Advanced Search Question (limit to category box)

[DivaVocals]

You asked if this code is safe to use, so I'm reviewing it from a coding perspective, not from whether it "works" or is the "best" way to do it. You said it works, so I won't concern myself with the functionality.

1. But the code *is* using the deprecated split() function, so the code will not work on PHP 5.3.0 or newer.
Those references to split() should be replaced with explode(). See more detail here: http://www.zen-cart.com/entry.php?2-...use-on-PHP-5-3

2. If there is no valid result returned from the query (again, only in the part of the code you had highlighted), you're triggering PHP Notices needlessly.
So, changing this line, by adding the part in bold, would be suggested:

    if (!$hide_status->EOF && $hide_status->fields['visibility_status'] < 1) {

If you've got a lot of categories, then it would be smarter to rewrite your whole "read the hide-categories status from the db for each category one-by-one in real time" into "read all the hide-categories-table data into an array once and just do the lookup on that array" in order to minimize the amount of database queries you're triggering.
But that's getting into optimization, instead of merely "will it work".

So I do have one more question.. if I make the code change you suggest above as follows:

//  Begin hideCategories code
    list($nada, $mycpath)= explode('=', $box_categories_array[$i]['path']);
    $mycid = explode('_', $mycpath);
    $categories_id = array_pop($mycid);
    $hide_status = $db->Execute("select visibility_status 
                    FROM " . TABLE_HIDE_CATEGORIES . "
                    WHERE categories_id = " . $categories_id . "
                    LIMIT 1");
   if (!$hide_status->EOF && $hide_status->fields['visibility_status'] < 1) {
//  End hideCategories code
    switch(true) {
// to make a specific category stand out define a new class in the stylesheet example: A.category-holiday
// uncomment the select below and set the cPath=3 to the cPath= your_categories_id
// many variations of this can be done
//      case ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=3'):
//        $new_style = 'category-holiday';
//        break;
      case ($box_categories_array[$i]['top'] == 'true'):
        $new_style = 'category-top';
        break;
      case ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']):
        $new_style = 'category-subs';
        break;
      default:
        $new_style = 'category-products';
      }
     if (zen_get_product_types_to_category($box_categories_array[$i]['path']) == 3 or ($box_categories_array[$i]['top'] != 'true' and SHOW_CATEGORIES_SUBCATEGORIES_ALWAYS != 1)) {
        // skip if this is for the document box (==3)
      } else {
      $content .= '<a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';

      if ($box_categories_array[$i]['current']) {
        if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) {
          $content .= '<span class="category-subs-parent">' . $box_categories_array[$i]['name'] . '</span>';
        } else {
          $content .= '<span class="category-subs-selected">' . $box_categories_array[$i]['name'] . '</span>';
        }
      } else {
        $content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];
      }

      if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) {
        $content .= CATEGORIES_SEPARATOR;
      }
      $content .= '</a>';

      if (SHOW_COUNTS == 'true') {
        if ((CATEGORIES_COUNT_ZERO == '1' and $box_categories_array[$i]['count'] == 0) or $box_categories_array[$i]['count'] >= 1) {
          $content .= CATEGORIES_COUNT_PREFIX . $box_categories_array[$i]['count'] . CATEGORIES_COUNT_SUFFIX;
        }
      }

      $content .= '<br />' . "\n";
    }
  }
} //  hideCategories code

Will this negate the need to make the changes to the ../includes/functions/html_output.php as posted previously by moosesoom.. (referenced post below)

I temporarily solved this issue by modifying the following line from ../includes/functions/html_output.php from:

if (empty($default) && isset($GLOBALS[$name]) && is_string($GLOBALS[$name]) ) $default = stripslashes($GLOBALS[$name]); 

to

if ( ($name != 'categories_id') && empty($default) && isset($GLOBALS[$name]) && is_string($GLOBALS[$name]) ) $default = stripslashes($GLOBALS[$name]); 

But please tell me if that solution can break something all over the shop.

[DrByte]

Will this negate the need to make the changes to the ../includes/functions/html_output.php as posted previously by moosesoom.. (referenced post below)

No, but in tpl-categories, if you simply change both references of $categories_id to some other variable like $cat_to_check then that should remove the clash that was driving the need for changes to html_output.php



And, I take back my prior suggestion about adding !$hide_status->EOF && ... because I think that will negate the logic in undesired cases.

... which leads me to another, related, observation ...

Also, looking at the contribution I'm a bit confused why any template files were altered at all. It would be much more efficient for all the changes from the template files to have been done in the modules files that prepare the data for the templates .... again, separating logic from display.

