Banner Manager

[balihr]

ZX has already been ruled out, not even interested in trying to use it in place of the original six, it severely slows page loads using it just as a main page slider.

Hm... I would really love to hear more about this... ZX loads only on home page and has no affect on any other inner page of the site. As for severely slowing down page loads - I find that not true. It adds around 25kB and 7-8 requests so it can't be held responsible for slow loading. Of course, add 5 non-optimized 1000x400px images and it will take long to load it, but that's got nothing to do with ZX Slideshow itself.

Custom Coding

I hope you realize how unfair this reply was. You asking for free help, but don't want to share your solution with others? There's quite a lot of custom code shared around here...
Or am I just being grumpy because I didn't get enough sleep?

[rbarbour]

Hm... I would really love to hear more about this... ZX loads only on home page and has no affect on any other inner page of the site. As for severely slowing down page loads - I find that not true. It adds around 25kB and 7-8 requests so it can't be held responsible for slow loading. Of course, add 5 non-optimized 1000x400px images and it will take long to load it, but that's got nothing to do with ZX Slideshow itself.

Of course my reply is MO!

I hope you realize how unfair this reply was. You asking for free help, but don't want to share your solution with others? There's quite a lot of custom code shared around here...
Or am I just being grumpy because I didn't get enough sleep?

I offer my fair share of FREE help and FREE contributions.

[DivaVocals]

Right but my OP was to find an alternative to ZX, I will take a further look at Anne's.

ZX has already been ruled out, not even interested in trying to use it in place of the original six, it severely slows page loads using it just as a main page slider.

Your original objection was based on the use of new banner groups versus the six original banner groups not page load..

Neither Anne's slideshow or the ZX Slideshow use the six original banner groups.. BOTH create new groups for the slideshow. Hence my previous posted suggestion on how these slideshows could be adapted to use the six stock banner groups. (I used code from the ZX Slideshow as an example)

Hm... I would really love to hear more about this... ZX loads only on home page and has no affect on any other inner page of the site. As for severely slowing down page loads - I find that not true. It adds around 25kB and 7-8 requests so it can't be held responsible for slow loading. Of course, add 5 non-optimized 1000x400px images and it will take long to load it, but that's got nothing to do with ZX Slideshow itself.

I have to agree. The Nivo Slider (of which the ZX Slideshow uses) is responsive and does not slow down page load at all.. non-optimized images will affect the page load and setting the slide transitions too slow will give the "appearance" of slow load. Neither of these is because of the Nivo Slider itself, and could be an issue for ANY slideshow.. This however is EASILY rectified, by adjusting the slide transitions and optimizing the slideshow images.

[rbarbour]

Lets say I upload (3) images and assign them to: Banner Display Groups - Header Position 1

How do I display all (3) images at once instead of 1 random image per page load?

Simply allows my client to use the stock Banner Manager, show multiple banners as a group (jQuery Slide) and assign different effects to each banner group.

I needed a simple lightweight solution and alternative to ZX_slideshow and other sliders that require hard coding images in tpl or define files.

All banners loaded record Banner Views
All banners loaded record Banner Clicks

Your original objection was based on the use of new banner groups versus the six original banner groups not page load..

Neither Anne's slideshow or the ZX Slideshow use the six original banner groups.. BOTH create new groups for the slideshow. Hence my previous posted suggestion on how these slideshows could be adapted to use the six stock banner groups. (I used code from the ZX Slideshow as an example)

OK, thanks for clarifying my original objective.

I have to agree. The Nivo Slider (of which the ZX Slideshow uses) is responsive and does not slow down page load at all.. non-optimized images will affect the page load and setting the slide transitions too slow will give the "appearance" of slow load. Neither of these is because of the Nivo Slider itself, and could be an issue for ANY slideshow.. This however is EASILY rectified, by adjusting the slide transitions and optimizing the slideshow images.

Again, my comments about ZX is MO.

[DivaVocals]

OK, thanks for clarifying my original objective.

Sure..

Again, my comments about ZX is MO.

Right.. NO IDEA what MO means.. but okay.. wasn't trying to talk you into anything.. just offering suggestions 'tis all..

[mc12345678]

Sure..



Right.. NO IDEA what MO means..

MO = My Opinion :)

[balihr]

So, for anyone else interested in this thread and looking for a solution, here's one simple approach.

Requirement: show all banners from a specified group at once, instead of standard Zen Cart's random pick, but use Banner Manager and all of it's advantages (recording impressions and clicks, using links, using SSL filters etc).

Solution: use native code from banners_all with minimal modification:

<?php
$content = '';
$content .= '<div id="myImages">';
$new_banner_search = zen_build_banners_group(SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);

  // secure pages
  switch ($request_type) {
    case ('SSL'):
      $my_banner_filter=" and banners_on_ssl= " . "1 ";
      break;
    case ('NONSSL'):
      $my_banner_filter='';
      break;
  }

  $sql = "select banners_id from " . TABLE_BANNERS . " where status = 1 " . $new_banner_search . $my_banner_filter . " order by banners_sort_order";
  $banners_all = $db->Execute($sql);



// if no active banner in the specified banner group then the box will not show
  $banner_cnt = 0;
  while (!$banners_all->EOF) {
    $banner_cnt++;
    $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);
    $content .= '<div class="eachImage">'.zen_display_banner('static', $banners_all->fields['banners_id']).'</div>';
// add spacing between banners (this is optional so I'm gonna disable it, we can control it from CSS)
/*    if ($banner_cnt < $banners_all->RecordCount()) {
      $content .= '<br /><br />';
    }
	*/
    $banners_all->MoveNext();
  }
  $content .= '</div>';
  echo $content;
?>

Incredibly simple, isn't it? I've just highlighted the changes I added...

