Help embedding PHP into a description

[baschwar]

Hi,

I'm trying to embed the following code into my product descriptions. This code works fine if it is in the tpl_product_info_display.php file, but I want it in the description text area.

This generates a random quote using phpmyquote on the product page.

<!--display random testimonial-->
<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="rightbox" id="bannerbox-table">
<tr class="rightboxheading" id="bannerbox-heading-tr">
<!-- Sidebox Header -->
<td colspan="3" width="100%" class="rightboxheading" id="bannerbox-heading-td">What our customers are saying...</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" class="rightboxcontent" id="bannerbox-content">
<div id="bannerboxContent" class="sideBoxContent">
<?
include("/home/mypath/phpmyquote/quotes.inc.php");
mysql_connect($GLOBALS['host'],$GLOBALS['username'],$GLOBALS['password']) or die("Could not connect");
mysql_select_db($GLOBALS['database']);
echo ShowQuote(1);
?>
</div> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<!-- Sidebox Footer -->
<td colspan="3" height="5px" class="rightboxfooter" id="bannerbox-footer">
</td>
</tr>
</table>

I mange my data offline in a FileMaker Pro database, so I'm inserting the above code into the description field there and then importing into ZC using Easy Populate. The reason I'm doing this is that I have unique customer testimonials for some products, but not all, so this will fill in with a random, generic testimonial, giving the appearance that all the products have at least one testimonial.

Any ideas? I'm not a programmer or PHP wiz... but I'm thinking that the code isn't being parsed when it in the description area but it is when it is part of a .php template component.

If this is the case, any way around it?

Thanks,

Brad

[patski]

There's a testimonials manager which puts a non product related random quote in the sidebar which might be easier. See this thread:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41636

[Kim]

The description section has too many protections to embed the php in it. You can have it in the description area by putting it in the tpl_product_info inside the html for the description.

[DrByte]

Notwithstanding the fact that you said you're not a programmer, here is a possible approach you might try to explore, which has worked for someone. The concept may be somewhat re-usable for your application.
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...ighlight=embed

[baschwar]

There's a testimonials manager which puts a non product related random quote in the sidebar which might be easier. See this thread:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41636

I know there is a review function, but since I'm maintaining the data outside of ZC and mySQL I'm kind of stuck. I don't really want to export my testimonials and then import them into mySQL all the time. I'd rather output the code that displays the random phpmyquote on the page and be done with it.

See, I'm exporting testimonials from my FileMaker Pro database and then putting the random testimonials after that. So, I get one or more static testimonials that are about the specific product and then a random testimonial. If the product did not have any static testimonials the user would see one generic, random testimonial and be none the wiser -- voila, all products have at least one testimonial.

Thanks,

Brad

[baschwar]

The description section has too many protections to embed the php in it. You can have it in the description area by putting it in the tpl_product_info inside the html for the description.

That's what I was doing... it was displaying right after the model number and above the next/prev buttons.

Oh well...

Thanks,

Brad

[patski]

The testimonials manager is different from the inbuilt reviews function. Both show random reviews/testimonials in the sidebox on the index page but when on the product page the inbuilt function shows product related reviews and an invitation to write a review if none exists whereas the testimonials manager will show random testimonials across all pages.

Compare:
http://www.katiepie.co.uk which uses testimonials
http://horsesupplementsdirect.co.uk/ which uses the inbuilt function