Categories Dressing

[abs007]

Hi
I dont think i have understood it correctly. So do i add this code to the cat dressing css or the template css? If cat dressing css i presume i add it in the same place as the other catbg#.gif codes but if its in the template css where about would i add it?

cheers and thank you ever so much for all the help

[abs007]

Ok i have managed to sort it. But it only worked when i saved the catbg#active.gif image in the images folder. Even when i had the image location set to /my_template/buttons/english the images would not work. So i changed the place of the images to the /my_template/images directory without changing the css code and it worked. So i went and changed the css code to match so i dont get confused when i go over it again.
cheers

[newagekat]

Hello Glenn:

First my thanks for creating this mod, by the looks of this thread, it is very popular.

Second, I appreciate the speed and patience you have demonstrated throughout the thread. I've spent a lot of time trying to read through all these posts.

Here's my questions:
I'm using zc v1.3.8a. I've installed the relevant bugs for this site. I'm trying to keep the design clean and free of sideboxes so I'm using the default category tabs.

Before I make the decision to install Categories Dressing, I'm wondering if your mod can do what I need.

in essence, I want

• the 1st level categories, currently using tabs, to maintain their rollover state of white bg when navigating within that category - see image
• the 2nd level categories to be dynamic but plain text (not linked) and placed in Content area - see image
• list 3rd level categories as links below 2nd level.
• if possible, I'd also like to have the What's new and Specials added to the list of 1st level categories as it would naturally appear in a sidebox.
• lastly, and not at all related, but someone might know the answer to this question. I'm using wholesale (read brand) filter for the first time. i'm noticing that when one selections a brand option, it takes the user back to the home page. it seems the index.php part of the URL is missing. where can this be fixed?

I have never used category tabs before or a sidebox free layout, and I'm finding it a little disconcerting. My skills are decent, as you can see from the site, this is my design and I did all the work in creating this template. Although I can move code and modify somewhat, I'm NO PHP coder

Attached image.

[newagekat]

Hi:

can anyone help with my questions? i posted 2 days ago and have not heard back. anyone?

[gjh42]

Two days ago? I think less than 24 hours ago. I've been working on answers for you.

First, Categories Dressing by default does not affect the categories-tabs menu at all. Many of its styling rules could be applied by adding the cat-tabs selectors to the Cat Dressing rules.

The tricky part may be getting the categories sidebox (which is what Cat Dressing controls) to display without having a visible side column. It may work to set (Configuration > Layout Settings) Column Width Left and Column Width Boxes Left to 0. Then make #categoriesHeading {display: none;} and eliminate any border or bg color in #categories {} and #categoriesContent {}.

You can make the cat-tabs work as you want right now by changing your stylesheet like this (add parts in red):

div#navCatTabs { height: 2.5em; position: relative; bottom: -0.3em;}

#navCatTabs ul
{
	margin: 0;
	padding: 0;
	z-index: 10;
	height: 2.5em;
}

#navCatTabs ul li
{
	display: inline;
	font-size: 1.1em;
	float: left;
	list-style: none;
	color: #7597A6;
	background-color: white;
	margin-right: .25em;
}

#navCatTabs ul li a:link, #navCatTabs ul li a:visited
{
	padding: .5em .75em;
	color: #fff;
	background-color: #7597A6;
	border-color: #8FBAC9 #8FBAC9 white #8FBAC9;
	border-width: 1px;
	border-style: solid;
	text-transform: uppercase;
	display: block;
}

#navCatTabs ul li a:hover
{
	color: #7597A6;
	background-color: #fff;
	text-decoration: none;
}

#navCatTabs a.category-top .category-subs-selected {
    display: block;
    padding: 0.5em 0.7em;
    margin: -0.5em -0.8em -0.5em -0.7em;
    color: #7597A6;
    background-color: #fff;
    text-decoration: none;
    }

You will be able to hide top categories in the sidebox, and position the sidebox content, using the controls available with Cat Dressing. I don't think it will be possible to disable the first level subcat links without some code modification; there may be a workaround, but I would have to experiment to find it.

[newagekat]

Glenn:

First, my apologies. I sometimes get impatient and forget that I'm not the center of the universe ;)

Second, I'll try your suggestions. I've been able to move some sidebox functionality into the content area, so I'll first move the categories sidebox where I want it, then I'll install and apply your mod. Adding mods can sometimes be overwhelming if you don't understand their full impact / purpose.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. if I make this work, i will share my solution.

thanks for taking the time to formulate an answer.

[gjh42]

For the What's New and Specials, you would need to copy some code from tpl_categories.php to the cat-tabs code area. There are tests involved in making the correct display, so it's not just a matter of pasting in a couple of links.