[rbarbour]

So, for anyone else interested in this thread and looking for a solution, here's one simple approach.

Requirement: show all banners from a specified group at once, instead of standard Zen Cart's random pick, but use Banner Manager and all of it's advantages (recording impressions and clicks, using links, using SSL filters etc).

Solution: use native code from banners_all with minimal modification:

<?php
$content = '';
$content .= '<div id="myImages">';
$new_banner_search = zen_build_banners_group(SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);

  // secure pages
  switch ($request_type) {
    case ('SSL'):
      $my_banner_filter=" and banners_on_ssl= " . "1 ";
      break;
    case ('NONSSL'):
      $my_banner_filter='';
      break;
  }

  $sql = "select banners_id from " . TABLE_BANNERS . " where status = 1 " . $new_banner_search . $my_banner_filter . " order by banners_sort_order";
  $banners_all = $db->Execute($sql);



// if no active banner in the specified banner group then the box will not show
  $banner_cnt = 0;
  while (!$banners_all->EOF) {
    $banner_cnt++;
    $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);
    $content .= '<div class="eachImage">'.zen_display_banner('static', $banners_all->fields['banners_id']).'</div>';
// add spacing between banners (this is optional so I'm gonna disable it, we can control it from CSS)
/*    if ($banner_cnt < $banners_all->RecordCount()) {
      $content .= '<br /><br />';
    }
	*/
    $banners_all->MoveNext();
  }
  $content .= '</div>';
  echo $content;
?>

Incredibly simple, isn't it? I've just highlighted the changes I added...

Like I said the code pretty much already existed, I guess I don't have to submit the jquery plugin. Works out!

Nice job @balihr

[DivaVocals]

So, for anyone else interested in this thread and looking for a solution, here's one simple approach.

Requirement: show all banners from a specified group at once, instead of standard Zen Cart's random pick, but use Banner Manager and all of it's advantages (recording impressions and clicks, using links, using SSL filters etc).

Solution: use native code from banners_all with minimal modification:

<?php
$content = '';
$content .= '<div id="myImages">';
$new_banner_search = zen_build_banners_group(SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);

  // secure pages
  switch ($request_type) {
    case ('SSL'):
      $my_banner_filter=" and banners_on_ssl= " . "1 ";
      break;
    case ('NONSSL'):
      $my_banner_filter='';
      break;
  }

  $sql = "select banners_id from " . TABLE_BANNERS . " where status = 1 " . $new_banner_search . $my_banner_filter . " order by banners_sort_order";
  $banners_all = $db->Execute($sql);



// if no active banner in the specified banner group then the box will not show
  $banner_cnt = 0;
  while (!$banners_all->EOF) {
    $banner_cnt++;
    $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);
    $content .= '<div class="eachImage">'.zen_display_banner('static', $banners_all->fields['banners_id']).'</div>';
// add spacing between banners (this is optional so I'm gonna disable it, we can control it from CSS)
/*    if ($banner_cnt < $banners_all->RecordCount()) {
      $content .= '<br /><br />';
    }
    */
    $banners_all->MoveNext();
  }
  $content .= '</div>';
  echo $content;
?>

Incredibly simple, isn't it? I've just highlighted the changes I added...

Nice.. As always you rock.. do you have a test site where one can see this in action??

[rbarbour]

Nice.. As always you rock.. do you have a test site where one can see this in action??

Yes indeed, you made it look really simple

Couple Questions?

Is that a template file, module file?
If so, where do I put it? and Do I need to create a separate file for each banner group?

Probably not, I now see the code that calls the banner which means it replaces, I mean (does away with) the "stock" code in tpl_main_page.php, tpl_header.php & tpl_footer.php

Do I replace (cont.)

<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerOne" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>

with all this:?

<?php
$content = '';
$content .= '<div id="myImages">';
$new_banner_search = zen_build_banners_group(SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);

  // secure pages
  switch ($request_type) {
    case ('SSL'):
      $my_banner_filter=" and banners_on_ssl= " . "1 ";
      break;
    case ('NONSSL'):
      $my_banner_filter='';
      break;
  }

  $sql = "select banners_id from " . TABLE_BANNERS . " where status = 1 " . $new_banner_search . $my_banner_filter . " order by banners_sort_order";
  $banners_all = $db->Execute($sql);



// if no active banner in the specified banner group then the box will not show
  $banner_cnt = 0;
  while (!$banners_all->EOF) {
    $banner_cnt++;
    $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1);
    $content .= '<div class="eachImage">'.zen_display_banner('static', $banners_all->fields['banners_id']).'</div>';
// add spacing between banners (this is optional so I'm gonna disable it, we can control it from CSS)
/*    if ($banner_cnt < $banners_all->RecordCount()) {
      $content .= '<br /><br />';
    }
	*/
    $banners_all->MoveNext();
  }
  $content .= '</div>';
  echo $content;
?>

Just asking, for anyone else interested in this thread and looking for a solution?