Not all subcategories appearing in sidebox

[CHRI55YB0Y]

What's the category id number for Occasions - Birthdays - Her ? What happens if you temporarily switch back to the Classic template ?

Category ID Occasions (66) > Birthdays (67) > Her (80)

I just switched back to classic green and the sidebox shows correctly but switched back to custom and it goes again, just for info I am using the "estorenow" template.

Thanks for you input :)

[CHRI55YB0Y]

Ok so I've subbed the tpl_categories.php file with the original from classic and the categories work albeit not cosmetically formatted.

This is the code from the tpl_categories.php from the "estorenow" template, I'm not familiar enough with PHP to see what if anything is wrong here, would someone be kind enough to look over this please?

<?php
/**
* Side Box Template
*
* @package templateSystem
* @copyright Copyright 2003-2006 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: tpl_categories.php 4162 2006-08-17 03:55:02Z ajeh $
*/
$content = "";

$content .= '<div id="' . str_replace('_', '-', $box_id . 'Content') . '" class="sideBoxContent"><ul id="cat">' ;
$ul_close='YES';//YES NO

for ($i=0;$i<sizeof($box_categories_array);$i++) {

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 {
/////////////////////////////1.1/////////////////////////
if($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat'] && $new_style == 'category-top' ){

if($ul_close=='NO'){
$content =$content.'</ul></li>';
$ul_close='YES';
}
$ul_close='NO';
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content =$content.'</a><ul>';
}//new addon for <li>
/////////////////1.2///////////////////////////////
elseif($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']==false&&$new_style == 'category-products'){// for child
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];
$content =$content.'</a></li>';
if($i==(sizeof($box_categories_array)-1)){//last li ele


$content =$content.'</ul></li>';

}
//////////////////1.3/////////////////
}elseif($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']==false&&$new_style == 'category-top'){
if($ul_close=='NO'){

$content =$content.'</ul></li>';
$ul_close='YES';
}

$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';

$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content =$content.'</a></li>';

////////////////////////////
if (false) {//display counts
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;

}

}
}
//eof new adds on
}//end of else
}//eof for loop
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_SPECIALS == 'true' or SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_PRODUCTS_NEW == 'true' or SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_FEATURED_PRODUCTS == 'true' or SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_PRODUCTS_ALL == 'true') {
// display a separator between categories and links

if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_SPECIALS == 'true') {//display specials
$show_this = $db->Execute("select s.products_id from " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s where s.status= 1 limit 1");
if ($show_this->RecordCount() > 0) {
$content .= '<li><a class="category-links" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_SPECIALS) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_SPECIALS . '</a></li>';
}
}
if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_PRODUCTS_NEW == 'true') {//displal new products
// display limits
// $display_limit = zen_get_products_new_timelimit();
$display_limit = zen_get_new_date_range();

$show_this = $db->Execute("select p.products_id
from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
where p.products_status = 1 " . $display_limit . " limit 1");
if ($show_this->RecordCount() > 0) {
$content .= '<li><a class="category-links" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCTS_NEW) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_WHATS_NEW . '</a></li>' ;
}
}
if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_FEATURED_PRODUCTS == 'true') {//display featured products
$show_this = $db->Execute("select products_id from " . TABLE_FEATURED . " where status= 1 limit 1");
if ($show_this->RecordCount() > 0) {
$content .= '<li><a class="category-links" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_FEATURED_PRODUCTS) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS . '</a></li>';
}
}
if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_PRODUCTS_ALL == 'true') {
$content .= '<li><a class="category-links" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCTS_ALL) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_PRODUCTS_ALL . '</a></li>';
}
}
$content .= '</ul></div>';
?>

[gjh42]

This is not the only file causing the error (though it is outputting the error). It can be really hard to debug program logic flow by looking at a file without running it, but I notice that all of the subcats and sub-subcats have a .category-products class assigned where some should have .category-subs.

There is some incomplete logic in this file. It only allows for top cats with subcats, top cats without subs, or subcats without subs. Subcats with subcats will not be handled by that part of the code and will not be output at all (when I go to cPath=66_67_80 I do see Occasions > Her listed as a sub-subcat, but not Birthdays as the parent of Her).

