The contents of the "Sponsor" sidebox

[shobuz99]

Question:
How do I change the contents of the "Sponsor" sidebox that appears
on both left and right sideboxes?

I've read several of the FAQ posts and seem to have gotten close;
but for some reason the actual sidebox titled "Sponsors" doesn't show up anywhere for me to edit it.

I know I'm missing something, or I'm just plain stupid...
Any one want to make a suggestion....other than "read it again!"

[alexwoolfson]

Hmm... I'm not familiar with that sidebox and don't see it under Admin > Tools > Layout Boxes Controller.

Do you have a link to your site?

One thing you might try to track it down is to go to Admin > Tools > Developer's Tool Kit then scroll all the way down to the bottom field titled "Look-up in all files".

Enter some distinctive text from your Sponsors sidebox into that field (Such as "sponsors" perhaps? No quotes needed...) and change the Drop Down menu next to it from "None" to "All Files - Catalog/Admin" and then click the Search button.

You'll get a list of all the files that have that text in it -- often a good place to start to figure out where you'd need to change things.

This feature is often the best way to track down obscure files....

[shobuz99]

Hmm... I'm not familiar with that sidebox and don't see it under Admin > Tools > Layout Boxes Controller.

Do you have a link to your site?

One thing you might try to track it down is to go to Admin > Tools > Developer's Tool Kit then scroll all the way down to the bottom field titled "Look-up in all files".

Enter some distinctive text from your Sponsors sidebox into that field (Such as "sponsors" perhaps? No quotes needed...) and change the Drop Down menu next to it from "None" to "All Files - Catalog/Admin" and then click the Search button.

You'll get a list of all the files that have that text in it -- often a good place to start to figure out where you'd need to change things.

This feature is often the best way to track down obscure files....

alex,
Thanks. I did try the search in Developer's Tool Kit and came up with 4 finds, all located in /public_html/catalog/includes/languages/english.php
However, there is no obvious way to change the contents of the "Sponsors" sideboxes. I'm still overwhelmed with all the different files and places I need to go to edit simple things. This web site cart app is difficult to navigate in any structurally methodical way. I'm not used to editing web sites like this. I get one thing fixed and then try to figure out the next thing and end up forgetting how I edited and updated something 3 days ago. I guess I should keep a log.
I've also been a bad boy about backing up my changes to a CUSTOM folder. I haven't done any of it. Now I'm concerned that
it will take me forever to go back and backup ALL the changes I made so far... Sorry.. to vent.
Thanks for your help. I sure need it!
Rick (shobuz99)

[stevesh]

The Sponsors sidebox is called banner_box in the Layout Boxes Controller and the content is controlled under Admin - Tools - Banner Manager

There is a learning curve involved with using Zencart, for sure, but I think it helps if you think of it as a "shopping cart program" rather than a "website cart app".

[Kim]

I've also been a bad boy about backing up my changes to a CUSTOM folder. I haven't done any of it. Now I'm concerned that
it will take me forever to go back and backup ALL the changes I made so far... Sorry.. to vent.

You will be very sorry when you go to upgrade if you don't follow the override system.

[shobuz99]

You will be very sorry when you go to upgrade if you don't follow the override system.

Yeah, I'm sure I will. So what now, go back to square 1 and learn how to use the override system? Yikes.. Self punishment, at my service.

[alexwoolfson]

shobuz99,

Seems like you got the specific advice you need re: the Sponsors sidebox.

As for the override system, let me join Kim in strongly encouraging you to take advantage of it -- and also let you know that moving your current changes over to it right now will be a piece of cake. Essentially, all you'll have to do is create folders with your override name in the appropriate places and then just copy over the files (not move, copy) you've already changed into those new folders. I promise it won't take forever -- if it takes an hour, I'd be surprised. It really is just creating new folders in a handful of places and copying the files you've already modified into the appropriate folders.

Take a look at this tutorial:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=142

and then this one:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=143


As for the rant, I know from firsthand experience that the interface to Zen Cart can be very overwhelming at first. But there is a consistent logic to it. With time (and reading the E-book manual), it's actually fairly easy to master. And once you get it, you'll be able to work with it very easily. (And it helps that the folks on this forum are so helpful and patient -- if you ever have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask...)

