Phone Numbers Help

[Footie1]

Hi,
I am looking to try to remove the option of requesting a phone numer on a customer account set up,
i never need it, no point seeting the value to 0, just want an option to remove it totally?

another quickie,
the catagories page, the drop down options of sort by,
has A - Z, but i would really like to include newest, and highest, lowest,
is there a setting i need to tick?

thanks in advance.

[swguy]

There's no switch for removing the phone number - you'll have to modify code.

For sorting options, it depends on your template - some have this sort of thing, others, you'd have to modify the template to provide it.

[Footie1]

hi SwGuy,
thanks for your swift reply.
I had in the past tried changing the code, but each time i ended up with a blank page on my website, so had to revert.

I can adapt and change code ok, but this one has beat me, many hours spent on it,
search the forums as well, thought there ust might be an option i missed to select no phone number required.

the drop down, this should really be a default on the zen cart software hard wired.

My template, the host has just told me they no longer support it, they want me to pay monthly for a template!
I contacted them to switch the code from PHP 7.2 over to PHP 8.0, they said no chance, so i shall have to try to hire a dev to do it.

cheers.

[dbltoe]

For now, If you don't have an override for your includes/languages/english.php, copy it to includes/languages/YOUR_TEMPLATE/english.php.

Then, you can change the define for ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT to a null ( '*' becomes '' )

Next, in YOUR_ADMIN >> Configuration >> Minimum Values, set the Phone Number to a blank. It defaults with a 3. Just edit the setting and and hit delete should leave it blank.

Now your site will still have the phone number but, it is not required AND it will not complain about getting no input.

To Truly get rid of the listing on the pages, you'll have to figure out which of the over 160 files need to be changed to keep the phone number from showing up.

My template, the host has just told me they no longer support it, they want me to pay monthly for a template!
I contacted them to switch the code from PHP 7.2 over to PHP 8.0, they said no chance, so i shall have to try to hire a dev to do it.

A dev could help with the template but PHP version is the responsibility of the host.

IMHO, a host that cannot provide 8.0 is someone you need to leave. A developer cannot change your PHP unless that version is available on the server. It is the responsibility of the host to keep PHP current on their server and available for use by their customers. 8.0 was released in November of 2020

I would give them a pass if it were 8.1 since it's new this year but, nearly two years behind?

[Footie1]

wow, that is amazing, yes i will try that in a few days when i get time, amazing info,
but also a bit of a pian that there is no facility in the zencart software to easily allow to be able remove the need for a phone number on the customer sign up.

Yes my host does cater for PHP 8.0 an 8.10 but it is the company i originally purchased the Zen template from, say they no longer support it,
but i have been able to modify most things on it before, but it just needs to somehow run PHP 8.1, i think i need to hire a dev to do this for me,
is there any one on here who can change the code on the zencart template i have? - my zencart software and hosting is all up to date.

regards
Dougie.

[mc12345678]

wow, that is amazing, yes i will try that in a few days when i get time, amazing info,
but also a bit of a pian that there is no facility in the zencart software to easily allow to be able remove the need for a phone number on the customer sign up.

regards
Dougie.

The need is addressed through setting the minimum value to 0. At that point there is no need to enter the phone number, it functionally becomes optional. Adding a configuration switch in Zen Cart to exclude a field AND to identify the need would add way more options than necessary for operation. Also effort has been taken to ensure that those values remain sanitized in operation to just be numbers.

Could a negative value be used to signify something of importance such as not to display it, perhaps. I note though that not that long ago such login templates actually required more coding just to exclude identifying the need to enter data (e.g. even when the minimum value was 0 or empty, the field still had an indicator to "require" entry).

[Footie1]

hi,
wow i see, i had no idea so much code would be needed to just remove my wants for not needing a customers phone number.

So the code in the includes/English file is
define('ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT', '*');
and i should change it to?
ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT to a null ( '*' becomes '' )

and that then takes away the need to actually have to fill inthe phone number field, BUT
will this hinder any other part of the cart needing the phone number via checkout etc?

I still need to find a person to pay to help change my template from PHP 7.1 to PHP 8.1
my hosting does support PHP 8.1 and is quite top end hosting and zencart is bang up to date.
Anyone on here ready to quote for the job, fixed fee, as hourly fee is open ended.

cheers in advance.

[mc12345678]

1. For now, If you don't have an override for your includes/languages/english.php, copy it to includes/languages/YOUR_TEMPLATE/english.php.

2. Then, you can change the define for ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT to a null ( '*' becomes '' )

3. Next, in YOUR_ADMIN >> Configuration >> Minimum Values, set the Phone Number to a blank. It defaults with a 3. Just edit the setting and and hit delete should leave it blank.

Now your site will still have the phone number but, it is not required AND it will not complain about getting no input.

To Truly get rid of the listing on the pages, you'll have to figure out which of the over 160 files need to be changed to keep the phone number from showing up.



A dev could help with the template but PHP version is the responsibility of the host.

IMHO, a host that cannot provide 8.0 is someone you need to leave. A developer cannot change your PHP unless that version is available on the server. It is the responsibility of the host to keep PHP current on their server and available for use by their customers. 8.0 was released in November of 2020

I would give them a pass if it were 8.1 since it's new this year but, nearly two years behind?

hi,
wow i see, i had no idea so much code would be needed to just remove my wants for not needing a customers phone number.

So the code in the includes/English file is
define('ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT', '*');
and i should change it to?
ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT to a null ( '*' becomes '' )

and that then takes away the need to actually have to fill inthe phone number field, BUT
will this hinder any other part of the cart needing the phone number via checkout etc?

I still need to find a person to pay to help change my template from PHP 7.1 to PHP 8.1
my hosting does support PHP 8.1 and is quite top end hosting and zencart is bang up to date.
Anyone on here ready to quote for the job, fixed fee, as hourly fee is open ended.

cheers in advance.

That depends... Understand, dbltoe offered at least 2 steps in the above post: modify the language define so that a customer doesn't see the * next to the telephone entry ***AND*** change the configuration setting... Those were in paragraph 2 and 3 above. The change to the define (step 2) only changes what is seen. It does not actually modify the requirements. The third step (Next, in YOUR_ADMIN >> Configuration >> Minimum Values, set the Phone Number to a blank. It defaults with a 3. Just edit the setting and and hit delete should leave it blank.) is what actually changes how the store responds. It makes it so that anywhere that has a phone number fill in for a customer, they do not have to fill it in...

So... Since you seem to indicate that your english.php file is located in includes/languages, before you make changes, follow step 1 above to ensure (but not replace) includes/languages/YOUR_COMMERCIAL_TEMPLATE/english.php. If that file exists, then again find the associated define changing:

define('ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT', '*');

to

define('ENTRY_TELEPHONE_NUMBER_TEXT', '');

AGAIN, the last four characters are:
'');
That's two single quotes, a right parentheses and a semi-colon.

As to "offers", all should remember that such should be handled by PM or other means, not posted in the forum.

[Footie1]

hi,
brilliant info, sometimes the obvious is not obvious, but i need to check just in case.

Yes i already had the phone number minimum set to zero, but customers were still filling it in,
which also puts some customers off joining the website.

So what i have done to resolve this if anyone else needs this info for in future is....
Includes/English file, i just reworded the phone number required field text to - "Leave this field blank", and set the admin/minimum/phone to zero,
and i can set up an account without the need for a phone number being statutory.

many many thanks for your input on this guys.

I am still after a dev to change my PHP settings in my actual template, not on the server, that is an easy drop down on the plesk.

[Footie1]

hi,
yes to PM's
anyone fancy having a pop at updating the PHP settings?
regards.