Creating Pages

[schoolboy]

We are still not exactly sure of what you are trying to achieve. As Glenn has pointed out, it would appear that there has been an attempt at "blending" the blank sidebox with the categories sidebox.

This will need to be fixed first.

If you need to determine the STRUCTURE of an internal link, which you will then render as a hyperlink in a custom sidebox, the easiest way to see the format of an internal link is to call up the page in a browser and look at the browser's URL location bar.

For example, a link to your CONTACT US page will show as:

http://www.yourwebsite.com/index.php...age=contact_us.

You need only the RELATIVE path to the page in question, as the link is internal, so your hyperlink would read:

<a href="index.php?main_page=contact_us" />Contact Us</a>

Now... if you wanted to apply bespoke STYLING to these links, you would encase the hyperlinks in an element that can be defined in the stylesheet:

<div id="myStyleName"><a href="index.php?main_page=contact_us" />Contact Us</a></div>

And then you add to your stylesheet.css ...

#myStyleName {whatever declarations apply}

[horrorware]

Thanks for that, although i still have no idea where to call them up from there seems to be no option other than update.

I didn't realize there was a categories side box so i used the blank box and created a box for site information, about us etc as seen in the bottom left side.

Where can i find the categories box to install at the side?

Cheers again for all the help, certainly ain't straight forward lol.

[gjh42]

Where can i find the categories box to install at the side?

Tools > Layout Boxes Controller.

[horrorware]

Tools > Layout Boxes Controller.

Ahh yes thanks, although categories already seems to be switched ON so now im really confused lol.

The categories is set to sort order 1 so is the product categories, what i was meaning was something like the site information box ive created with abous us, shipping information etc.

[schoolboy]

A BIG issue that you face - and will constantly face - relates to your use of a TemplateMonster template.

While they may "look nice", these are actually terrible nightmare templates for the novice (and even for more experienced zenners) because TM tends to rip the heart out of a lot of core ZC functionality.

In their attempt to "force" a certain layout, they remove or modify a lot of the essential PHP that drives core zencart... so when you try to do something based on how native ZC works, there are MANY situations where either nothing happens, or you break your site.

In general, the use of TM templates is NOT advised - particularly if you are new to ZC and want to put in some customisations of your own.

Helpers on the forum will provide answers that are 95% of the time, based on what SHOULD happen in ZC. With TM templates, it can take (even an expert in ZC) a LONG time to unpick what they have changed - and we just don't have the time to do that.

So what happens is that people who install TM templates end up paying for help, and this can get VERY expensive if you choose a professional. If you get cheap help, most often you will hire only the desperate and the incompetent, who will just add to your woes.

Interestingly, MANY of the layout effects in TM templates can be achieved WITHOUT driving a JCB through the code, which seems to be their technique.

Additionally, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to install many of the free add-ons available.

And finally, applying essential upgrades and patches in future can equally be a nightmare, because the code used in TM is often so radically different.

In short, don't use TM templates. We won't touch them - even with YOUR bargepole...

[horrorware]

Damn i wish i had known that before all the work so my only choice now is to continue on and hope i can iron out the small issues such as this one.

I just really need to know where to find out the URLS of the ez pages so i can add them manually in my custom side box.

I changed a new page and called it about us but it did nothing. I put about us in the html content, but can't find a way to find out the URL so i can test if it works?

Any ideas?

[horrorware]

Still struggling from this unless im completely missing something or you have to guess yourself there is no way to find out the URL so i can add it to my custom side bar box?

[gjh42]

(Thought I posted this before, but it must have gotten lost...)
All ez-pages have a relative URL like

index.php?main_page=page&id=23

for basic ez-pages, with an addition of

&chapter=5

for ez-pages that are associated with a chapter.

[horrorware]

Thanks for that, although how do i find these out.

Say i change the another new page in ez pages to an About Us page where would i find its URL?

[fairestcape]

Thanks for that, although how do i find these out.

Say i change the another new page in ez pages to an About Us page where would i find its URL?

The numbers are the Page ID numbers. If you look at the main EZ Pages screen, you will see on the extreme left, these ID numbers.