How Can I Specify The Sort Order In The "Featured" Sidebar?

[Scully]

I'd like to add a "Featured" sidebar to one of the sites I'm working on, but there doesn't seem to be a way to specify the order of the items within it. I want one of them to always stay on the top. The other three, below it, will be changed periodically. Is there a way to do this? Thanks!!

[philip937]

What do you want to sort by?

[Scully]

As I said above, I want one listing always to be there, and the three below it to change when I decide to specify new "featured" items. :-) I don't care what order the three show up in, but I want the one to always be on top.

[philip937]

Two ways I can think of, you could either hard code the product you want on top into the side box code, then exclude it from the db query.
Or
Maybe implement something similar to this which by chance is a similar thing I posted earlier today!!
http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.p...Filter-Sidebox

So instead of specifying more than one product to display at the top you would just specify the one you want.

Obviously you need to use this as a guide how to implement on your particular sidebox but logic would be the same.

Backup before you try anything and create a template override file when implementing.

[Scully]

As I haven't got a clue how to do either, which would be easier for a total php-moron? LOL

[philip937]

Ah ok haha, well, actually having thought about it I doubt my option 2 for you will work because your featured side box is probably either selecting random entries and in which case the one you want to show might not be in the output or it might be ordering by rand in which case changing the order to my example means that "other" featured products probably won't get shown.

So.. Option 1 is the way to do it.

If you haven't a clue I don't mind giving you the code but I'm not logged on now so ill subscribe to this thread as a reminder to come back tomorrow to do it for you.

If you haven't heard from me either pm me or just post again to remind me ;-)

[Scully]

Okay, thanks. I appreciate it!

I actually have specified the four entries that I want listed in the Featured box. The curious thing is that while they show up on the Admin/Catalog/Featured Products listing in alphabetical order, they don't show up that way on the actual site. The one that I want to be on top is always on the very bottom, no matter which other books I select. And they don't appear to be showing up in random order, because they're always in the same order no matter how often I refresh the pages.

I sure do appreciate any advice you can offer me, because I've been fighting with this most of the afternoon, and reading through dozens of forum posts, but I haven't yet found any solutions.

I guess, for the meantime, I could just delete the other three items, and only have the one under Featured.......... :-)

[philip937]

It'll all be apparent when I check the code calling the items being shown dont worry we'll get it to work ;-)

[philip937]

Right written up a solution for you, give it a go and let me know how you get on.. BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP..


Ok so create a template version of your
includes/modules/sideboxes/featured.php


and put it:
includes/modules/sideboxes/YOUR_TEMPLATE/featured.php


find:

$random_featured_products_query = "select p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name,
                                       p.master_categories_id
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id )
                           where p.products_id = f.products_id
                           and p.products_id = pd.products_id
                           and p.products_status = 1
                           and f.status = 1
                           and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'"; 

and change to:

$random_featured_products_query = "select p.products_id, p.products_image, pd.products_name,
                                       p.master_categories_id
                           from (" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                           left join " . TABLE_FEATURED . " f on p.products_id = f.products_id
                           left join " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd on p.products_id = pd.products_id )
                           where p.products_id = f.products_id
                           and p.products_id = pd.products_id
                and p.products_id != 100
                           and p.products_status = 1
                           and f.status = 1
                           and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'"; 

notice we added this line:

and p.products_id != 100
you need to change the “100” to the products_id of the product you want at the top. So putting this here we are stopping it from being called into the standard loop. before you go further, check that it has now stopped that product from showing in the box.

Then we need to hard code in above where the rest of the results are outputted.

So then create a copy/ template override of:
includes/templates/template_default/sideboxes/tpl_featured.php

and locate it:
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/sideboxes/tpl_featured.php


then find this:

$content = "";
  $content .= '<div class="sideBoxContent centeredContent">';
  $featured_box_counter = 0;
  while (!$random_featured_product->EOF) {
    $featured_box_counter++;
    $featured_box_price = zen_get_products_display_price($random_featured_product->fields['products_id']);
    $content .= "\n" . '  <div class="sideBoxContentItem">';
    $content .=  '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($random_featured_product->fields["products_id"]), 'cPath=' . zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($random_featured_product->fields["master_categories_id"]) . '&products_id=' . $random_featured_product->fields["products_id"]) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $random_featured_product->fields['products_image'], $random_featured_product->fields['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
    $content .= '<br />' . $random_featured_product->fields['products_name'] . '</a>';
    $content .= '<div>' . $featured_box_price . '</div>';
    $content .= '</div>';
    $random_featured_product->MoveNextRandom();
  }
  $content .= '</div>' . "\n"; 

And change to this, NOTE! you need to change the values as specified below where commented:

$content = "";
  $content .= '<div class="sideBoxContent centeredContent">';
//
//added to hard code one to always show at the top
//
//values that need to be replaced:
//100 – needs to be changed to your product id. It is referred to three times
//200 – needs to be changed to the above products master category id appears once.
//productsimage.jpg need to change to the image file name for the product referred to once.
//Products Name Here needs to change to the actual products name reffered to twice.
$featured_box_price = zen_get_products_display_price(100);
    $content .= "\n" . '  <div class="sideBoxContentItem">';
    $content .=  '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page(100), 'cPath=' . zen_get_generated_category_path_rev(200) . '&products_id=100">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'productsimage.jpg', 'Products Name Here', SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
    $content .= '<br />Products Name Here</a>';
    $content .= '<div>' . $featured_box_price . '</div>';
    $content .= '</div>';
// 
// end hard code product
//
//
  $featured_box_counter = 0;
  while (!$random_featured_product->EOF) {
    $featured_box_counter++;
    $featured_box_price = zen_get_products_display_price($random_featured_product->fields['products_id']);
    $content .= "\n" . '  <div class="sideBoxContentItem">';
    $content .=  '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($random_featured_product->fields["products_id"]), 'cPath=' . zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($random_featured_product->fields["master_categories_id"]) . '&products_id=' . $random_featured_product->fields["products_id"]) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $random_featured_product->fields['products_image'], $random_featured_product->fields['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
    $content .= '<br />' . $random_featured_product->fields['products_name'] . '</a>';
    $content .= '<div>' . $featured_box_price . '</div>';
    $content .= '</div>';
    $random_featured_product->MoveNextRandom();
  }
  $content .= '</div>' . "\n"; 

this solution is obvioisly hard coded and is no way dynamic, so at anytime you want that product changed you will have to manually change the values specified. Also more importanly, if that product ever seases to exist the code will most likey break, in which case you will need to revert back/remove the hard coded part of the code.

hope this work.. not tested but should work, in theory..

[Scully]

GULP!!! I am SO not any good with PHP!

Okay, I'm doing a full system backup now...then I'll pull out the machete and start hacking my way through...whatever it is you sent me. LOL If I have any questions, you can be sure I'll ask!

THANK YOU, regardless of how it comes out, for taking the time and effort to help me!