New sidebar category not showing up bold

[Scully]

I know I've seen the answer to this question elsewhere, but I've searched and searched, and simply can't find it. So I'm asking again...apologies for the duplication.

I have my sidebar category listing set up so that the subcategories always are visible. That works perfectly. However, I've noticed that for each successive category, the subcategories are moved further to the right. It looks a bit odd, and I'd like to be able to line them all up properly. If anyone can help me with that, I'd be very grateful.

Also, and this is the real reason I'm posting this, I just added a new master category. Since they're all in alphabetical order, it's showing up as the first one, which is fine. But it's not bolded, as the others are, and its subcategories are not showing up. I also notice that when I try to access the subdirectories, they aren't displaying properly; will that be fixed when the sidebar issue is fixed?

I remember something about the category ID numbers (102, 125, etc.) being important, but I can't remember where I'm supposed to look for them, so that I can add in the new one.

If anyone can refresh my memory on this, I'd be very grateful. Many thanks, in advance!

[gjh42]

Before we can help, we need to know which mods you have installed that affect the categories sidebox. If there is a support thread for the mod, you should ask there.
Seeing the site live will also be essential.

[Scully]

The problem is, I honestly don't remember what mod I installed, because it was a good year ago.

It's an adult site...please don't blame the messenger. I only do the design work. LOL http://www.carnal-pleasures.com/zencart/

[gjh42]

It's no mod I recognize... It uses only the stock Zen Cart output code and styling, but the class or module file has apparently been altered to yield subcategories for all (specified) top cats, not just the active one.

You might just try Categories Dressing with the Uncollapsed Categories option. This will automatically show everything, can be styled however you like, and is currently supported if you need help. I'm not really interested in ferreting out the function in a crude mod that leaves the old <a> elements as the only organizing factor for styling.

[Scully]

I found this in my modules/sideboxes folder, under the name YOUR_TEMPLATE, perhaps this is it? If not, then I have no idea.

<?php
//
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// |zen-cart Open Source E-commerce |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Copyright (c) 2004 The zen-cart developers |
// | |
// | http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php |
// | |
// | Portions Copyright (c) 2003 osCommerce |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | This source file is subject to version 2.0 of the GPL license, |
// | that is bundled with this package in the file LICENSE, and is |
// | available through the world-wide-web at the following url: |
// | http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt. |
// | If you did not receive a copy of the zen-cart license and are unable |
// | to obtain it through the world-wide-web, please send a note to |
// | [email protected] so we can mail you a copy immediately. |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// $Id: category_list_box.php 2004/10/29
//



require DIR_WS_CLASSES . 'category_list.php';
$main_category_list = new category_list;
$main_category_list->category_list();
$row = 0;
$box_categories_array = array();
$box_categories_array = $main_category_list->build_list();

require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_category_list_box.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'sideboxes'). '/tpl_category_list_box.php');

$title = BOX_HEADING_CATEGORY_LIST;
$left_corner = false;
$right_corner = false;
$right_arrow = false;
$title_link = false;

require($template->get_template_dir($column_box_default, DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common') . '/' . $column_box_default);

?>

[gjh42]

Looks like it's some version of Expanded Category List which was last updated in 2008. The stock categories sidebox has not changed in a long time so it should still be compatible, but if you don't know how to maintain it, better to replace it with something currently supported.

[Scully]

LOL I don't even know where to find it!

I downloaded the Categories Dressing zip and am trying to fight my way through the instructions. What's easy for you geniuses to understand is Sanskrit to me. LOL I have this horrible presentiment that when I die, my purgatory will be to try and decode php for an eternity.........

[Scully]

Okay, I followed the instructions EXACTLY as they were specified...rereading each step several times to make sure I had it right...and lost the entire site. Now what??

BTW...there is no readme_ch_categories.txt file in the zip...but when I tried to activate it in my Layout Boxes Controller, the only thing it did was give a complete listing of EVERY book on the site...not categories and subcategories...and the rest of the site was still missing. So I set it back to OFF.

[Scully]

Okay, I managed to partially fix the problem by turning off the original categories.php box. But I still have a choice between no category sidebar at all, or one that gives way too much information (all the actual books, not the subcategories). How do I fix that?

[gjh42]

It may be that one of the Expanded Category List mod files is still active, and feeding a list of all categories and products into tpl_categories.php, where this assemblage might not be handled correctly. According to the description in Plugins (link in post #6 above), the files are:
NEW FILES

category_list.php [probably /includes/classes/ ]
category_list_box_defines.php [probably /includes/languages/english/sideboxes/your_template/ ]
category_list_box.php [probably /includes/modules/sideboxes/your_template/ ]
tpl_category_list_box.php [/includes/templates/your_template/sideboxes/ ]

but the description doesn't say which folders those files are in. The actual download package may/should give more details. If you can find those files, rename them from .php to .test or something to deactivate them, and delete them if/when you are certain you no longer want them.

Categories Dressing in any form does not handle products when installed on a clean site, so something pre-existing must be creating that feed.

I forgot to add readme_ch_categories.txt to the v2.7.3 zip, but it has no real information that is not elsewhere in the instructions.