Using Anchor Links in Ezpages

[Ajeh]

If I wanted to learn about EZ-Pages and how they worked ... or Zen Cart for that matter ...

I would Download the Zen Cart V1.3.0.1 and set up a test directory with a test database with the demo data and see all of the neat examples and explination of how many of the features work based on how the Categories, Products, Banners, EZ-Pages, etc. are setup ...

[JollyJim]

Ajeh

I am already playing with a test V3.1 zencart. However, it would be useful if you could be kind enough to explain how to get anchors into an ez-pages web page using the chapters facility. It would at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks

JJ

[Ajeh]

Haven't a clue on anchors ...

[JollyJim]

Linda - How does this chapters thingy work? How does one create a new chapter? I can get new pages into the existing chapter but cannot figure out where to create a new one.

Here is my theory:

Imagine you have an anchors bar like so:

A | B | C | D | E | ....(etc)

Ordinarily I would create an a-href link with a # to denote the anchor

now ezpages does not seem to like this (goes back to the front page). It may be possible to create a clunky fix - providing you never change the id of the page. The theory is I can make the anchors bar work horizontally using the chapters feature - except I cannot figure out how to make the new chapters for a given page.

Doh! Need to eat more fish to get the grey matter working properly

Oh - BTW - ezpages seems to dislike the <p> tag and the &nspb; tag - it strips them out whenever you edit the page which can be a bit irritating.

[Ajeh]

Have you loaded a test site with the demo data and read through any of the EZ-Pages links such as the EZ-Pages link that explains quite a lot of information about EZ-Pages in addition to all of the examples for how to place the links in the various locations etc.

[JollyJim]

Yes, yes and yes. Lots of threads, lots of reading but nothing about anchors or creating new chapters. Unless I have just not found it yet.

I am going to have a break for the rest of the day I think. It is sunny outside and I deserve one of those strange things called an evening out :)

[Ajeh]

In the header is the EZ-Pages link when you install a test site with test database and demo products ...

It explains in quite a bit of detail how to set up each part of EZ-Pages ...

There are also samples for how it has been setup to utilize the Header, Footer, Sidebox links as well as Chapter so that you can see how everything works first hand on both the Catalog and Admin ...

[sketman]

I have a very similar problem as Jolly Jim actually ...

I am setting up my new store´s Conditions of Use. The whole text is pretty large, so I separated it into several major categories, I decided to use for that EZ Pages - I found them as a very useful and easy-to-use tool. Also due to it´s chapters system...

However, I encountered 2 problems:
- the first is that I was not able to create shortcuts to the top of the same page /anchor - as also Jolly Jim mentions/; I need that because in spite of I separated text into chapters, some of them are still too extensive. I want to make them clear and transparent by using shortcuts...
- second is that if I use for Conditions of Use EZ Pages instead of original page, I can not promt shoppers to "confirm Terms and Conditions" at the Checkout page. I am wondering if I could solve this problem by placing redirection to my newly created EZ Pages text....

I would appreciate any advices or comments on that..

Thank you very much

[sketman]

I think that the problem with anchor could be in HTML Area editor...

I was trying another open-source shopping cart with different editor. In menu of that editor was an icon "Insert/edit anchor" that enables creating links.

I red at HTML Area development page that its development was discontinued, it is no more maintained. One of the reasons is old code...

What about installing some new open-source editor to zen-cart? Is it difficult?

[JollyJim]

I think that the problem with anchor could be in HTML Area editor...

I was trying another open-source shopping cart with different editor. In menu of that editor was an icon "Insert/edit anchor" that enables creating links.

I red at HTML Area development page that its development was discontinued, it is no more maintained. One of the reasons is old code...

What about installing some new open-source editor to zen-cart? Is it difficult?

Thanks for the post sketman. It is not the editor causing the problem, rather the path to the anchor. In a normal html page the anchor would be not need a url since it is referencing the same page. But in a dynamic site, the url is generated dynamically and the path to the page is dynamic. Therefore, to get anchors to work in ezpages, you need to first know the database id and then use this prefixed before the anchor tag. To do this first add the page to ezpages so it gets and ID. Load this in the browser, copy the url then add the anchor tag at the end of this url. Go back into ezpages and adjust the anchor tags link to suit the new path. Just remember to update this path if ever you change the database id for the ezpage content