Can I add extra common text for same category products?

[keneso]

Working on 1.5.7b

How would I display category description, or extra_definition in product info page?

I would like to have same text in addition to the specific product's description.

I thought of two ways, although open to better ideas in case, and any other considerations about the idea itself:

1 - check which category/sub-category is the product in, and add the category description the product is in
2 - check which category/sub-category is the product in, and add an extra definition text

I prefer the latter, as don't want to have too much info on the category description.

Also would that work with linked products as well?

Thank you

[balihr]

Not sure if I understand your request, but here's some options...
# 1 - check which category/sub-category is the product in, and add the category description the product is in

if(zen_product_in_category((int)$_GET['products_id'], 22)) {
        echo zen_get_category_description($current_category_id, $_SESSION['languages_id']);
    }

# 2 - check which category/sub-category is the product in, and add an extra definition text

if(zen_product_in_category((int)$_GET['products_id'], 22)) {
        echo DEFINE_EXTRA_PRODUCTINFO_TEXT;
    }

Of course, the code in red depends on your category ID.

I would opt for plan C - add a new field in the products table and have it controlled from the admin's product page. I understand it's product-based, instead of category-based, but it gives you more control over the contents displayed.
This could be either an extra description, or a set of radio buttons (dropdown menu) to choose which pre-defined text to show or something else maybe. Either way, I'd make it product-based, making it easier to control from the admin. If it's product-based, it will always show with linked products, no matter which category.

[keneso]

Thank you.

Plan C I think is/would be/could be even more difficult for me, not being a coder.

Please let me clarify better my intention, if it could be a feasible idea.

Let's assume I have two categories (or sub-categories): wood - plastic
then I have same product type under both:

wood -
--- chair (model/title name A) - table (model/title name C) - cabinet (model/title name E)
plastic
--- chair (model/title name B)- table (model/title name D) - cabinet (model/title name F)

When viewing
wood -
--- chair (model/title name A)
user would read the detailed description for the name A
and under that on the page there would be a text reagrding wood, i.e. wood is a natural resource has different grains, etc.
and this would be the same text (wood is a natural resource has different grains, etc) if user views table (model/title name C), and cabinet (model/title name E)

whereas if viewing
plastic
--- table (model/title name D)
user would read the detailed description for the name D
and under that on the page there would be a text reagrding plastic, i.e plastic is a synthetic material it can be hard, or soft, etc.
and this would be the same text (plastic is a synthetic material it can be hard, or soft, etc.) if user views chair (model/title name B), and cabinet (model/title name F)

I thought of this as to have same text for all products of given category (or sub) without having to write/edit it for each one.

So to recap the code you gave, if I am not wrong comes close, but not on target, as I would expect zen cart to find the category ID without me tellin it, something like this:

user has asked to see the product chair name A
let me (zen cart) see what category [ID] is chair name A under
it is under ID 1
I (zen cart) display the product chair name A, and append to it the extra_definition_text_wood

my logic would be

check category [ID] associated to this product's [ID]
if
category_id is xx
echo extra_text_xx
elseif
category_id is yy
echo extra_text_yy
else
echo extra_text_yy

of course the above is just pseudo code (like said I don't know how to code), and would be good if it would consider more than 3 categories, meaning many ifs

I would add this code to templates/tpl_product_info_display.php

[DrByte]

Improved pseudo-code would probably be:

- lookup product's linked categories (products_to_categories table), preferably with the master_categories_id first in the list of retrieved linked categories
- for each found linked category, find the first that has a secondary description (you'd need to add this into a db field in the categories_description table)
- if any, display it, and then "break" out of the loop in order to stop displaying any subtext for additional linked categories

And of course if you wish to edit the actual subtext via the Admin you'd need to build all the logic for adding the text, validating it, saving it, retrieving for edit, etc.

[balihr]

Thank you.

Plan C I think is/would be/could be even more difficult for me, not being a coder.

I thought of this as to have same text for all products of given category (or sub) without having to write/edit it for each one.

So to recap the code you gave, if I am not wrong comes close, but not on target, as I would expect zen cart to find the category ID without me tellin it, something like this:

user has asked to see the product chair name A
let me (zen cart) see what category [ID] is chair name A under
it is under ID 1
I (zen cart) display the product chair name A, and append to it the extra_definition_text_wood

my logic would be

check category [ID] associated to this product's [ID]
if
category_id is xx
echo extra_text_xx
elseif
category_id is yy
echo extra_text_yy
else
echo extra_text_yy

of course the above is just pseudo code (like said I don't know how to code), and would be good if it would consider more than 3 categories, meaning many ifs

I would add this code to templates/tpl_product_info_display.php

Well, the first example kinda auto-discovers the category...

echo zen_get_category_description($current_category_id, $_SESSION['languages_id']);

This will display the category description for that product's master category. If you put your (wooden) chair in a plastic category as a linked product, it will still pull the description from your wood category. This, of course, assumes you actually do have descriptions for your categories, and that those can be used for this purpose.

