Only homepage without right and left column sideboxes

I started fiddling with zencart today and it really overwhelmed me especially when I am newbie. Also, I have been through tutorials.

I have made custom folder and copied all default templates into custom folder so that I can customize the templates.

Only the things I wanted to do are:

1. remove all sideboxes on right and left columns on homepage (front page).
2. on homepage, the page will be "image-heavy" and the navigation at top.
3. after click somewhere on image or nav on the homepage, it should take us to the secondary pages with right column sidebox of the category links and product images.

Is it possible to do these three? since sideboxes would be controlled from layout controller for homepage and they will disappear, i do not know how to make sidebox on right column appear without using layout controller which is solely for homepage? Also, how to use images and some small nav links on the front page (homepage) without sideboxes? Can html be used only? or must it be modified in php?

The help will be very much appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

There are settings in admin for controlling the right and left sideboxes throughout the site, under admin/Tools/Layout Boxes Controller. There you can tell it which boxes to show in which column, and can turn a column off or on entirely. And there are more settings in admin/Confirguration/Layout Settings to adjust the sideboxes width and such. And then of course, you can fine tune the appearance in the stylesheet.

Then, to turn them off entirely on the home page, follow the instructions in this thread.

Hope this gets you started.

Rob

Thank you. I think that you didn't answer some of my questions. I know about layout controller and I have turned sideboxes off.

My question is that I only want to put images and nav on the homepage without sideboxes - Can it be done with html? Or do I have to put some php function to make it work?
Then on secondary page, it should have a sidebox on right for product category links. If I use layout controller to turn sidebox on, it will appear on homepage. so ..

As for your link reference, I will take a look and hopefully it could help me with my question.

Thank you for your reply. :hug:

dreamlex:

My question is that I only want to put images and nav on the homepage without sideboxes - Can it be done with html? Or do I have to put some php function to make it work?
All of Zen Cart pages are created with php. You may need to modify the php files which together make up the home page. But explore the many settings in admin/Configuration first.

dreamlex:

Then on secondary page, it should have a sidebox on right for product category links. If I use layout controller to turn sidebox on, it will appear on homepage.
The link I provided has instructions to do that. So turn on the right column, put the sideboxes in it that you want on other pages, then follow the linked instructions to turn them off on the home page.

Rob

thank you for your help! I have succeed making sideboxes and stuff disappear.

rstevenson:

All of Zen Cart pages are created with php. You may need to modify the php files which together make up the home page. But explore the many settings in admin/Configuration first.

The link I provided has instructions to do that. So turn on the right column, put the sideboxes in it that you want on other pages, then follow the linked instructions to turn them off on the home page.

Rob

I did turn off all the right columns and turn on only one sidebox on left column for categories - still the secondary pages (not homepage) have two columns appear. I have been trying to work on zencart for quite some time and I am still stuck at header and body for products.

how do we know where to edit the pages where products appears (what is new, featured, product page with "add" button etc)?

I have attempted to do this in both the includes/templates/template_default/common AND includes/templates/MY TEMPLATE/common directories and nothing changes.

Is it possible that - because I am using a MonsterTemplate template - it won't be this simple?

I just want to turn off columns on home page.
I have tried un-commenting, and adding snippets found in these threads. neither works.

includes/templates/MY TEMPLATE/common/tpl_main_page.php

change from:

• @package templateSystem
• @copyright Copyright 2003-2007 Zen Cart Development Team
• @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
• @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
• @version $Id: tpl_main_page.php 7085 2007-09-22 04:56:31Z ajeh $
  */

to

• @package templateSystem
• @copyright Copyright 2003-2007 Zen Cart Development Team
• @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
• @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
• @version $Id: tpl_main_page.php 7085 2007-09-22 04:56:31Z ajeh $
  */

if ($this_is_home_page == true) {
$flag_disable_left = true;
$flag_disable_right = true;
}

The above is based on default file for v1.3.8a.

Ah!! I was putting it in the wrong place ;)
THANK YOU!!!!