Product Type Book (by moku)

[hareslade]

bits and pieces..

The authors are individual - in other words, once you put an author in the authors main list, it's there to be selected for any book. So if you need 3 authors for a book, provided they are listed you can just select them. The cart book displays sort out that there are those 3 authors, and displays them.

Well yes, my beta V3 repairs list is getting longer maybe..

When you advise what bugs may be there, please say which languages you have installed, or if running single language. What I am now aware is, that it looks like multiple language is popular, so I will indeed make efforts to ensure V3 runs ok.

[ One thing I found is that on an 'overlay' of an updated fileset onto an older one, Smartftp uploader sometimes quietly omits to overwrite some files.

This omission of course could wreck a V2->V3 upgrade .. I now only allow Smartftp to over-write step by step, 'per file' rather than letting it run through .. to make sure it actually does the overwrite on all files. ]

The probs with V2->V3 upgrade mode I've ironed out, (my omission of 'auto insert missing languages' in the authors list admin page).

I have the updated V3 fileset here, but am just delaying a little to see what else arises. If you desperately need it for a V2->V3 upgrade p.m me (click my name on left)

bilc108 yes do advise the situation.. I've not had empty titles occur,

One thing I remember may occur, is that if you go 'backwards' from the book preview page, the 'collect info' entries may be 'blanked, because it 'forgets' what was entered, so don't go 'back' from preview - its better to complete the preview page's 'save', which then puts the product data into the database.

..and then go back to the collect info first page again on that product, to correct whatever and re-save.

[hareslade]

I have the BETA 2 version of the V3 multilanguage book product ready, there may still be the odd prob. of course. The v3 is for use in single, or multiple languages.

This time I'll give the site page url to get the zip download from, as people seeing this later can then get the latest version regardless

Click on the AVAILABLE HERE link, on this page
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=482

I've tamed some of the V3 multilanguage monster's strange habits, and it should work better on a V2 to V3 book type upgrade as well.


I emphasised the 'collate' (copy) mode, which for a brand new book product (OR an existing one) enables you to just enter title, description and select other entries, on the first language block.. saving it will automatically clone the entries into the other languages. Use 'collate' with care!

If you are overwriting Beta1 V3, do make sure all the Beta 1 files do get overwritten, do it step by step if necessary. Beta 2 'book admin' page has a Yellow area round price/weight, where Beta 1 has a reddy colour. You do not need any sql patches to go V3 Beta 1 to V3 Beta 2.

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For those interested in what I bin up to, all the coding changes are to the book admin files in \admin\, because the cart display side is relatively simpler.

There were some probs hopefully ironed out with the book 'collect info' page in 'new' mode, and I've corrected a fault on book 'type' field, which was not saving in multiple languages properly.

I also now copy the (english) field entries across on 'auto insert missing languages' process, which makes it easier when a new language is added, to update the 'extras' tables which provide language-based dropdown values for the collect_info page entries.

There didn't seem much point in my testing beta2 excessively, as I haven't changed it a lot... beta testers will find the bugs if any :)

[billc108]

bits and pieces..

The authors are individual - in other words, once you put an author in the authors main list, it's there to be selected for any book. So if you need 3 authors for a book, provided they are listed you can just select them. The cart book displays sort out that there are those 3 authors, and displays them.

Ah, right there in front of me, but I missed it. Thanks.

[ One thing I found is that on an 'overlay' of an updated fileset onto an older one, Smartftp uploader sometimes quietly omits to overwrite some files.

Sounds like Smartftp may not be all that smart!

bilc108 yes do advise the situation.. I've not had empty titles occur,

Speaking of not so smart... I had missed uploading a couple of files myself, which was the source of the trouble. Uploaded, and all is well now. Sorry for the false alarm.

[hareslade]

Update for v3 beta2 users:

my beta tester showed up a bug, Beta2 just needs a fix, a single file uploading.. apply it anyway, the fix is not in the main beta2 fileset.

Some servers were allowing new authors names to be added in 'extras', others were not. My fault, a silly error..

The fix is listed in the V3 beta2 part, on my site page where it say 'PLEASE APPLY ALSO'
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=482

The main V3 beta2 multi-language fileset is there too

[hareslade]

I've been looking at the 'ultimate seo' contribution, which was by Dreamscape but also is updated by Dr Byte to 135 status.

First I must say, it looks to me like not all of the url gets converted to 'friendly', regarding the V3 multilanguage beta2, I cannot get rid of '?language=' . I see this as a limitation..

BUT here is the ultimate seo contribution fileset, modified to 137 status, and with special mods to convert the 'books' product pages url's to 'friendly' url - or I should say.... less unfriendly.

There is also a readme in the zip file , explaining how to convert your 'standard' ultimate SEO install, to the book-friendly version. And you might want to consider upgrading any 135 files uploaded from the Dr. Byte 135 SEO version, to zc 137 form as well.

And my mods should work with all versions of the book contribution - that means the moku original, my V2, and V3 beta versions. Give it a try..

http://www.hareslade.com/zc125/downl..._for_books.zip

[michaelhl]

Hello Paul,
thank you for your work with the seo-URLs. It works but if I enable the SEO-URLS in the Admin Panel, the products didn't use the product_book_info.php, they are shown in a other Way, I think the use the product_info.php. If I disable the SEO contribution, the products are shown how it should be.

And another question, is it possible, that the book 3 Beta 2 overwrites the productdiscription. My standart language is german, it should copy the drop-down values to the english language. But I think it also copy the german description, because I loose the english one.

[hareslade]

Hi michaelhl
I'm not quite sure what you mean with the SEO url's... I only modified the url for product_book_info.php url paths... which is the book template. Perhaps you can explain further..

I use xmlsitemap myself, it gives the search engines an xml file list of url's to go straight to. I looked at SEO because there was a request way back on this thread, for book SEO
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Regarding the product description in books, check that the particular product is **not** set to copy across, then you can do it manually later.

When I tested it in 'copy across' mode, on saving it should copy the title, description and dropdown values from the top language block (the one with the radio box setting) , to all the other languages blocks.

Often you are right if you say something's wrong... try explaining it again!

But the idea was, to set the page's language labels to the language block you need at top of the page. In your case, German..Then on save, it should copy across from German book entries (the top block) , to all the other languages, if it's set in that mode.

If it doesn't do what you expect, check the setting of the 'copy' radio box.. I had it doing things I did not want, myself...but I had 'copy' on, when I thought it was off!

[michaelhl]

Hello Paul,
I mean the SEO contribution, which is downloadable in your post from 10.07.
It works without mistake, but when it os enabled the book products didn't use the template product_book_info_display.php, they use the product_info_display.php. So the specific additional Datas from your book contribution are not displayed.

[hareslade]

Hi
I just uploaded a replacement zip for the Ultimate SEO book mod version, (see above a bit) there was probably a second htaccess file in the zip pack, left there in error. Otherwise the files are unchanged.

Further info on Ultimate SEO (books) install:

The htaccess_sample file needs to go in cart root, in the position it is in the SEO fileset, but you need to alter where it says /shop/ in the file, to your zencart folder name.

If your zencart files are in mydomain/my_cart/files then replace 'shop' with 'my_cart' in htaccess.

In a windows pc you upload the htaccess_sample that you modified, then rename it on the server to .htaccess

[raunharman]

Thanks, i was able to do it.