[DivaVocals]

No, but in tpl-categories, if you simply change both references of $categories_id to some other variable like $cat_to_check then that should remove the clash that was driving the need for changes to html_output.php

Got it.. will make the suggested changes.. Only thing left for me to figure out is why the code for excluding hidden products from the search results worked in Zen Cart v1.3.9 (when I tested the code provided by another community member), doesn't seem to work in Zen Cart v1.5.1
**sigh**

And, I take back my prior suggestion about adding !$hide_status->EOF && ... because I think that will negate the logic in undesired cases.

... which leads me to another, related, observation ...

Also, looking at the contribution I'm a bit confused why any template files were altered at all. It would be much more efficient for all the changes from the template files to have been done in the modules files that prepare the data for the templates .... again, separating logic from display.

Dude you're asking ME??!! I had a client who needed this capability for certain custom products (wigs for chemo and alopecia patients) that she wanted to send direct links to clients while hiding these products from other customers.. I found this add-on and simply picked this thing up as it was and compiled all the verified posted fixes from the support forum into the base fileset.. I've NO DOUBT (especially if you point it out) that it could be done better.. but as I'm not a real coder, I haven't the first bit of an idea how to go about making that happen.. (though like many things I've tackled in Zen Cart, I certainly am willing to take a slash at it..)

[DrByte]

Dude you're asking ME??!!

Haha! No, I wasn't directing that question at you specifically. More just commenting aloud about additional observations I made.

[DivaVocals]

Haha! No, I wasn't directing that question at you specifically. More just commenting aloud about additional observations I made.

Whew!!! because I was looking the screen like this:



But I took a quick looksee at the files and I think I've figured out how to replace at least TWO of the template files --new products and featured products-- with the correct modules files.. (this is in theory.. I can't test this until I get home tonight)

Not sure how to do the same with the following:

• sideboxes/tpl_categories.php (the module doesn't contain the actual data query, this file does or am I missing something??)
• templates/tpl_products_all_default.php (not quite sure what the module file equivilent is to this.. though I admit that I looked fairly quickly)

I'm not sure if there is a better way to exclude the hidden categories from the advanced search page's category dropdown without modifying the templates/tpl_advanced_search_default.php file, and I STILL can't figure out why the code to includes/modules/pages/advanced_search_result/header_php.php doesn't work.. in theory it SHOULD (and it did in my previous testing)..

//bof hidden categories change to hide hidden categories from search function
$from_str = "FROM (" . TABLE_HIDE_CATEGORIES . " h, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
             LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m
             USING(manufacturers_id), " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c )
             LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_META_TAGS_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " mtpd
             ON mtpd.products_id= p2c.products_id
             AND mtpd.language_id = :languagesID";
//eof hidden categories change    
$from_str = $db->bindVars($from_str, ':languagesID', $_SESSION['languages_id'], 'integer');
if ((DISPLAY_PRICE_WITH_TAX == 'true') && ((isset($_GET['pfrom']) && zen_not_null($_GET['pfrom'])) || (isset($_GET['pto']) && zen_not_null($_GET['pto'])))) {
  if (!$_SESSION['customer_country_id']) {
    $_SESSION['customer_country_id'] = STORE_COUNTRY;
    $_SESSION['customer_zone_id'] = STORE_ZONE;
  }
  $from_str .= " LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_TAX_RATES . " tr
                 ON p.products_tax_class_id = tr.tax_class_id
                 LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_ZONES_TO_GEO_ZONES . " gz
                 ON tr.tax_zone_id = gz.geo_zone_id
                 AND (gz.zone_country_id IS null OR gz.zone_country_id = 0 OR gz.zone_country_id = :zoneCountryID)
                 AND (gz.zone_id IS null OR gz.zone_id = 0 OR gz.zone_id = :zoneID)";
  $from_str = $db->bindVars($from_str, ':zoneCountryID', $_SESSION['customer_country_id'], 'integer');
  $from_str = $db->bindVars($from_str, ':zoneID', $_SESSION['customer_zone_id'], 'integer');
}
// Notifier Point
$zco_notifier->notify('NOTIFY_SEARCH_FROM_STRING');
//bof hidden categories change to hide hidden categories from search
$where_str = " WHERE (p.products_status = 1
               AND p.products_id = pd.products_id
               AND pd.language_id = :languagesID
               AND p.products_id = p2c.products_id
      AND (p.master_categories_id = h.categories_id and h.visibility_status !=2) 
               AND p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id ";
//eof hidden categories change

(I am supposed to writing use cases, but can ya tell I'm a little BORED!!??)