Product sort order doesn't work- products display randomly!

[ajshim]

The products on both my store Homepage and Category pages are being displayed in a random sort order. I've tried changing the following values to no avail:

-Congifuration > Layout Settings > Categories/Products Display Sort Order
-Configuration> All Listing > Display Product Display - Default Sort Order

I'm using a custom template and perhaps some where along the way, a piece of code was incorrectly manipulated. In my template file, under templates/tpl_modules_product_listing.php I see the following code:

$new_products = $db->ExecuteRandomMulti($listing_sql, MAX_DISPLAY_NEW_PRODUCTS);

$row = 0;
$col = 0;
$list_box_contents = array();
$title = '';

$num_products_count = $new_products->RecordCount();

define('SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_NEW_PRODUCTS', 4);
// show only when 1 or more
if ($num_products_count > 0) {
if ($num_products_count < SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_NEW_PRODUCTS || SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_NEW_PRODUCTS == 0 ) {
$col_width = floor(100/$num_products_count);
} else {
$col_width = floor(100/SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_NEW_PRODUCTS);
}

while (!$new_products->EOF) {

$products_price = zen_get_products_display_price($new_products->fields['products_id']);

$new_products->fields['products_name'] = zen_get_products_name($new_products->fields['products_id']);
$list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="centerBoxContentsNew centeredContent back"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
'text' => (($new_products->fields['products_image'] == '' and PRODUCTS_IMAGE_NO_IMAGE_STATUS == 0) ? '' : '<div class="product_image"><a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($new_products->fields['products_id']), 'products_id=' . $new_products->fields['products_id']) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $new_products->fields['products_image'], $new_products->fields['products_name'], IMAGE_PRODUCT_NEW_WIDTH, IMAGE_PRODUCT_NEW_HEIGHT) . '</a></div>') . '<div class="product_info"><span class="product_name"><a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($new_products->fields['products_id']), 'products_id=' . $new_products->fields['products_id']) . '">' . $new_products->fields['products_name'] . '</a></span><span class="product_price">' . $products_price . "</span></div>");

$col ++;
if ($col > (SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_COLUMNS_NEW_PRODUCTS - 1)) {
$col = 0;
$row ++;
}
$new_products->MoveNextRandom();
}

/*if ($new_products->RecordCount() > 0) {
if (isset($new_products_category_id) && $new_products_category_id != 0) {
$category_title = zen_get_categories_name((int)$new_products_category_id);
$title = '<h2 class="centerBoxHeading">' . sprintf(TABLE_HEADING_NEW_PRODUCTS, strftime('%B')) . ($category_title != '' ? ' - ' . $category_title : '' ) . '</h2>';
} else {
$title = '<h2 class="centerBoxHeading">' . sprintf(TABLE_HEADING_NEW_PRODUCTS, strftime('%B')) . '</h2>';
}
$zc_show_new_products = true;
}*/
}
?>

<div id="productListing">
<?php
// only show when there is something to submit and enabled
if ($show_top_submit_button == true) {
?>
<div class="buttonRow forward"><?php echo zen_image_submit(BUTTON_IMAGE_ADD_PRODUCTS_TO_CART, BUTTON_ADD_PRODUCTS_TO_CART_ALT, 'id="submit1" name="submit1"'); ?></div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
<?php
} // show top submit
?>

<?php if ( ($listing_split->number_of_rows > 0) && ( (PREV_NEXT_BAR_LOCATION == '1') || (PREV_NEXT_BAR_LOCATION == '3') ) ) {
?>
<div id="productsListingTopNumber" class="navSplitPagesResult back"><?php echo $listing_split->display_count(TEXT_DISPLAY_NUMBER_OF_PRODUCTS); ?></div>
<div id="productsListingListingTopLinks" class="navSplitPagesLinks forward"><?php echo TEXT_RESULT_PAGE . ' ' . $listing_split->display_links(MAX_DISPLAY_PAGE_LINKS, zen_get_all_get_params(array('page', 'info', 'x', 'y', 'main_page'))); ?></div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
<?php
}
?>

<?php
/**
* load the list_box_content template to display the products
*/
//require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_tabular_display.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_tabular_display.php');
require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_columnar_display.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_columnar_display.php');
?>

<?php if ( ($listing_split->number_of_rows > 0) && ((PREV_NEXT_BAR_LOCATION == '2') || (PREV_NEXT_BAR_LOCATION == '3')) ) {
?>
<div id="productsListingBottomNumber" class="navSplitPagesResult back"><?php echo $listing_split->display_count(TEXT_DISPLAY_NUMBER_OF_PRODUCTS); ?></div>
<div id="productsListingListingBottomLinks" class="navSplitPagesLinks forward"><?php echo TEXT_RESULT_PAGE . ' ' . $listing_split->display_links(MAX_DISPLAY_PAGE_LINKS, zen_get_all_get_params(array('page', 'info', 'x', 'y'))); ?></div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
<?php
}
?>

<?php
// only show when there is something to submit and enabled
if ($show_bottom_submit_button == true) {
?>
<div class="buttonRow forward"><?php echo zen_image_submit(BUTTON_IMAGE_ADD_PRODUCTS_TO_CART, BUTTON_ADD_PRODUCTS_TO_CART_ALT, 'id="submit2" name="submit1"'); ?></div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
<?php
} // show_bottom_submit_button
?>
</div>

<?php
// if ($show_top_submit_button == true or $show_bottom_submit_button == true or (PRODUCT_LISTING_MULTIPLE_ADD_TO_CART != 0 and $show_submit == true and $listing_split->number_of_rows > 0)) {
if ($show_top_submit_button == true or $show_bottom_submit_button == true) {
?>
</form>
<?php } ?>

Does anyone see any glaring issues as to why the products display randomly? I could really use some guidance from the ZC aficionados here...appreciate your help!

[Kim]

They display randomly because that is how those displays are designed.

[ajshim]

Hey Kim, what do you mean by that? I simply want my category index pages to be sorted by sort ID.

[yellow1912]

To change display order in category listing you need to edit:

-Configuration> Product Listing > Display Product Listing Default Sort Order

[ajshim]

To change display order in category listing you need to edit:

-Configuration> Product Listing > Display Product Listing Default Sort Order

I set this value to 2a but that didnt seem to work.

FYI heres the page I'm talking about: http://www.aplombclothing.com/store/...=index&cPath=1

[yellow1912]

Intersting, since your site seems to sort by random.