Problems with the Right Hand Column.

[philip56]

Hi everybody.

In a nutshell - how do I turn the right hand column on (globally).

Thanks in anticipation.

Philip

[gjh42]

We need to know why it's off to answer that positively. Did you turn it off somehow? Or did your template come that way?

It should be controlled in Configuration > Layout Settings > Column Right Status - Global. The column widths and column box widths will also affect the display.

[philip56]

Hi Glenn. Thanks for that.

To explain more fully - my site was being built by a designer who has 'vanished', so I'm having to carry on myself. I am reasonably competent in osCommerce (NOT as good). I have mastered the theory of templates and discovered where my designer put mine.

The setting for the RH column is 1 (on). The width is 150px (Same as the LHS). I assume that a page overide exists but I don't know where to look!

Kind regards

Philip

[gjh42]

Do you have a blank space where the column should be? Or does the center go all the way to the right edge?

There are two column width settings - column width and column boxes width, provided so you can have custom margin/container effects. They both need to be set to function properly.

It is possible to set a flag in /includes/templates/your_template/common/tpl_main_page.php to disable the right column (or other elements). Search that file for $flag_disable_right.

[philip56]

Hi again.

1) The centre section goes to the edge.
2) Both settings are the same at150px.
3) I've found several mentions of the flag you identified - all set to true except the *'ed one at line 19. Do I reset them all?

Thanks

Philip

[gjh42]

Probably not. There are a couple of conditional settings, like this

// the following IF statement can be duplicated/modified as needed to set additional flags
  if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'list_pages_to_skip_all_right_sideboxes_on_here,separated_by_commas,and_no_spaces')) ) {
    $flag_disable_right = true;
  } 

which you should leave alone. If therre are any pages mentioned in the list, you may or may not want to delete them.

The instances around lines 19, 25 and 31 should all be commented out, as examples only.

The code near the end of the file

if (COLUMN_RIGHT_STATUS == 0 or (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '1' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '')) {
  // global disable of column_right
  $flag_disable_right = true;
} 

should read as shown - it should be conditional.

[Kim]

The URL?

[philip56]

Hi.

Please find below a copy of the custom tpl_main_page.php as created by my designer. as far as I can see it is as Glenn suggests.

The site URL is pjleisurewear.co.uk/shop.

Regards

Philip

* Common Template - tpl_main_page.php
 *
 * Governs the overall layout of an entire page<br />
 * Normally consisting of a header, left side column. center column. right side column and footer<br />
 * For customizing, this file can be copied to /templates/your_template_dir/pagename<br />
 * example: to override the privacy page<br />
 * - make a directory /templates/my_template/privacy<br />
 * - copy /templates/templates_defaults/common/tpl_main_page.php to /templates/my_template/privacy/tpl_main_page.php<br />
 * <br />
 * to override the global settings and turn off columns un-comment the lines below for the correct column to turn off<br />
 * to turn off the header and/or footer uncomment the lines below<br />
 * Note: header can be disabled in the tpl_header.php<br />
 * Note: footer can be disabled in the tpl_footer.php<br />
 * <br />
 * $flag_disable_header = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_left = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_footer = true;<br />
 * <br />
 * // example to not display right column on main page when Always Show Categories is OFF<br />
 * <br />
 * if ($current_page_base == 'index' and $cPath == '') {<br />
 *  $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * }<br />
 * <br />
 * example to not display right column on main page when Always Show Categories is ON and set to categories_id 3<br />
 * <br />
 * if ($current_page_base == 'index' and $cPath == '' or $cPath == '3') {<br />
 *  $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * }<br />
 *
 * @package templateSystem
 * @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: tpl_main_page.php 3856 2006-06-29 02:26:33Z drbyte $
 */

// the following IF statement can be duplicated/modified as needed to set additional flags
  if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'list_pages_to_skip_all_right_sideboxes_on_here,separated_by_commas,and_no_spaces')) ) {
    $flag_disable_right = true;
  }


  $header_template = 'tpl_header.php';
  $footer_template = 'tpl_footer.php';
  $left_column_file = 'column_left.php';
  $right_column_file = 'column_right.php';
  $body_id = ($this_is_home_page) ? 'indexHome' : str_replace('_', '', $_GET['main_page']);
?>
<body id="<?php echo $body_id . 'Body'; ?>"<?php if($zv_onload !='') echo ' onload="'.$zv_onload.'"'; ?>>
<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerOne" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>
<div id="mainWrapper">
  <?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays header output
  *
  */
  require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_header.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_header.php');?>

    <div id="contentMainWrapper">
      <div id="centerColumnWrapper">
        <div id="centerColumnWrapperb">
          <div id="centerColumnOuter"></div>
          <div id="centerColumnWrapper2">
            <div id="centerColumnWrapper2b">
              <!-- bof  breadcrumb -->
              <?php if (DEFINE_BREADCRUMB_STATUS == '1' || (DEFINE_BREADCRUMB_STATUS == '2' && !$this_is_home_page) ) { ?>
              <div id="navBreadCrumb"><?php echo $breadcrumb->trail(BREAD_CRUMBS_SEPARATOR); ?></div>
              <?php } ?>
              <!-- eof breadcrumb -->
              <?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET3 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET3)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
              <div id="bannerThree" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
              <?php
    }
  }
?>
              <!-- bof upload alerts -->
              <?php if ($messageStack->size('upload') > 0) echo $messageStack->output('upload'); ?>
              <!-- eof upload alerts -->
              <?php
if (COLUMN_RIGHT_STATUS == 0 or (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '1' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '')) {
  // global disable of column_right
  $flag_disable_right = true;
}
if (!isset($flag_disable_right) || !$flag_disable_right) {
?>
              <?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays right AND LEFT column sideboxes
  *
  */
?>
              <div id="navColumnTwo">
                <?php require(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory('column_right.php')); ?>
                <?php require(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory('column_left.php')); ?>
              </div>
              <?php
}
?>
              <?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays center column
  *
  */
 require($body_code); ?>
            </div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET4 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET4)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
      <div id="bannerFour" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
      <?php
    }
  }
?>
    </div>
    <?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays footer output
  *
  */
  require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_footer.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_footer.php');?>
  
</div>
<!--bof- parse time display -->
<?php
  if (DISPLAY_PAGE_PARSE_TIME == 'true') {
?>
<div class="smallText center">Parse Time: <?php echo $parse_time; ?> - Number of Queries: <?php echo $db->queryCount(); ?> - Query Time: <?php echo $db->queryTime(); ?></div>
<?php
  }
?>
<!--eof- parse time display -->
<!--bof- banner #6 display -->
<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET6 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET6)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerSix" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>
<!--eof- banner #6 display -->
</body>

[gjh42]

You've got some weird stuff going on there! This copy of tpl_main_page has been massively tweaked, and will not be able to function in anything resembling the standard three-column layout.

The usual left column output code is gone, and all sideboxes, whether set in admin for left or right sidebar, will be displayed first by the right column code (on the left), followed by the center column content. The same display could have been created without tampering with the code at all, just by admin settings.

If you want a three-column layout, your best bet would be to copy /template_default/common/tpl_main_page.php to /your_template/common/, and compare with the <div> code that is in the tweaked copy to get the template formatting.

You should probably also get a fresh copy of the Apple Zen template which this is based on, and compare files with that. There are several divs in the tweaked copy that don't make sense or seem to serve any purpose for the layout you have.

[philip56]

Thanks Glenn - that's useful if a little depressing! I'm going to make one last attempt to force my designer to talk to me - he has got my money after all!

Failing that I'll start down the path you recommend.

I'll keep you posted.

Philip