Second step in setting up your cart - templates

I am posting this information in order to provide a link that will more easily provide solutions for typical problems faced by most new Zenners. (Devs feel free to edit this for completeness and accuracy.)

Start here to learn just about everything you need to know to get started customizing your site - https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=230
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=143
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=232

Zen Cart is built on a system called ‘overrides.’ When you have worked hard on customizing your site you do not want to lose all that work when a new version or cart update comes along. So, follow the guide for creating a custom template and it will ‘override’ the stock template after any updates.

All of the files you change should go in special folders you create for your template. Something like /custom or /my_template. Your new custom template folder should only contain files that have actually been edited for your site. Copy the files from template_default, edit them, and make sure they are in the correct ’my_custom_template’ folder. Most of the /custom folders will be in directories that also have a /classic folder. The classic folder is a landmark to let you know you are in the right place.

If you are using ver 1.3+ you should use the template default as a basis for your new template and not the Classic template.

Remember to edit template_info.php and turn on the template in admin.

The Wiki also has great information. However, since the forum experienced an emergency reload, the links may not have been updated. Be patient. Some of the information refers to ver 1.2+ and is slightly different in 1.3+ so read carefully.

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Customisation_-_Templates_-_Customizing
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Customisation_-_Templates
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Developers_API_Overrides
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Basic_Checklist

If your new template does not work, please double check the following things before having a panic attack, starting to blame the devs, claiming there must be a bug and/or appealing to everyone’s good nature since you ‘are such a newb.’ Before posting a thread needing "emergency attention" ask:

1. Are your edited files in the correct folders?
2. Are you editing the correct files?
3. Have you misspelled a file or folder name?
4. Have you have turned on the template?
5. Have you have used Admin> Tools> Developers Tool Kit? Put the text you want to change in the box at bottom left and select ‘all files.’ You will get a list of files with that text.
6. Have you re-read the tutorials because you missed a step.

I have committed all these sins, and more, so do not think you could not have made a mistake.

Best wishes for your Zen success.

Excellent post Sermonzone, am sure this will be big help to members

Your first link does not appear to work.

Your first link does not appear to work
Tested all links.. working fine at time of test

Great post sermonzone, let me add these Wiki links which would be useful to further customize the custom template:

• Top 10 Questions asked by new Zen Cart™ Users

• Useful Tools For Working With Zen Cart™

• Editing PHP

• Making a Local Copy of Your Web Site

milkyway:

Great post sermonzone, let me add these Wiki links which would be useful to further customize the custom template:

• Top 10 Questions asked by new Zen Cart™ Users

My # 1 question is: can I use my own website (template) that I already built or do I have to "modify" zen cart to look like my site and scrap my whole site (which I've spent months working on)?

For the shopping part of your site (assuming that shopping is only part of your site) you really need to use ZC for everything, modifying the template to match the rest of your site. This will still cause difficulties if your site is HTML, as if shoppers leave the ZC pages for another page in your site they will lose their session (and cart contents) unless logged in. If your site is PHP, it should be possible with advanced coding to keep the session active. The subject has been discussed here recently.

Zen Cart is capable of acting as a basic CMS (except for forums) and can handle being your entire site.

gjh42:

For the shopping part of your site (assuming that shopping is only part of your site) you really need to use ZC for everything, modifying the template to match the rest of your site. This will still cause difficulties if your site is HTML, as if shoppers leave the ZC pages for another page in your site they will lose their session (and cart contents) unless logged in. If your site is PHP, it should be possible with advanced coding to keep the session active. The subject has been discussed here recently.

Zen Cart is capable of acting as a basic CMS (except for forums) and can handle being your entire site.

I had that question too, about should I get rid of the existing pages and start over with zen cart. That makes sense. What is CMS?

CMS = Content Management System

That means we have the ability to manage other web pages within the cart program. You can write articles or add news or whatever other additional imformation pages you need.

I appreciate all your tips and links and have been using lots of them to customize my site. I followed the link:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/faq.ph...late_customize
and tried to add my favicon using the instructions given, but it won't show up. It is on my present web site, so I know to format the icon and put it in the root, etc. I made a copy and put it in the root of the subdomain that I am using to host my store. I tried to follow the instructions, but there are several places with the code "/> and I have used trial and error (all error so far) trying to get the favicon to show.
I wonder if you can be more specific on exactly where I should insert the code in both documents.
Catherine

You don't have to insert code. But in Internet Explorer the favicon will only show for bookmarked pages, and in Firefox, if you have visited the site previously, you have to clear your cache before the favicon will show. I just cleared mine and can see your pinky, purply, flowery thing :smile:

Oh, Thank you! It's always the simplest little thing that can throw things out of whack. Leaving out one comma from the code can wipe the page clean!

Now I just have to figure out how to get my categories on top of the side bar instead of the bottom. This has been quite a learning experience.

Admin > Tools > Layout Box Controller and adjust the sort orders for your sideboxes

kuroi:

Admin > Tools > Layout Box Controller and adjust the sort orders for your sideboxes

Thanks, Kuroi, I had tried that before, but I just tried it again and it doesn't seem to change the boxes. I put Categories as 1 and Information as 3, but nothing changed. I cleared the cache and refreshed the page, etc. I can't get them to move.

Are you changing the left/right column or single column sort orders (it should be the those for the left/right)? Are you clicking on update after you have changed the sort order? Do your changes show up on the main Layout Boxes Controller after you have made them?

kuroi:

Are you changing the left/right column or single column sort orders (it should be the those for the left/right)? Are you clicking on update after you have changed the sort order? Do your changes show up on the main Layout Boxes Controller after you have made them?

I thought using only one row of side boxes was single column, so I had selected left and single column. I changed that and tried again. I do click update. A couple times it moved up a few spaces, but not to the top and didn't show on my site. Since changing to left/right and selecting left without the single column, I can't get it to move at all.

Can you post a screenshot of your settings?

I just got the search box to move down, but somehow I got 2 new search boxes where I don't want them. I'll have to work on this a bit and I will probably figure it out. thanks.
Catherine

kuroi:

Can you post a screenshot of your settings?

They are kind of messed up because many of them are set to single column as well as to left, so I need to check all of them in their "edit" screens. thanks for the help.

Do not check the single column option for anything except the Header search box. Use only Left or Right for position and the sort order for that position.