Layout Boxes Controller

[wotnow]

Hi everyone, have been playing around in the Layout Boxes Controller and have completely messed up my page, my header is now sitting in the sponsors area in the right column and when I went back to the Layout Boxes Controller, the sponsor box is missing and there is a black line between the sideboxes/banner_box.php and the sideboxes/expages.php. I would like to make a fresh start but am too scared to reinstall. Hope someone can help me sort this mess out. Thanks

[rstevenson]

Don't worry about the black line. There's always a black line there. Everything above the black line is set to show in the left column (if they're also set to show at all) and everything below the black line is for the right column.

All you can do at this point is to carefully review the settings for each of the boxes you want to show. Especially make sure the sort order is set correctly. (The Reset button at the bottom resets to sort order to the template's default order, if you want to try that.)

Rob

[wotnow]

Thanks for that. Is the sort order like a z-index? I notice that the sideboxes/ezpages.php's sort order is -1? If a low number goes to the top of the list where does -1 go (I'm guessing that is to make sure it goes to the bottom?) Have been reading the wiki on sideboxes and dont really get the left/right column status (think i have been reading too much and no more will go in, probably should call it a day) - is this for if you want a module to appear in both the left and the right columns as opposed to just appearing in one? Appreciate your help.

One last question do you think that its a wise investment to buy the zen cart ebook or can you get all the same information on line?

[stevesh]

The left/right sort order refers to where the box is in either the left or right column. You can set which column a box appears in whn you edit that box's configuration. You can't place a box in both.

Ignore the Single Column setting - it only applies to the Search bar in the header.

I don't own The Book, but I have seen a copy, and it's very good. Whether you need it or not probably depends more on how you learn best - from a book, or from Google and this site and a lot of trial and error. The latter works best for me.

[wotnow]

Thanks! So whether the Single Column Status button is set to on or off, makes no difference? I tried it on the best sellers module and it didnt seem to.

Do you know about that -1 in the sideboxes/ezpages.php and how come the sort orders are different for left/right column sort order and single column sort order , eg. sidebox/featured.php has 45 in the left/right column sort order and 0 in the single column sort order?

Trying to make sense of it, thanks once again

[stevesh]

It looks like -1 does force that box to the top, which makes sense.

I wouldn't worry about Single Column settings at all. They may have just put values in there randomly, since they don't affect anything.

[wotnow]

Ok i actually thought it would make it go to the bottom, just worked out that ezpages is the important links section at the top. I also have a small problem with a download purchase I made called magic zoom for zen cart. Have you used it because they (magic zoom) and myself are unsure where to put it. I have followed their instructions which is to rename two folders in the download they give you to modules/CUSTOM and includes/CUSTOM

# Extract the contents of the zip file to your computer, keeping the file structure intact.
# Rename the following folders to match your template folder name:

* modules\YOUR-TEMPLATE-FOLDER
* templates\YOUR-TEMPLATE-FOLDER

# If the file 'includes/modules/YOUR-TEMPLATE-FOLDER/product_listing.php' already exists in your store, then rename it to 'product_listing_original.php'.
# Upload the 2 folders 'modules' and 'templates' into the 'includes' folder on your server, keeping the file structure intact.

The problem with this is that there are already two folders within includes named modules and templates. Not sure whether you can help me with this one. but thanks for all your help so far, i really am grateful. Its great to have such a quick response to my questions. I dont feel so frustrated knowing that there is some-one to help.

[stevesh]

Go ahead and drop those folders where the instructions tell you to. Files can be overwritten, folders not.

I haven't seen that mod, but it sounds like they use the usual method of placing all the files in the proper directories so all you have to do is drag and drop.

You will have to rename the YOUR-TEMPLATE-FOLDER to the name of your custom template.

[bargincircus]

So there is a sponsor box on the right side of the screen and i have poking around in the layout controller and used that, but i couldnt find anything that would be the sponsor box.

[clydejones]

So there is a sponsor box on the right side of the screen and i have poking around in the layout controller and used that, but i couldnt find anything that would be the sponsor box.

check for
banner_box.php
banner_box_all.php
banner_box2.php