What's The Easiest Way To Create A Direct Link In The Sidebox?

[DK_Scully]

Working on a new bookseller site, www.book-oasis.com. The owner wants the last two categories (http://book-oasis.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7 and http://book-oasis.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8) to redirect to different sites. Is there an easy way to do this?

Many thanks, in advance, for your assistance!!

[carlwhat]

well, i suppose it will all depend on which template you are using and what script is creating the url. most likely, i think you could modify:

includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/sideboxes/tpl_categories.php

from within that script you could add change the following line:

$content .= '<a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT.'&pg=store', $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">'; 

to something like

if ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=7') {
      $content .= '<a class="' . $new_style . '"  href=\"www.somewhereawayfrombookoasis.com\">';
} else {
      $content .= '<a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT.'&pg=store', $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
} 

if that does not more work, i would look to see if your site has the following files:

includes/classes/categories_ul_generator.php
includes/classes/categories_ul_generator_template.php

if they are there, you might need to modify those files instead.

good luck!

[DK_Scully]

This is the closest I've been able to find. I think it's what you were referring to; it just has that <div class> code inserted in it, which made finding it a real pain.


$content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['current']) {
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) {
$content .= '<span class="category-subs-parent">';
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'down', $spacer);
$content .= '</span>';
} else {
$content .= '<span class="category-subs-selected">';
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'nosub', $spacer);
$content .= '</span>';
}
} else {
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) {
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'right', $spacer); }
else {
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'nosub', $spacer); }
}


To be perfectly honest, I'm scared to death to mess with it. I never understood php, and it's been a long time since I've worked with it. I'm not sure where I should add...whatever it is I'm supposed to add...let alone add it twice for two separate links. :-/

[carlwhat]

DK,
few things; when posting code on the forum, use square brackets with 'php' or 'code' inside of the brakets. and then end the code section again with the square brackets and a slash and the appropriate tag as the ending tag. it makes it much easier to read (and i'm sure there are notes on it somewhere). 2nd, make a backup of the code, prior to making any changes. this is not rocket science so as long as you can go back from where you came you should be fine.

from what you are posting i think you only need to change the first line. try changing the first line to the following lines and let us know how it goes:

if ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=7') {
    $content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href=\"www.somewhereawayfrombookoasis.com\">';
} elseif ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=8') {
    $content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href=\"www.somewhereawayfrombookoasis.com\">';
} else {
    $content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
} 

good luck!

[DK_Scully]

I'll try to remember that formatting tip when pasting code, thanks. (Though between you and me, I don't think there's anything that can make it look easier to read. LOL)

Once I changed href=\"www.timelesserotica.com\" to href="http://www.timelesserotica.com\" it worked perfectly. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mc12345678]

DK,
few things; when posting code on the forum, use square brackets with 'php' or 'code' inside of the brakets. and then end the code section again with the square brackets and a slash and the appropriate tag as the ending tag. it makes it much easier to read (and i'm sure there are notes on it somewhere).

Umm yeah. In the posting tips that appear above every new post unless using the mobile template to access this forum site... Basically the 9th bullet or the links in the last paragraph. I thought the terminology was a bit different in the past to include posting code, but perhaps it got modified again like the language section did a while back...

Question about this solution, is it the last two possible categories, a specific set of categories that are to redirect, or simply the last two options displayed in the list?

What happens when/if the categories get deleted, or repurposed? Okay, not really what will happen, but what would be desired to happen? What if a new category is created?

As far as the link as it was provided, it was missing either the (as I've been told) rarely used relational double slash, or the applicable prefix of http:// or https://. The choice taken was to hard code http://. Also could have generated an ez-page that could be referenced in a similar manner but the uri of the ez-page can be modified from within the admin rather than requiring ftp to the file(s) above...

[DK_Scully]

MC, in this case, it's two specific category listings that just happen to be listed last. I made sure to associate the code changes with the actual category numbers so that if another category was added below (though I wouldn't list it below, as I want those two categories to be listed last), the refresh commands would not be affected.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help; we're very grateful to have solved this puzzle!!

[DK_Scully]

Okay, I tried the same trick with another site, but it didn't work. Can anyone please help me figure out what I did wrong?

I inserted this block of code (identical to the first except the cPaths and urls are changed):

if ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=16') { 
    $content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="http://www.book-oasis.com\">'; 
} elseif ($box_categories_array[$i]['path'] == 'cPath=17') { 
    $content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="http://www.carnal-pleasures.com\zencart\">'; 

just above:

} else { 
$content .= '<div class="betterCategories"><a class="' . $new_style . '" href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $box_categories_array[$i]['path']) . '">';
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['current']) {
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) {
$content .= '<span class="category-subs-parent">';
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'down', $spacer);
$content .= '</span>';
} else {
$content .= '<span class="category-subs-selected">';
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'nosub', $spacer);
$content .= '</span>';
}
} else {
if ($box_categories_array[$i]['has_sub_cat']) { 
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'right', $spacer); }
else { 
$content .= cat_with_pointer($box_categories_array[$i]['name'], 'nosub', $spacer); }
} 

Am I putting it in the wrong place?

Many thanks, in advance, for your assistance!!

[RodG]

Is there an easy way to do this?

Heck yes, and far simpler than the suggestions already made.

I'm going to hate myself for this - but the 'easy' solution summed up in one word '.htaccess'.

Something like

Redirect 301 /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8 http://someothersite.com
Redirect 301 /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7 http://someothersite.com/something/

Cheers
RodG

[DK_Scully]

I'll try it! Which copy of .htaccess should I modify? So far the only copy I've found is in the /includes/ folder, and adding:

Redirect 301 /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16 http://book-oasis.com
Redirect 301 /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=17 http://carnal-pleasures.com/zencart/ 

to the end of it didn't do anything at all.