywords (zipcodes), since once they go in a category the products and following subcats will display.

[Ajeh]

I guess where I am getting lost is, you go to the category:
Florida > Chopsticks > Appetizers

Are you now saying all of the Products in the Appetizers category are 44026 ...

Then go to the category:
Florida > Chopsticks > Lunch

Are you now saying all of the Products in the Lunch category are 33610 ...

[IronTank]

I'm sorry,

I meant to display that both Appetizers and Lunch categories are within the Chopsticks category. I will only input the zip code description in the Chopsticks categories description.

This means, once you search 44026, the search function will grab the keyword from the category's description, and display "Chopsticks" category... and possibly few other restaurants with the same keyword/zip.
Then, once you choose to eat food from Chopsticks, you will enter its category and decide from Chopsticks' Appetizers and Lunches. So, the actual menus and products/food doesn't really need to be displayed and it won't display since the zip code won't be added to the product description.

[Ajeh]

Now I get it ... Chopsticks is a Restaurant in the Zip Code area ...

The best way to address this is to build a special search for categories ... the problem with using the categories_description is that is a slower method to search as you are searching through text ...

With a small site that is not an issue, but as it grows that could get clunky ...

You need to consider a few things ...

If I come to your site without a brain, and type in my Zip Code 44026 only restaurants in the 44026 area show up ... but how do I know that 44124 that is just next door is one I should have chosen to search for?

This is where you should consider "how" the Zip Code should be utilized ...

Should there be a State, City, Zip Code search available for a location search?

State would list the Categories in the State, and City can narrow that down more and Zip more ...

Or present a screen/search for all three ... and come up with the hits and decide how do they get displayed?

In any case, you really need to consider a more useful and efficient search where you have the ability of the three fields so that people can find a restaurant easier ...

Then there are name searches ... where the customer knows the name of the restaurant but nothing else ... I know where Hunnan's is but not its zip code or even its city just that it is 5 to 10 miles away ...

So this really comes down to needing to break down the information that someone wants to search for a restaurant and be able to do so more effectively ...

Then, if you want to sell this listing of a restaurant, then as the restaurant owner I would want to show up on several searches such as a search for the State, City and maybe 1 to many zip codes ...

So, this makes it something that you may want to have an additional database table where you can set these keys for the search on multiple records tied to the Restaurant ...

You can tie this to the categories table, but you want to make it more efficient ...

Regardless of using the categories description or a new table or what have you, you are going to have to customize this code ...

If you have to customize the code, then you want to do it right to start with ...

Yes, you can use the categories_description on the search, but consider are you going to have 10 restaurants? 100? 1000? 10000? as you grow this is going to get clunky if you don't address this in a more efficient manner ...

You can "get by" with a search on categories_description, and you could offer that as part of the better method of searching as an option for being able to search for anything that might be in the categories_description such as
Bob Smith
Fred Flinstone
Babe Ruth Special
etc. etc.

but you still need to build a new display method for these categories as the current displays are not made for this ...

There isn't a simple 30 second method to write any of these searches without actually sitting down and writing the custom code for it ...

If you are a coder, you have a lot to think about ... if you are not, you should really look for a coder to write the search for the restaurants and the display and functionality of the results ...

You can start it simple and build it as you grow, or build it now, but in either case, get a good foundation down for what happens "after the results" are found and then you can add on to "how" the results of the search are obtained ...

[IronTank]

You're absolutely right about starting off right. I didn't plan on growing it really big. I just have two restaurants my family own, and about four more that friends own, which I'd add. Then, most likely using swguy's SMS add on to have orders sent to our phones through text, make the order, and deliver the food or have it wait for a pick-up.

It'll be something similar to this: www.orderlunch.com .. except I don't need the radius search. We're small take-outs we don't deliver out of our codes.

This way, customers who already order from our restaurants may order online from their jobs... etc. If you know the restaurant's name "Hunnan's" the ability to search within category would pull that category up also.

If later it does become bigger, I'd definitely consider more efficient and detailed fields and hire someone to code it.

I'll try to start coding the piece which allows for searching within category descriptions, and look into the results display. I hope putting less text in descriptions will increase search time?

Thanks Ajeh, for a very informative and always speedy replies.
I'll reply back on the progress. Let me know if there are any new thoughts.

[Ajeh]

Whether it is one word or a 1000 the same thing has to be done to search the field ... so don't short cut good descriptions as it won't really save time ...

The problem on a Category (any field) search is that the results do not have a method of display right now ... this is what I mean by making a good display feature for the Category results ...

As you have a small selection to choose from, you might be able to get away with leaving the current search methods alone and just adding a module that can be pulled in to specifically address the categories_description table for a search on that for the categories_name and categories_description to search and then display those results either above or below the Product listing that already exists ...

[fairestcape]

What would be nice is:-

Search for restaurants within 5km / 10km / 15km of your zip code.

3 fields:

1. Enter your zip code
2. (Dropdown) What type of food? (Chinese, Thai, Portuguese, etc)
3. (Dropdown) How far from your zipcode? (5km, 10km, 15km)

Using geomapping/ geolocation this is possible! (But don't ask me how to configure it. Conor Kerr might know!)

[charmedbytina2]

We seem to be on a roll here!

I have a client that is looking for a store locator by zip code.
I know I can purchase a third party module called "Store Locator" but would like to see something integrated into zencart. Any takers???

Tina