Column Layout for New Products Page

[ckosloff]

@dweb,
While I am at it.
I don't understand this:

1st digit Left or Right

You say that it is the column number (what column).
However, you are coding for displaying images in 3 columns, some settings are for column 1 and some for column 2 in your Config settings.

Display Product Image 1104

...

Display Product Name 2101
Display Product Model 0
Display Product Manufacturer Name 2301
Display Product Price 2400

Please clarify.
Also, what does Left or Right mean?

[dweb]

One more question:
} else {
echo TEXT_NO_NEW_PRODUCTS;
}
at the end of your mod for new products you wrote the above.
You are printing (echoing) a variable from the database.
Where did you get that variable from?
It is not in the original file.

Sorry, no clue, but a construct like 'TEXT_NO_NEW_PRODUCTS" isn't from the database but a defined text string from a language file defining the statement you'd like to say there. If my page shows "TEXT_NO_NEW_PRODUCTS" then I'd dig into /includes/languages/english/*page-name* and add a define for it.

HTH?
-m

[ckosloff]

If my page shows "TEXT_NO_NEW_PRODUCTS" then I'd dig into /includes/languages/english/*page-name* and add a define for it.

Thanks for explanation.
I see that this line was added by previous contributor.
Now the remaining doubt about the "zen way"
How does the first digit work?

[dweb]

Ah, these are parts of the stock zen admin where in a bunch of places there are these gizmos to fiddle with the layout template system as simply as possible while accommodating the usual three column layout inherited from OSCommerce, where you had to edit the core files in the store to move things from left to right or to a single column or whatever. If you're into text edits on critical system files (I am, BTW) that was easier -- but only until you get beyond the first layer and don't need to upgrade or add anything else (which I ALWAYS do.)

So... zen way, first digit Left or Right means the number is not a number per se, but a string of digits. If the first digit is zero, the item is not displayed at all. 1, it goes in the Left column IF the object you're placing it in HAS a left and right, which this contrib does not. I haven't fiddled with the numbers that much but I bet from recalling the code that all the left items are drawn, then the right ones, so if they were numbers in fact they'd all be drawn in numerical order. If you have two items marked as, say, 1201, I'm not sure which one would come first but it would be whichever is first in the code I suppose. There are two big loops running around all possible items and incrementing the display code numbers, saying "draw it now" when the first three numbers match the current increment, and drawing enough break tags after that to match the last digit.

The columns are NOT controlled in admin and are kinda not true tabular columns at all (though they appear as such) but are boxes set to flow into place and float to the left against the previous one. The sizes are set by your thumbnail dimensions mostly and the purpose of the counter you would need to change to get a different number of columns is simply drawing a break clear=all tag to keep boxes from running into each other if they're different heights. Admin does, however, provide another place to say how many boxes to put on the page; it ought to be set to a multiple of you # of columns.

-m

[dweb]

hmm, seven minute limit huh? I'm adding another line again: for a different # of columns you'll need to change the style also.

width: 32.5%;

sets the width of the box to slightly less than the correct mathematical value, probably to accommodate IE's arithmetic issues.

[ckosloff]

I'm adding another line again...

Yo dweb,
Am I seeing double?
That line was already included in your readme.
Apart from that, great explanation on those digits and how they were ported from OSC, you may be a new zenner, but your long experience with OSC shows.
Anyway, I will need to play around with those numbers to really understand how they work and what they do.

[dweb]

Yeah, that line was in the addition to the styles, but the point is, it goes along with three columns. If you have smaller thumbs and/or wider pages you'd need to change it. Maybe for 4 columns I'd go with 24.5%, five -> 19.5% or so, and check in IE to be sure it doesn't blow up. Gotta love style sheets!

[genabit]

I also changed the tpl_modules_products_all_listing.php in the same manner and now have a 3 column list for my view all products page. Thanks for sharing .. I knew it could be done, just needed some pointing in the right direction

You guys are great!

[ckosloff]

@dweb,
So I loaded all your modifications to a test site.
I don't have New Products there so couldn't test for them yet.
All products work but there is a glitch: while they display in three columns, the last row shows only 1, and this for all pages.
Also, my empty cart still shows a 1-column centered layout for "new products for $month".
Please help.
Thanks.

[yellow1912]

Why not using a module that is coded for this very specific purpose?

http://blog.rubikintegration.com/200...ting-template/