[newagekat]

Hi Glenn:

the css for tabs looks great! thank you.

as to adding the What's New and specials tabs, here's what I did:

I copied lines 63 to 83 inclusive from includes/templates/deault/sideboxes/tpl_categories.php and pasted it into includes/templates/custom/templates/tpl_module_categories_tabs.php

As mentioned, i'm no PHP coder, so I'm know my syntax and / or placement are the reasons it's not working.

So, for tabs the original code was:

  include(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory(FILENAME_CATEGORIES_TABS));
?>
<?php if (CATEGORIES_TABS_STATUS == '1' && sizeof($links_list) >= 1) { ?>
<div id="navCatTabsWrapper">
<div id="navCatTabs">
<ul>
<?php for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($links_list); $i<$n; $i++) { ?>
  <li><?php echo $links_list[$i];?></li>
<?php } ?>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<?php } ?>

the new code is:

  include(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory(FILENAME_CATEGORIES_TABS));
?>
<?php if (CATEGORIES_TABS_STATUS == '1' && sizeof($links_list) >= 1) { ?>
<div id="navCatTabsWrapper">
<div id="navCatTabs">
<ul>
<?php for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($links_list); $i<$n; $i++) { ?>
  <li><?php echo $links_list[$i];?></li>
<?php } 
 if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_SPECIALS == 'true') {
      $show_this = $db->Execute("select s.products_id from " . TABLE_SPECIALS . " s where s.status= 1 limit 1");
      if ($show_this->RecordCount() > 0) { ?>
  <li><?php $content .= '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_SPECIALS) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_SPECIALS . '</a>';?></li>
<?php  }
    } 
    if (SHOW_CATEGORIES_BOX_PRODUCTS_NEW == 'true') {
      // display limits
//      $display_limit = zen_get_products_new_timelimit();
      $display_limit = zen_get_new_date_range();

      $show_this = $db->Execute("select p.products_id
                                 from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p
                                 where p.products_status = 1 " . $display_limit . " limit 1");
      if ($show_this->RecordCount() > 0) { ?>
      <li><?php $content .= '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCTS_NEW) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_WHATS_NEW . '</a>';?></li>
<?php      }
    } ?>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<?php } ?>

is this something you can help me with or should I be posting elsewhere for this?

thanks again

[newagekat]

The tricky part may be getting the categories sidebox (which is what Cat Dressing controls) to display without having a visible side column. It may work to set (Configuration > Layout Settings) Column Width Left and Column Width Boxes Left to 0. Then make #categoriesHeading {display: none;} and eliminate any border or bg color in #categories {} and #categoriesContent {}.

You will be able to hide top categories in the sidebox, and position the sidebox content, using the controls available with Cat Dressing. I don't think it will be possible to disable the first level subcat links without some code modification; there may be a workaround, but I would have to experiment to find it.

Glenn:
Thank you for taking the time to work with me. Sometimes I take on more than I can chew. I've installed your Mod and will attempt to make some sense of it.

in Configuration > Layout settings, i have the following:
Column Width - Left Boxes 130px
Column Left Status - Global 1 - my left column is being used for the binder rings image.
Column Width - Left 130px

Column Width - Right Boxes 0
Column Right Status - Global 0
Column Width - Right 0

so I only changed the following:
Column Right Status - Global 1

in Tool > Layout box controller, I don't currently have the categories turned on. if I turn on single column, it does nothing. So I turn on right column.

I have set
#categoriesHeading {display: none;)
#categories {} and #categoriesContent {}

The categories are now showing outside the centerContent area, but are not properly listing the sub categories.

I had created the level 3 categories before the level 2 for Books and Patterns, and then moved the level 3 under level 2. so the ID may be mixed up?

I'm not usually dense, but the instruction on grouping in your readme, well, is confusing.

I take it that there is no interface for the settings, they have to be manually coded into categories_dressing_defines.php?

[gjh42]

  <li><?php $content .= '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_SPECIALS) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_SPECIALS . '</a>';?></li>

The $content .= part is used in tpl_categories.php, where content is accumulated before being output. Here it is output directly, so you would want to change
$content .=
to
echo

  <li><?php echo '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_SPECIALS) . '">' . CATEGORIES_BOX_HEADING_SPECIALS . '</a>';?></li>

Do the same for the other link.

For the sidebar, I didn't check to find that you were using the left sidebar already. That makes it easier; you can just enable the categories box in the left column, set its width and a negative margin-right if needed (it may well not be needed), and move the box to the right with position: relative; .

The category ids can't cause any problems. Just use the cPath if needed to specify a category. Your case is actually very simple, and you don't need to mess with groups at all. Setting the top cats to be hidden in categories_dressing_defines.php means that you will want to move the entire remaining content of the box to the right-side position.
You will also want to disable or hide the subcategory links on pages that are not subcat listings.