Customizing Product Description Text Formatting on Category Page

[Bahnstoermer]

I'm going to start a separate thread for this question. Referencing this page...

*** URL removed *** index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1

You can see that the "preview text" of the product description here doesn't have the proper formatting that it does on the actual product page shown here...

*** URL removed *** /index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

How can this be resolved?

Ideally, to be honest, I'd like that preview text to be different than the full text on the product page. Any tips on either of these?

Thanks for the great forum support, I've found about all the answers I seek so far.

[gjh42]

This looks like a good opportunity to post a mod I've had on the back burner for a while. I worked this out a few months ago here; the current version is just tidied up from that.

This is more complex than your requirement, but can be simplified to fit.

################################################################################____

Multiple Product Descriptions
################################################################################____

This mod gives the ability to have different descriptions in product listing and product info pages, and different parts of the info page description in different places.


First you need to allow HTML to function on the product listing page. Edit /includes/modules/your_template/product_listing.php to comment out zen_clean_html in two places around lines 98 & 100, as explained in this thread. You may also need to do a similar thing in products_all_listing.php (not sure of the filename) to allow HTML on the all products page.

It is also necessary to set the product listing description to allow a larger number of characters than you are ever likely to use (Configuration > Product Listing), so HTML tags don't get truncated. That would be bad. I set mine to 2000.


Enter all the different parts you want to display, with <span class=productDescList>text text text</span><span id=productDesc1>text text text</span><span id=productDesc2>text text text</span> tags around each section.
Put the short description for listing pages in productDescList, and blocks for the info page in 1, 2, etc.
You can use this as a template to paste into the description textarea and fill in:

<span class=productDescList>your text here
</span>
<span id=productDesc1>your text here
</span>
<span id=productDesc2>your text here
</span>

Copy the product description block in tpl_product_info_display to all the locations where you want to display a section of text, and give each block (including the original) a separate id.

 <!--bof Product description -->
<?php if ($products_description != '') { ?>
<div id="productDescription1" class="biggerText productGeneral"><?php echo stripslashes($products_description); ?></div>
<?php } ?>
<!--eof Product description -->
<br class="clearBoth" />

Give any desired styling to each description block.
In your stylesheet, find #productDescription and change it to #productDescription1. Below that declaration, add

#productDescription2 {your desired styling} etc.

Next, turn off all display of #productDesc1 and #productDesc2 etc., and .productDescList in the product info page, and turn them on again selectively.

#productGeneral .productDescList, #productDesc1, #productDesc2 { display: none; }

#productDescription1 #productDesc1 { display: block; } /*or inline*/

#productDescription2 #productDesc2 { display: block; }

The desired parts of the description will display in their respective locations.

[Bahnstoermer]

Awesome - thanks so much for posting. Once again I'll have to work on this in the evening but I'm pumped about trying it.

[Bahnstoermer]

Thanks for the help - pardon my ignorance as I'm still waiting on my CSS lesson from a friend. For this block of text below, what file to do enter this in? I may be requesting some hand holding here, but perhaps by the time we're done I can summarize it into a very basic step by step for others...


Enter all the different parts you want to display, with <span class=productDescList>text text text</span><span id=productDesc1>text text text</span><span id=productDesc2>text text text</span> tags around each section.
Put the short description for listing pages in productDescList, and blocks for the info page in 1, 2, etc.
You can use this as a template to paste into the description textarea and fill in:

[gjh42]

Sorry for not being explicit there - you would save that "template" block of text as a text file somewhere handy on your computer, and copy & paste it into the description field when you are creating a new product. Then you just add your text in place of the "your text here".

For a quick start on CSS, check out www.w3schools.com - they have tutorials and interactive examples where you can actually practice live.

[Bahnstoermer]

Great thanks I'll look at this again.

[permissiontopost?]

great contribution and directions. Have a small problem, all my description boxes are different sizes and misaligned, any ideas on how to fix this.
Also one of my products doesnt have a description2 boxes

any help would be great,

[gjh42]

You can use the classes and ids in your stylesheet to fine-tune the size, shape, position, font and other characteristics of the individual description areas. If a particular product doesn't have any text to go in #productDesc2, leave it empty (or eliminate the <span id=productDesc2>your text here</span>) and if it has no borders or background color it will at most add a small blank space where it would usually display.

[permissiontopost?]

The problem is in the description boxes in the admin area. they are now aligned like
xxx
xx
x
x
x
xx
xxx
The lines at the bottom of the page where you can add a pic and everything are misaligned too. I looked at the style sheet but I think its for the webpage not the admin area. Is there a style sheet for the admin area?

[gjh42]

There should be a separate stylesheet for admin, and any editing you have done to your template stylesheet can have no effect on admin. Zen Cart will never see the template stylesheet when rendering admin pages. So I don't know what could have happened to your display.

Can you post a screenshot of the display? (Obviously you can't post your admin for us to look at live.)