An alternative would be to create a new file in your includes/languages/YOUR_LANGUAGE/extra_definitions/YOUR_TEMPLATE/extra_product_descriptions.php and then manually add a description for each category:

define('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT1', 'wood is a natural resource has different grains, etc.');
define('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT2', 'plastic is a synthetic material it can be hard, or soft, etc.');

Then use this in your tpl_product_info_default.php

if(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id)) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id);
    }

This will NOT work with linked products - it will be based on the category you're currently browsing. If you want to focus on master category, you could do this:

if(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id'])) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id']);
    }

Or you can combine both in case your primary choice hasn't been defined...

However, I'd still go with adding a field in the admin (and database) so it's controlled from the admin. Adding a secondary category description is not that hard, just follow the logic for the main description and duplicate it (with minor edits, of course).

[keneso]

Thank you both.
When I'll get the time I'll look into it more deeply, so to include the linked ones as well.

For now I played with balhir's snips, and got the results expected using, of course not working on linked ones.

if(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id)) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id);
    }

Using this nothing seemed happening, of course I might be missing something

if(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id'])) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id']);
    }

Tried being creative in combining the two, but didn't get results

Will look into the secondary description, admin and database when getting some time like said.

[balihr]

Tried being creative in combining the two, but didn't get results

Will look into the secondary description, admin and database when getting some time like said.

Not sure why you're not getting any results with master_categories_id... You can try this as a combination:

if(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id'])) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $product_info->fields['master_categories_id']);
    } elseif(defined('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id)) {
        echo constant('TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT' . $current_category_id);
    }

So, if there's text for master category, show it, else check for current category text.

[keneso]

Thank you

perhaps it was/is my confusion, as it depends where I access the product from, meaning which route to get to the product page
i.e.
hardware > printers > Hewlett Packard LaserJet 1100Xi Linked
would display nothing (expecting the printer extra-definition)
hardware > Hewlett Packard LaserJet 1100Xi Linked
would display the TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT1 (hardware extra-definition)

same with
dvd > action > The Replacement Killers
would display nothing (expecting the action extra-definition)
dvd > The Replacement Killers
would display the TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT3 (dvd extra-definition)

Shouldn't it in the first cases (longer path/more clicks) display the master categories, which in the two examples should have been hardware, and dvd?
Am I missing something a

I am using a local setup to test, having installed with demo data.

I put you last snip in
includes/templates/CUSTOM/templates/tpl_prduct_info_display.php
and the following definitions in
includes/languages/LANGUAGE/extra_definitions/CUSTOM/extra_product_descriptions.php
1 - hardware
2 - software
3 - dvd
4 - graphic cards
5 - printers
6 - monitor
7 - speakers
8 - keyboards
9 - mice
10 - action
12 - comedy
22 - big-linked

That said I am happy for now with the current-category display.

[balihr]

This is quite messy being category-based, that's why I originally said I'd be doing it product-based...

hardware > printers > Hewlett Packard LaserJet 1100Xi Linked
would display nothing (expecting the printer extra-definition)

Actually, just as expected. If you search for that model number in admin->Catalog, you'll see there's 7 results for that product. You're looking at product_id 27, and if you check that product, you'll see its master category id is 5. And you're currently browsing category 5 ($current_category_id). You don't have any text for category 5, you only defined 1 and 3.

hardware > Hewlett Packard LaserJet 1100Xi Linked
would display the TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT1 (hardware extra-definition)

How did you get there? Which link did you follow? Or did you manipulate the URL?

same with
dvd > action > The Replacement Killers
would display nothing (expecting the action extra-definition)
dvd > The Replacement Killers
would display the TEXT_PRODUCT_EXTRA_DESC_CAT3 (dvd extra-definition)

Same as above - that item is in category 10, not 3.

Shouldn't it in the first cases (longer path/more clicks) display the master categories, which in the two examples should have been hardware, and dvd?
Am I missing something a

Don't confuse Master Categories ID with Parent Category - that's different things, and therefore requires different code. You would need to run the checks mentioned here, and then add another elseif and run the same checks through parent categories.
Just to make sure you understand the difference - in the first case (hp printer), your URL looks like

index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=27

where 5 is current category id, 1 is parent category, and in this case 5 happens to be master category id as well. If you look at the same product under "big linked", the URL will be

index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22&products_id=27

so current category id will be 22, but master category id will still be 5 (that's how the product is configured in admin).
Hope this makes sense...

[swguy]

Have you looked at my Boilerplate mod?

https://www.thatsoftwareguy.com/zenc...scription.html

It's a set of instructions for doing this sort of thing.