Help: Invalid Master Category

[tvadpro]

Just did this -- twice, just to be certain. Products to Multiple Categories Link Manager shows 177's master category as 74, linked category 73 -- yet catalog still acts as if master category were 73.

Click on the C for Copy on this product and select the button for Multiple Categories Link Manager ...

Uncheck the Category that is NOT the master_categories_id ...

Click Update Category Links ...

Now re-select the Category you just unchecked ...

NOTE: only Categories with at least 1 product will show on this listing ...

[Ajeh]

I turned off your SEO add on ...

Appears to be working correctly now ...

Check products_id 173 and 178 ... I might of kinda sorta messed up who is who there ...

[tvadpro]

Thanks Linda! I made the fix on 178, and 173 was fine as you left it.

I'll run down the SEO URLs bug momentarily. A new beta for that one was just released today, so I'll try it on a test site and submit a bug report if the master categories problem isn't fixed.

I would never have suspected that as the culprit ... you rock!

I turned off your SEO add on ...

Appears to be working correctly now ...

Check products_id 173 and 178 ... I might of kinda sorta messed up who is who there ...

[dreamscape]

Look, if you access the product's page without the cPath in the url, then it still shows Category 73 as the master category, so whatever is going on, it is not SEO's fault.

http://shedkitstore.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=177

[dreamscape]

Just a quick follow up. The problem stems from Zen Cart not using the master category id when looking up a product's category path (when there is no cPath given). Instead, it uses the first category it comes across in the products_to_categories table.

[tvadpro]

I won't pretend to understand the mechanics of any of this, but I'd like to learn what makes this tick.

As Joshua points out, the url sans-cPath puts the product info page back into pre-master-category-change mode. And when the cPath is included in the url, the catalog behaves as it should, recognizing the current and correct master category.

And none of this changes the fact that the problem exists when SEO URLs is enabled, and goes away when SEO URLs is disabled. Somehow, the two appear to be connected.

Or is there some other factor that could create the illusion of causality?

Look, if you access the product's page without the cPath in the url, then it still shows Category 73 as the master category, so whatever is going on, it is not SEO's fault.

http://shedkitstore.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=177

[tvadpro]

Good point -- Linda had mentioned this earlier, and I had already forgotten it.

Just a quick follow up. The problem stems from Zen Cart not using the master category id when looking up a product's category path (when there is no cPath given). Instead, it uses the first category it comes across in the products_to_categories table.

[dreamscape]

Or is there some other factor that could create the illusion of causality?

Yes, SEO URLs doesn't put the cPath in product urls, so zen cart uses its lookup function, which does not use the master category id. This may give the appearance that SEO URLs is to blame. However, this is not the case. Perform a search for the product with SEO URLs turned off, and you will see the same problem of the incorrect lookup.

As for why the lookup function doesn't use the master id, I haven't the slightest idea, other than the issue and suggested change was pointed out as far back as Dec. 2005, and it still hasn't been changed to use the master id. As for why, that is something only the Team can answer.

It would however be an easy enough change for you to make yourself if you wanted your store to use master category in the lookup process.

[tvadpro]

And by the way, I appreciate both of you taking the time to look into this, and doing it with a sense of urgency I have seldom noticed elsewhere. Cheers to Ajeh and Dreamscape!

[tvadpro]

Seems a fair question: can anyone enlighten us with regard to lookup omitting the master category ID?

Yes, SEO URLs doesn't put the cPath in product urls, so zen cart uses its lookup function, which does not use the master category id.

As for why the lookup function doesn't use the master id, I haven't the slightest idea, other than the issue and suggested change was pointed out as far back as Dec. 2005, and it still hasn't been changed to use the master id. As for why, that is something only the Team can answer.