Customised Specials_Index.php - want to Remove the Randomize Feature

[limelites]

I'm hoping someone can help me with this. Way back when we created the www.silkblooms.co.uk website about 18mnths ago (or more) we wanted the "special_index" files to appear in a completely random order. Our thinking was that this would make the home page appear to Google as a constantly changing page with new items appearing there all the time. I'm not sure if that helped our SEO ratings but we're doing well in that respect. We also thought it'd be nice for customers landing on the home page to see a range of random produts.

Now, we just want to put the specials_index back to the way it should be. However, we can't just copy the original file over as there have been too many customisations to this file and we don't want to lose them all. We simply want to remove the random feature and make the products appear in the order from new-old.

Here is a copy of the coding. Can anyone help me replace whatever is causing the products to 'randomize' with a new code that makes them apear in date listed order from new to old?

<?php
/**
 * specials_index module
 *
 * @package modules
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2007 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: specials_index.php 6424 2007-05-31 05:59:21Z ajeh $
 */
if (!defined('IS_ADMIN_FLAG')) {
  die('Illegal Access');
}

// initialize vars
$categories_products_id_list = '';
$list_of_products = '';
$specials_index_query = '';
$display_limit = '';

$where_str = " AND p.master_categories_id != 349 ";
$where_str .= " AND p.master_categories_id != 350 ";

// m.manufacturers_name     m.manufacturers_id     p.products_quantity     p.products_model     p.manufacturers_id     p.master_categories_id     ".TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . " m

if ( (($manufacturers_id > 0 && $_GET['filter_id'] == 0) || $_GET['music_genre_id'] > 0 || $_GET['record_company_id'] > 0) || (!isset($new_products_category_id) || $new_products_category_id == '0') ) {
  $specials_index_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, p.products_tax_class_id, pd.products_name, p.products_quantity,
                           p.products_date_added, p.products_price, p.products_type,  p.products_model,p.master_categories_id
                           from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd
                           where p.products_id = pd.products_id
                           and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'
                           and   p.products_status = 1 " . $where_str . $display_limit;
} else {
  // get all products and cPaths in this subcat tree
  $productsInCategory = zen_get_categories_products_list( (($manufacturers_id > 0 && $_GET['filter_id'] > 0) ? zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($_GET['filter_id']) : $cPath), false, true, 0, $display_limit);

  if (is_array($productsInCategory) && sizeof($productsInCategory) > 0) {
    // build products-list string to insert into SQL query
    foreach($productsInCategory as $key => $value) {
      $list_of_products .= $key . ', ';
    }
    $list_of_products = substr($list_of_products, 0, -2); // remove trailing comma
    $specials_index_query = "select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name, p.master_categories_id,  p.products_model, p.products_quantity
                             from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                             left join " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s on p.products_id = s.products_id
                             left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id )
                             where p.products_id = s.products_id
                             and p.products_id = pd.products_id
                             and p.products_status = '1' and s.status = '1'
                             and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "' 
                             and p.products_id in (" . $list_of_products . ")" . $where_str; 
  }
}
if ($specials_index_query != '') $specials_index = $db->ExecuteRandomMulti($specials_index_query, MAX_DISPLAY_SPECIAL_PRODUCTS_INDEX);

$row = 0;
$col = 0;
$list_box_contents = array();
$title = '';

$num_products_count = ($specials_index_query == '') ? 0 : $specials_index->RecordCount();

// show only when 1 or more
if ($num_products_count > 0) {
  if ($num_products_count < SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_SPECIALS_PRODUCTS || SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_SPECIALS_PRODUCTS == 0 ) {
    $col_width = floor(100/$num_products_count);
  } else {
    $col_width = floor(100/SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_SPECIALS_PRODUCTS);
  }

  $list_box_contents = array();
  while (!$specials_index->EOF) {
    $products_price = zen_get_products_display_price($specials_index->fields['products_id']);
    if (!isset($productsInCategory[$specials_index->fields['products_id']])) $productsInCategory[$specials_index->fields['products_id']] = zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($specials_index->fields['master_categories_id']);


    $soldoutimage = ($specials_index->fields['products_quantity'] > 0) ? '' : '<div class="sold_out_on_image"><a href="'
     . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($specials_index->fields['products_id']), 'cPath=' . $productsInCategory[$specials_index->fields['products_id']] . '&products_id='
     . $specials_index->fields['products_id'])
     . '"><img src="http://www.silkblooms.co.uk/includes/templates/freetemplate2/images/sold_out_mine.png" style="position:relative;top:30px;left:7px;border:0;"></a></div>';  


    $specials_index->fields['products_name'] = zen_get_products_name($specials_index->fields['products_id']);
    $list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="centerBoxContentsSpecials centeredContent back"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',

    'text' => (($specials_index->fields['products_image'] == '' and PRODUCTS_IMAGE_NO_IMAGE_STATUS == 0) ? '' : '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($specials_index->fields['products_id']), 'cPath=' . $productsInCategory[$specials_index->fields['products_id']] . '&products_id=' . $specials_index->fields['products_id']) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $specials_index->fields['products_image'], $specials_index->fields['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '</a><br />'.$soldoutimage) . '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($specials_index->fields['products_id']), 'cPath=' . $productsInCategory[$specials_index->fields['products_id']] . '&products_id=' . $specials_index->fields['products_id']) . '">'. '</a>' .$specials_index->fields['manufacturers_name'] . $manufacturers_name.''. $specials_index->fields['products_model'] .$products_model .'<br />' .$products_price.'<br /><p>' );

    $col ++;
    if ($col > (SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_SPECIALS_PRODUCTS - 1)) {
      $col = 0;
      $row ++;
    }
    $specials_index->MoveNextRandom();
  }

  if ($specials_index->RecordCount() > 0) {
    $title = '<h2 class="centerBoxHeading">' . sprintf(TABLE_HEADING_SPECIALS_INDEX, strftime('%B')) . '</h2>';
    $zc_show_specials = true;
  }
}
?>