Products Below Categories [Support Thread]

[balihr]

This is the official support thread for the ZX Products Below Categories plugin.

For those who want to download it before it is approved and available in the Plugins section, you can find it here.

By default, Zen Cart does NOT allow products and subcategories to exist on the same level. This plugin retains that restriction, but allows you to display products after listing your subcategories. It does not move/copy/link your products - it leaves the category structure intact.

This plugin will simply display all of the products from all matching subcategories right under the subcategories list. This allows the visitor to either browse all of your products in the top level category, or to narrow down the list by using subcategories.

[NWCE]

Thanks for your work on the balihr!

I look forward to implementing this when it is available.

Thanks again for your help with this,

Jeff

[balihr]

Approved and can be downloaded here

[NWCE]

Hi balihr,

I have installed your module on my new v.1.5.8 and it works great! It now shows all of the products in the category instead of just showing each sub-category where customers then have to choose one of them. This is just what I was looking for!

I have 2 tweaks I'd like to make....and was hoping that you'd be able to help.

First you had mentioned that you could change/eliminate code to show not show the subcategories above the products. Would you be able to share what code to make this change to?

Lastly, I have my categories displaying products by date descending. It appears now these specific categories that this plugin affects (only ones with subcategories) display the products by date ascending. I wasn't able to decipher the code change area to make this change. Could you shed some light on this?

Thanks again for this valuable plugin and for your help.

[balihr]

Hi balihr,

I have installed your module on my new v.1.5.8 and it works great! It now shows all of the products in the category instead of just showing each sub-category where customers then have to choose one of them. This is just what I was looking for!

Glad to hear that!

First you had mentioned that you could change/eliminate code to show not show the subcategories above the products. Would you be able to share what code to make this change to?

You can edit your includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/templates/tpl_index_categories.php and simply find and comment the line that display subcategories.

// require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_modules_category_row.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/tpl_modules_category_row.php');

Lastly, I have my categories displaying products by date descending. It appears now these specific categories that this plugin affects (only ones with subcategories) display the products by date ascending. I wasn't able to decipher the code change area to make this change. Could you shed some light on this?

Is this is modification you made somewhere? How did you get your items to sort that way?

[NWCE]

Thanks for your reply and for the file to comment this particular line. That worked great!

In order to get my categories to sort products by date descending I made the change in the includes/index_filters/default_filter.php

In that file I changed this line

$listing_sql .= " ORDER BY p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name";

To this line

$listing_sql .= " ORDER BY p.products_date_added desc, p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name";

I had made this change prior to installing this Products Below Categories plug in and this sort order change worked. It is still working in my categories, except for the categories that have subcategories and is making this plug in take over.

Any thoughts as to how to make this sort order apply to these categories as well??

Thanks again for your help!

[balihr]

In order to get my categories to sort products by date descending I made the change in the includes/index_filters/default_filter.php

In that file I changed this line

$listing_sql .= " ORDER BY p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name";

To this line

$listing_sql .= " ORDER BY p.products_date_added desc, p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name";

I had made this change prior to installing this Products Below Categories plug in and this sort order change worked. It is still working in my categories, except for the categories that have subcategories and is making this plug in take over.

Yup, that's what I thought, but had to make sure.
You'll need to make the same/similar change in includes/modules/pages/index/main_template_vars.php
The simplest way is to add a line right after the beninging of the plugin's code on line 121
From

if(PRODUCT_LISTING_SHOW_PRODUCTS_BELOW == 'true') {
      // create column list
      $define_list = array('PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL' => PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL,

to

if(PRODUCT_LISTING_SHOW_PRODUCTS_BELOW == 'true') {
      $alpha_sort .= " ORDER BY p.products_date_added desc, p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name";
      
      // create column list
      $define_list = array('PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL' => PRODUCT_LIST_MODEL,

[NWCE]

Thanks again for your reply and help!

I have made this change and it now sorts by date descending......but it is now showing duplicate listings for each product. The other categories are fine....it is just the categories that have the subs in them.

Any ideas??? (Checked, and nothing in the Logs folder)

[balihr]

Are those products linked by any chance? Meaning showing in multiple subcategories of the parent category?

Try includes/modules/pages/index/main_template_vars.php
from

$listing_sql = "select " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.products_type, p.master_categories_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_image, p.products_tax_class_id, pd.products_name, pd.products_description, IF(s.status = 1, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status =1, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price, p.products_sort_order, p.product_is_call, p.product_is_always_free_shipping, p.products_qty_box_status

to

$listing_sql = "select distinct " . $select_column_list . " p.products_id, p.products_type, p.master_categories_id, p.manufacturers_id, p.products_price, p.products_image, p.products_tax_class_id, pd.products_name, pd.products_description, IF(s.status = 1, s.specials_new_products_price, NULL) as specials_new_products_price, IF(s.status =1, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as final_price, p.products_sort_order, p.product_is_call, p.product_is_always_free_shipping, p.products_qty_box_status

[NWCE]

Once again....Perfect!

That code change worked....and yes, there are products in subcategories that show in multiple subcategories.

Once again, I really appreciate you making this plugin and for your help today!