Display Categories In Separate Boxes

[MSGOK]

No, you do not need to use the separate category mod for this. In fact, the layout you refer to, moreso than your current site state, is exactly what Categories Dressing was originally designed to do: add nice headings at desired places in the categories menu.

Okay fantastic, i will use the category dressing instead.

[torvista]

The current version 1.2 has a problem.

It uses a variable $name which is unset after the routine..this unsets $name used in the contact us page to pre-populate the name field when a client is logged in.

I suggest this change from

    while (!$categories_ap->EOF)  {
        $id = $categories_ap->fields['categories_id'];
        $name = $categories_ap->fields['categories_name'];
          $add_content .= '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, '&cPath='.$id) . '">'.$name.'</a></li>' . "\n";
        $categories_ap->MoveNext();
    }
    $add_content .= '</ul>';
//debug echo $add_content; 
    unset($name); 

to

    while (!$categories_ap->EOF)  {
        $categories_id = $categories_ap->fields['categories_id'];
    $categories_name = $categories_ap->fields['categories_name'];
    $add_content .= '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, '&cPath='.$categories_id) . '"><span class="catSpan">'.$categories_name.'</span></a></li>' . "\n";
    $categories_ap->MoveNext();
    }
    $add_content .= '</ul>';

//echo $add_content;//debug to check query is ok 
    //unset($categories_name);//was $name but overwrote $name in contact_us 

[Fisherman]

Will this work with 1.5?

[gjh42]

It probably will. The files and systems involved are not ones that changed for v1.5.x.

[torvista]

I've just noticed that the array that gets used for this produces an incomplete cPath.
ie if your parent id is 2 and the category is 345, the link goes to 345 instead of 2_345 which will result in incomplete breadcrumbs.

This is how I fixed it:
in \includes\modules\sideboxes\YOUR_TEMPLATE\separate_category_sidebox.php

change

while (!$categories_ap->EOF)  {
        $id = $categories_ap->fields['categories_id'];
        $name = $categories_ap->fields['categories_name'];
        $add_content .= '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, '&cPath='.$id) . '">'.$name.'</a></li>' . "\n";
        $categories_ap->MoveNext();
    } 

to

    while (!$categories_ap->EOF)  {
        $categories_path = zen_get_path($categories_ap->fields['categories_id']);
        $categories_name = $categories_ap->fields['categories_name'];
        $add_content .= '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, '&'.$categories_path) . '"><span class="catSpan">'.$categories_name.'</span></a></li>' . "\n";
        $categories_ap->MoveNext();
    } 

Note I have also changed the variable names for clarity and added a css class to the link.

[torvista]

I need to eat the previous post, the "fix" worked at the time but not later, this appears to work consistently:

while (!$categories_ap->EOF)  {
        $categories_path = zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($categories_ap->fields['categories_id']);//debug echo '$categories_path='.$categories_path.'<br />';
        $categories_name = $categories_ap->fields['categories_name'];
        $add_content .= '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, '&cPath='.$categories_path) . '"><span class="catSpan">'.$categories_name.'</span></a></li>' . "\n";
        $categories_ap->MoveNext();
    } 

[jabe00]

Hello,

I'm building my site and I'm using this mod on my site, but the side-box looks very different to my other template side-box, can someone put me in the right direction to show the information like the other templates side-box.


Here is my site

http://compuservicesj.com/store/

Thanks
Jose

[gjh42]

Add to your stylesheet

.separatesideboxlist>li {margin-left: -3em; list-style: inside url(../images/bc_info.gif);line-height: 2.0em; border-bottom: 1px dashed #aabbcc;}

[jabe00]

Add to your stylesheet

.separatesideboxlist>li {margin-left: -3em; list-style: inside url(../images/bc_info.gif);line-height: 2.0em; border-bottom: 1px dashed #aabbcc;}

Thanks....

[RMsimp]

I have been using this mod for over a year and love it. I had 4 separate categories set up and working properly. I just added a new category and set it up as the others. I am only getting the heading no products under the heading. I can change the includes/modules/sideboxes/ mytemplate line for and c.parent_id = 20 to another category id and change the separate_category_sidebox_04.php to separate_category_sidebox_03.php, and evey thing works fine. Any help would keep what little hair I have.