Adding New Product_types

[cs_jono]

Here is a little summary of what I had to do to add a new product type. This only covers the catalog section. Everything seems to be working OK. I've not tested it extensively by any means, so YMMV.


These are the files that I had to create in order to setup a new product_magnet type. 'TEMPLATE', of course, refers to your custom template directory.

includes/extra_datafiles/magnet_type_database_names.php
includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/product_magnet.php
includes/languages/english/product_magnet_info.php
includes/languages/english/TEMPLATE/product_magnet_info.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/header_php.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/jscript_main.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_attributes.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_images.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_images_additional.php
includes/templates/TEMPLATE/templates/tpl_product_magnet_info_display.php

1. includes/extra_datafiles/magnet_type_database_names.php

   define('TABLE_PRODUCT_MAGNET_EXTRA', DB_PREFIX . 'product_magnet_extra');
   define('TABLE_MAGNET_PLATE', DB_PREFIX . 'magnet_plate');
   define('TABLE_MAGNET_GRADE', DB_PREFIX . 'magnet_grade');

These three definitions are tables that I created in my database. Only the first definition is necessary. It, among other things, holds the id references for the other tables. The other two tables contain supporting data that you will have to design and input manually. You can probably use the other tables for the music genre as templates.


2. includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/product_magnet.php

define('BOX_HEADING_SPECS', 'Magnet Specifications');

This was the only definition that I needed. Pretty self explanitory. This is the extra english text that goes on your product_info page.

3. includes/languages/english/product_magnet_info.php
-OR-
includes/languages/english/YOUR_TEMPLATE/product_magnet_info.php

Copy the file product_music_info.php from the same directory and begin editing to your taste. Don't add any extra definitions... just change the ones that are there. If you need to add more definitions, then do it in step #2.

4. Copy the entire directory includes/modules/pages/product_music_info
to
includes/modules/pages/product_YOURTYPE_info/

5. includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/header_php.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/jscript_main.php

NOTHING TO DO!!!


6. includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars.php

This file needs some serious consideration. This is where you will be grabbing all of your special information from the DB regarding this specific product. If you are database challenged, this is going to be difficult.. but not impossible!

Fortunately our friendly Zen Admin's have given us a good template in the product_music type. Read through it a few times.

7. includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_attributes.php

Very few changes here. Only two lines changed to add the music product type.

This line (110):

if (((CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '2' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '') or (STORE_STATUS == '1')) or (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 2 and $_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0)) {

was changed to:
if ((CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '2' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '') or (STORE_STATUS == '1')) {

And this line (170):

if ((SHOW_PRODUCT_INFO_WEIGHT_ATTRIBUTES=='1' and $products_options->fields['products_attributes_weight'] != '0')) {

was changed to:

 
     if ((SHOW_PRODUCT_MUSIC_INFO_WEIGHT_ATTRIBUTES=='1' and $products_options->fields['products_attributes_weight'] != '0')) {

I didn't have to change any of this since my product type doesn't use attributes.


8. includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_images.php
includes/modules/pages/product_magnet_info/main_template_vars_images_additional.php

NOTHING TO DO!!!

9. includes/templates/TEMPLATE/templates/tpl_product_magnet_info_display.php

This is the file to customize how the product is displayed. You will want to make sure you are displaying all of the special information out of the database.


THE END

Hopefully this will do more good than harm. Let me know if anything is unclear, missing, or just plain wrong. I'll try to put the instructions for the admin section up later on.

Once you complete this what do you have to do on the admin side to actually get this new product type to function when adding new products?

[maraud]

Hi,

rather than searching and reading through all 10 pages, could someone please point me to information as to how to add new product types in Zencart 1.3.7

[siditty]

There is got to be a easier way of adding a new product type, seeing as videos should have been listed already. I was told zen cart was easy, but being I need a catagory for videos, my shop won´t be up this year - if that is what I have to do to add a video product.

[longstockings]

Can someone please post the steps needed in order to make multiple copies of the product general product type.

This may sound strange so let me explain why.
I have a shop with products that need different attributes. As I wanted to lay out the attributes in a particular way that is not possible with Zen Cart I had to hand code the changes in product_ifo_display.php. Look at www.gobetweencards.co.uk to see what I mean.

Some products have image attributes and some do not hence why I need multiple copies of the general product type so that I can have a custom product_ifo_display.php for each type of product.

Any pointers would be grately appreciated.

[MissCloud]

Hi,

rather than searching and reading through all 10 pages, could someone please point me to information as to how to add new product types in Zencart 1.3.7

I second that. I have trawled through this post, and found lots of posts with codes in. I'm new to Zen Cart and shopping carts/e-commerce in general, so an easy update with the relevant code to add a new product type would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

[oavs]

Basic documents have just been added to the downloads section.

http://www.zen-cart.com/modules/mydownload...sit.php?lid=324

Would you be so kind to let us know which category its under or at least the name of the mod . Common sense tells me it should be ' new product type ' but there is nothing there.

Thanks

[elastic]

i have been very successful at adding new products types, getting things to show up and be available on the admin side of life. one very strange thing - the custom products don't seem to be deleting from the inventory when the product is purchased. it's actually a HUGE problem (for me) but I am trying to stay calm about it.

what part of the custom product controls the check of stock and deleting from the products_quantity field? why is the 'custom' product different than the traditional product? if i look i the mirror, will my hair have turned completely white?

i really don't expect and answer to the last one.

really, i just want to know if anyone else ever had this problem, and if so, how did you solve it?

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/images/smilies/frusty.gif

[thebasher]

I've read through this thread a few times and can't seem to find an answer to my problem.

I created a new category based on the "music" category, copied all the files, changed the code I needed to change, created new tables in my database for my new product but absolutely nothing shows up in my admin except for the 5 original product types.

I duplicated and uploaded all of the files from the "music" product type but is there something else I need to do?

Thanks.

[thebasher]

I know this thread is a bit old but is there anyone out there that has figured this out? I've searched the forum and read the wiki but I just can't seem to figure out how to make this actually work.

[jonbyrd]

Hey guys, I'm new to zen-cart and couldn't find any good product-type documenation so I built my own.

If you can look where I've finished and give me some pointers on my next steps, that would be awsome.

http://support.smallbusinesspages.or...uct-types.html