single sidebox for external file

[delia]

This contribution says if you know php and zen code you can do this. Well, I'm no dummy and definitely know zen cart and have a clue about php but I can't figure out what to do with this file. I assume this is meant to be included in the external file but no matter what I do with it, it doesn't work. Someone got some quick directions? Would be much appreciated.

I put the file into the modules/sideboxes directory so that (zen cart knowledge) it will work correctly and I then included it in my site page which of course gives that message of headers already output. That makes sense that it wouldn't work correctly this way so what I'm supposed to do with the single sidebox file?

[Absolute]

Have you tried this Contribution, thanks to DrByte?

Sounds like it is exactly what your looking for

Absolute

[delia]

That's what I'm talking about and it has no instructions with it.

[canad1an]

Yeah, that is absolutely not an easy to edit mod. I cannot get it working either. And would like to, please help us.

[Absolute]

This is a fairly easy mod if you know your way around php. There really isn't much to it.

Firstly, include the following line at the start of your php file:

  require('includes/application_top.php');

You need to ensure that the path to application top is relative to your file. SO if the new file you are creating is in the same folder as index.php, it is as above, however, if the store is the next level down, then you need to change it to something like "shop/includes/application_top.php"

Next is the name of the sidebox:

$sidebox_name = 'featured.php';

//which sidebox template to use:
$column_box_default='tpl_box_default_left.php';
$column_width = BOX_WIDTH_LEFT;

  $language_page_directory = DIR_WS_LANGUAGES . $_SESSION['language'] . '/';
  $box_id = zen_get_box_id($sidebox_name);

  if ( file_exists(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $template_dir . '/' . $sidebox_name) ) {
    require(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $template_dir . '/' . $sidebox_name);
  } else {
    require(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $sidebox_name);
  }

  require(DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'application_bottom.php');

All you need to do here is place this code wherever you wnat it to appear in your page. Replace featured.php for the name of your sidebox file, and your done.

That is it, nothing else.

Good luck

Absolute

[canad1an]

Yes, that is correct. I did all of that and still got header output errors.

[Absolute]

Every header output error is different, so could you be a little more precise? What was the error you received? Did it refer to a line number? What is the offending code on that line?

Absolute

[canad1an]

I started over with the tutorial above and got this error:

http://www.marcusecompressor.com/single_sidebox.php



From this code:

<?php
/**
 * single_sidebox.php used to display a Zen Cart sidebox on some external resource
 *
 * @package general
 * @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: single_sidebox.php based on index.php 2942 2006-02-02 04:41:23Z drbyte $
 */
/**
 * Load common library stuff 
 */


require('/home/marcusec/public_html/store/includes/application_top.php');
 
 /**
  *   PLEASE ENTER THE NAME OF THE SIDEBOX YOU WANT TO CALL HERE:
    */
$sidebox_name = 'featured.php';

//which sidebox template to use:
$column_box_default='tpl_box_default_left.php';
$column_width = BOX_WIDTH_LEFT;



/**
 * Load required functions and processing to generate the sidebox:
 */
  $language_page_directory = DIR_WS_LANGUAGES . $_SESSION['language'] . '/';
  $box_id = zen_get_box_id($sidebox_name);

  if ( file_exists(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $template_dir . '/' . $sidebox_name) ) {
    require(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $template_dir . '/' . $sidebox_name);
  } else {
    require(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/' . $sidebox_name);
  }

/**
 * Load general code which runs before page closes
 */
  require(DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'application_bottom.php'); 

?>

[canad1an]

Here is an example of the exact code provided, copied into the store directory. (In the store directory, theoretically it should work perfectly.)


http://marcusecompressor.com/store/singletest.php

[delia]

Okay, neither of your files are visible.

My error was the headers already output- I finally figured out that the application_top.php has to go first in my file. I did get it to work in the store directory.

If I put it in my root directory, the page redirects, looking for the install files so it really doesn't like any other directory - it looks like it has to go into the store directory. I, however, need it in my root directory. Anyone know anything differently?