Can I remove certain sideboxes on certain pages?

[monkeybus]

Hello folks. I'm currently putting together a site. Zencart using Version 155. Westminster New template.

Maybe this is a simple question, but I've spent all day trying to figure it out.

Apart from the main index page, every page has the left sidebox detailing Categories, What's New, Reviews, et al.

What I want to do is remove this sidebox on certain pages. I've been reading about templates all night /includes/templates.......

I'm thinking the answer lies in an override, or maybe a custom template. For the life of me I cannot figure it out.

I'll keep on studying and tinkering, but can someone point me in the right direction?

I saw this site https://www.picaflor-azul.com/blog/c...xes-tutorials/

It mentions...

Find this line of code:


   if ($show_shopping_cart_box == true) {

And just above it, add this:


     if ($show_shopping_cart_box == true) { 
        if (($current_page_base == "shopping_cart") || 
            ($current_page_base  == "account_history_info") ||
            ($current_page_base  == "checkout") ||
            ($current_page_base  == "checkout_payment") ||
            ($current_page_base  == "checkout_confirmation") 
           ) { 
              $show_shopping_cart_box = false;
        }
     }

And edit it to indicate the pages on which you wish to disable the shopping cart sidebox.

But even then I cannot figure it out.

Help.

Thanks a lot, folks.

[mc12345678]

Well, the general information needed is certainly there, it's just putting it together.

So, let's take the categories sidebox as an example (first listed in the above post as a sidebox displayed on every page).

So, also, let's assume that the goal is to display it on every page except the shopping_cart and checkout_shipping pages (more than one page on which to hide it).

You can see the default sidebox definition in includes/modules/sideboxes/categories.php...

So, first thing about modifying one of the default files is where able to use an override version of the file in which to make edits, that way you will still have the "original" available and can mark it up to do what you want done under your current template. So you would copy the file categories.php found in the above path to: includes/modules/sideboxes/YOUR_TEMPLATE/ where YOUR_TEMPLATE is the foldername associated with the template to which the changes are to apply. (override path).

Then, you would access that file using a plain text editor to make the changes desire.

Now, looking at this particular file, there are no such if true then display/load this page/sidebox options in the code. Essentially, this particular sidebox appears to have been written to always appear whenever it is possible to be displayed. So, in order to limit this particular sidebox from being displayed, additional code would need to be added around it to offer such an on/off feature.

Recommendation would be to add between the end of the top commented area and the first line of code, something like:

 $show_categories_box = true;

if ($current_page_base == FILENAME_SHOPPING_CART ||
    $current_page_base == FILENAME_CHECKOUT_SHIPPING) {
     $show_categories_box = false;
}

if ($show_categories_box) {

Then at the end of the file just before the unnecessary close of the php open tag, add:

} // eof close of if should show this box

And then add any additional commenting needed to understand in the future why this was changed.

The end result is, if the current page (main_page=xxx) isn't xxx then the categories sidebox will be displayed. If the current page is yyy and yyy is in the list of the if statement, then it will not be displayed.

Now, why was FILENAME_xxx used? In a standard non-edited cart, FILENAME_SHOPPING_CART is assigned: 'shopping_cart', but that could be modified if/when desired. By using the constant reference, it doesn't matter to what the constant is assigned, all coded references to that page will end up using the newly assigned value. Generally speaking such references are provided in includes/filenames.php, but they too can be overridden or added to by placement of a file with the desired define in includes/extra_configures.

[monkeybus]

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

Thanks a lot. I'll put it together tonight. I'm bound to make a mistake, so I'll probably ask more questions..

Zencart, I love it.

Thanks again, I'll get back to everyone with me results.