A previous file in the stream is not assigning the correct value to $box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat'], thus subcats with subcats are ignored by the sidebox. The two errors compound each other. I find it hard to imagine such an erroneous result being overlooked by all previous people who have used the template, but anything is possible...

[gjh42]

Okay, correction to the logic flow...
Maybe the subcats with subcats are being assigned the correct class tag, but as the code ignores these subcats for output, we can't know without some debug code added.

The first thing to do would be to add the missing logic to handle subcats with subcats. Something like (find this)

// skip if this is for the document box (==3)
} else {
/////////////////////////////1.1/////////////////////////
if($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat'] && $new_style == 'category-top' ){

if($ul_close=='NO'){
$content =$content.'</ul></li>';
$ul_close='YES';
}
$ul_close='NO';
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content =$content.'</a><ul>';
}//new addon for <li>
/////////////////1.2/////////////////////////////// 

add another section after this one:

// skip if this is for the document box (==3)
} else {
/////////////////////////////1.1/////////////////////////
if($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat'] && $new_style == 'category-top' ){

if($ul_close=='NO'){
  $content =$content.'</ul></li>';
  $ul_close='YES';
}
$ul_close='NO';
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content =$content.'</a><ul>';
}//new addon for <li>
///////////1.1a/////////////////
 elseif($new_style == 'category-subs' ){//subcat with subcats

//if($ul_close=='NO'){//not sure how this section should work yet, need to study it more
  //$content =$content.'</ul></li>';
  //$ul_close='YES';
//}
$ul_close='NO';
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content .= '</a><ul>';
}//new addon for <li>
/////////////////1.2///////////////////////////////
elseif($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']==false&&$new_style == 'category-products'){// for child 

[CHRI55YB0Y]

Thanks for taking the time to look I really appreciate it.

I will try your suggestion when I get home tonight.

Thanks again

[gjh42]

If you find that this fixes it, you should really report the bug and the solution to the template source. If it doesn't fix it, report the bug, as it is the author's responsibility to make it work correctly.

[CHRI55YB0Y]

If you find that this fixes it, you should really report the bug and the solution to the template source. If it doesn't fix it, report the bug, as it is the author's responsibility to make it work correctly.

OK, do I do that through the template section of this site (It was downloaded from Zen site)? surprised it's not been spotted before I can't be the only person doing more than one sub cat

Anyhow, I've taken your amendments and added as you suggested which didn't fix to start with, so as per below code I've uncommented a section and it now appears correctly on the site. The only issue I have now though is alignment, I've added a ".category-subs" to my css sheet which has provisionally put arr.gif in front the category. But as you can see "Birthdays" is now a few pixels left of the other sub categories, is this purely finding the right tag in the css file?

Thanks again, appreciate your time

 ////////////////1.1a////////////////
      elseif( $new_style == 'category-subs' ){//subcat with subcats
      if($ul_close=='NO'){//not sure how this section should work yet, need to study it more
  $content =$content.'</ul></li>';
  $ul_close='YES';
}
$ul_close='NO';
$content .= '<li><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
$content .= $box_categories_array[$i]['name'];

$content .= '</a><ul>'; 

[gjh42]

This display reveals another aspect of the incompleteness of the <ul> handling of this menu: When the sub-subcats end and a new top cat is displayed, it needs to close two levels of <ul>, but it only is able to close one, so all of the following items are inside the first top category's list. It needs to keep track of the nesting level of lists so that it can format them correctly. I spent a lot of time getting this right for Categories Dressing, with much more complex possibilities than this mod presents, and don't want to reinvent it now.

At any rate, you can find the author's name and/or contact info in the mod's readme documentation somewhere, and I would suggest sending them to this thread to see the whole issue.

Meanwhile, if you want to have a fully and correctly functioning menu with distinctions between levels and kinds of categories, you could install Categories Dressing. It has numerous features which you would probably need to turn off, but you can do about anything you can imagine with the categories sidebox using it. It would obviously need restyling to become consistent with what you have; post in the Categories Dressing support thread if you need help with that.