Courage, Rick -- it all gets easier from here.

[shobuz99]

alex,
You're right about the Zenner help and patience. Everyone here is really gracious about answering questions they have probably answered a million times. I do appreciate it.
I'm still working on the 'logic' of it all. It does make sense to backup, and I intend to start doing it asap.

One question on backup. The file that I referenced: /public_html/catalog/includes/languages/english.php... where would I store the backup of that? It's not a file that goes with the others in places like the /my custom-template/ folder that I will use for backup. Won't I have to create a "folder path" structure that mimics the actual one being used?

As I said, I'm editing haphazardly.
I get something done, and then look at the front page
and see what else needs to be changed..
Has anyone ever written a doc that takes a step by step approach (for new zenners)
and eventually ends up with a method to a finished, customized Zen Cart?
I'm not talking about a manual.
I used to write training manuals for IBM operators in a manufacturing environment.
But also, I put together HTML step-by-step setup instructions for certain processes that required computer operation of a tool... Know what I mean?
Just wondered.
Rick (shobuz99)

[alexwoolfson]

If I'm not mistaken, your

/public_html/catalog/includes/languages/english.php filepath

really is just the regular /includes/languages/english.php filepath -- the public_html/catalog folders might have been added by your webhost?

(If I'm wrong about this, more experienced Zenners will I'm sure correct me, but I don't have those folders at the root of my store folder, just the /includes folder.)

Is there a folder called "classic" living in /public_html/catalog/includes/languages folder?

If so, you would create your custom template folder at

/public_html/catalog/includes/languages/CUSTOM

and copy your modified english.php file into the new folder. Wherever you see that "classic" folder is where you can (and should) create a folder with YOUR_TEMPLATE_NAME.


(And remember , these aren't backups -- they are OVERRIDES. If you have made YOUR_TEMPLATE_NAME active in your Admin, then these modified files will be used instead the stock files.)

[shobuz99]

If I'm not mistaken, your

/public_html/catalog/includes/languages/english.php filepath

really is just the regular /includes/languages/english.php filepath -- the public_html/catalog folders might have been added by your webhost?

(If I'm wrong about this, more experienced Zenners will I'm sure correct me, but I don't have those folders at the root of my store folder, just the /includes folder.)

Is there a folder called "classic" living in /public_html/catalog/includes/languages folder?

If so, you would create your custom template folder at

/public_html/catalog/includes/languages/CUSTOM

and copy your modified english.php file into the new folder. Wherever you see that "classic" folder is where you can (and should) create a folder with YOUR_TEMPLATE_NAME.


(And remember , these aren't backups -- they are OVERRIDES. If you have made YOUR_TEMPLATE_NAME active in your Admin, then these modified files will be used instead the stock files.)

alex,
I should probably start a new thread; but let me tell you that
your advice is great, and here's how far I've gotten.

Answer: yes, /public_html/catalog is part of my server.
I used and named the zc folder to /catalog. The /public_html is already the default server folder.

I've taken your advice and tried to find all instances where
the /classic folders reside and then create my custom folder
for override. I named it /larryslather.

I'm still a bit confused about what needs to be copied into
the /larryslather folder, in each case.
Here's the structure I determined by reading the tutorial link "How do I create a new Custom Template?" you sent me.
That tutorial said to create the structure as folows:

/includes/templates/larryslather/common
/css
stylesheet.css
/images
/sideboxes
/template
template_info.php

My confusion is that in many cases, the /classic folder has nothing in there but the file "empty.txt"...
There is no /common, etc. sub folders.
So how can the override go to the correct place, if it doesn't exist?

I am obviously, missing something because I tried resetting the template, in Admin->tools->template selection to /larryslather from the /classic after copying some files to it, but the template design
is not all like I had it when I used the /classic template, that modified. I'm sure that I need to copy more files to the /larryslather folders.. I just don't get what other files need to be copied there...

I will move this to a new thread if you think I should. Let me know.

I'm trying to be courageous... i just don't want to get too lost and not be able to recover or retrace my steps.
Thanks again for your help
Rick (shobuz99)
P.S. here's the link to my site:
https://robohostingsolutions.com/~la...php?main_page=