[K_C_Enterprises]

Hi, I may be missing something, I applied the above code to the iincludes/modules/sideboxes/responsive_apparel_boutique/categories.php of my Zen Cart.... it has not worked. Running v155d
Here is the modified code:

<?php
/**
 * categories sidebox - prepares content for the main categories sidebox
 *
 * @package templateSystem
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2005 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: categories.php 2718 2005-12-28 06:42:39Z drbyte $
 */
 $show_categories_box = true;

if ($current_page_base == FILENAME_SHOPPING_CART ||
    $current_page_base == FILENAME_CHECKOUT_SHIPPING) {
     $show_categories_box = false;
}

if ($show_categories_box) {

    $main_category_tree = new category_tree;
    $row = 0;
    $box_categories_array = array();

// don't build a tree when no categories
    $check_categories = $db->Execute("select categories_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " where categories_status=1 limit 1");
    if ($check_categories->RecordCount() > 0) {
      $box_categories_array = $main_category_tree->zen_category_tree();
    }

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

    $title = BOX_HEADING_CATEGORIES;
    $title_link = false;

    require($template->get_template_dir($column_box_default, DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common') . '/' . $column_box_default);
} // eof close of if should show this box
?>

Any idea as to what I have missed? Thanks in advance for your assistance.
H

[lat9]

When you say "it has not worked", in what way does it "not work"?

[K_C_Enterprises]

When you say "it has not worked", in what way does it "not work"?

Site is https://guiltypleasures4you.com/lingerie
I wanted to remove the side boxes from the shopping cart, pages are too busy, and the shipping page but the sideboxes are still there. Just need to understand what code needs to be added to remove them only on these pages.

I have a test profile you can use if you want to check it out email: [email protected] pw: goodguy

Thanks, H

[swguy]

In includes/templates/responsive_classic/common/tpl_main_page.php, there's a block of code that looks like this:

// the following IF statement can be duplicated/modified as needed to set additional flags
if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'list_pages_to_skip_all_right_sideboxes_on_here,separated_by_commas,and_no_spaces')) ) {
  $flag_disable_right = true;
}

in 1.5.5e this is lines 52-55.

Copy this file to includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_main_page.php if it's not there already.

Change it to

if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'shopping_cart,checkout_shipping,checkout_payment,checkout_confirmation')) ) {
  $flag_disable_right = true;
  $flag_disable_left = true;
}

[mc12345678]

For the individual sidebox (instead of the entire side) I would suggest verifying that the sidebox in question is the correct one of concern by any of a number of ways: one, temporarily add an additional echo statement within the file, two: inspect the list of sideboxes in admin tools->layout boxes controller: files at top (above bar line) show on left side, files on bottom (below bar line) on right side. Perhaps more than one file provides functionality of a categories type box. The information associated with each box should give some assistance of identifying what box it is and which file(s) are involved with the specific box.

Otherwise the general all sidebox on this side or that side to be hidden is a great start for the "hide all" type direction. It's quick, relatively easy, and doesn't require picking and choosing specific sideboxes or verifying display code. It's when/if there is still that "one" box desired to be displayed that things get a little more involved. :)

[K_C_Enterprises]

...

Copy this file to includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_main_page.php if it's not there already.

Change it to

if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'shopping_cart,checkout_shipping,checkout_payment,checkout_confirmation')) ) {
  $flag_disable_right = true;
  $flag_disable_left = true;
}

Humm, thanks, but didn't work with responsive_apparel_boutique template ??? Not sure what happened as I got a blank screen. Applied my backup and all was well. I saw how that should have worked but the responsive_apparel_boutique/common/tpl_main_page.php looks totally different from the classic responsive.
Any other suggestions? and again thanks for your help.
H

[mc12345678]

Humm, thanks, but didn't work with responsive_apparel_boutique template ??? Not sure what happened as I got a blank screen. Applied my backup and all was well. I saw how that should have worked but the responsive_apparel_boutique/common/tpl_main_page.php looks totally different from the classic responsive.
Any other suggestions? and again thanks for your help.
H

After it not working by possibly copying and pasting, did you happen to try manually typing in the recommended code? Sometimes when trying to provide assistance with specific code, extraneous characters get "captured" when copying and pasting to either post the code or to pull it from the forum. Also, there should have been a log entry made to help debug the situation: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?124-blank-page