Add a new product type in 1.5, or not...

I have a need to add products that have many fields, attributes are not the answer because the customer will not be able to choose, just a ton of new fields.
I have searched and searched for a way to add a new product type, however everything I have found in posts are pre 1.5. and not working as intended.

So my question is what is the best way to add a new product type in 1.5, is it worth it, is there a better alternative.
Thanks in advance
Jeff

The product-type concepts are the same in v1.5

What EXACTLY do you mean by "not working as intended"? That's a rather vague explanation of your problem ;)

Sorry, I meant to tell you lol,
here goes, I used the product_music as the template and copied every file i could find and renamed product_forklift following this post.
http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?76252-Creating-a-new-General-Product-Type

./admin/product_music.php
./admin/includes/languages/english/product_music.php
./admin/includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/product_music.php
./admin/includes/boxes/extra_boxes/product_music_extras_dhtml.php
./admin/includes/modules/product_music
./admin/includes/functions/extra_functions/product_music_functions.php
./includes/languages/english/product_music_info.php
./includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/product_music.php
./includes/modules/pages/product_music_info
./includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_product_music_info_display.php
./includes/templates/custom_template/templates/tpl_product_music_info_display.php

frontend loads ok, however backend gives me a blank page.

I have traced it to forklift_type_database_names.php, which I edited after the initial 500 error crashes to this:
define('TABLE_FORKLIFT', DB_PREFIX . 'forklift')

if i rename the file, the backend comes up ok.
I am in the process of revamping the collect_info.php the match field names for the new product, not sure if this may solve the blank page issue, 49 fields is a lot lol.

even though the a post talks a lot about it, i'm still a little confused on how it will work, i found an old article that explained product types in detail, while it was written for an older version, it wasn't too helpful, i think you posted it with the article above.

My vision is to have a product named forklift, with many many (49) fields, i need to be able to save ALL of the fields at one time and associated with a particular forklift.

Is your define() statement missing a closing semicolon?
What's the actual PHP error message?

jeffiec:

backend gives me a blank page.
http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?124-blank-page

if (!defined('IS_ADMIN_FLAG')) {
die('Illegal Access');
}
define('TABLE_FORKLIFT', DB_PREFIX . 'forklift');

no errors, just the white page, renaming the file seems to at least get the page back.

And wouldn't you know, I cleaned the white spaces after the end php tag and it comes up lol. Prolly shoulda done that before I posted. :oops:

I will let you know how the rest goes, I have the tedious job of going through all the files in the product_forklift folder to make the logic work. :wacko:

Your aide is invaluable, no amount of money could ever repay the knowledge that you share with us, I am glad to be of acquaintance :D

PS. You were kind of giving me direction on another post http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?205988-custom-search-page-using-defined-page-with-ajax&p=1186536#post1186536, where should i put the business logic? is there a tutorial or post i can reference?

jeffiec:

And wouldn't you know, I cleaned the white spaces after the end php tag and it comes up lol. Prolly shoulda done that before I posted. :oops:
Lol ... I know how that goes.
In fact, why not just remove the ending PHP tag. Explained here: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?271-some-of-my-php-files-are-missing-the-at-the-end-of-the-file

Ok, first problem:
File:admin/includes/modules/product_forklift/update_product.php

//// INSERT PRODUCT-TYPE-SPECIFIC *INSERTS* HERE //////

      $tmp_value = zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_id']);

      $forklift_id = (!zen_not_null($tmp_value) || $tmp_value=='' || $tmp_value == 0) ? 0 : $tmp_value;

      $sql_data_array = array('forklift_id' => (int)$products_id,
                              'forklift_make' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_make'][$language_id]), 
							  'forklift_model' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_model'][$language_id]), 
							  'forklift_cpac' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_cpac'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_mast' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_mast'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_mast_type' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['products_name'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_attach' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_attach'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_trans' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_trans'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_fuel' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_fuel'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tires' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tires'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_stock' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_stock'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_year' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_year'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_po' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_po'][$language_id]), 
							  'forklift_tnailfile' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailfile'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic2' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic2'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic3' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic3'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic4' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic4'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic5' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic5'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic6' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic6'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic7' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic7'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_tnailpic8' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_tnailpic8'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_offer' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_offer'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_leng_fork_face' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_leng_fork_face'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_overall_width' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_overall_width'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_height' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_height'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_wheelbase' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_wheelbase'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_ground_clear' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_ground_clear'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_height_top_gaurd' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_height_top_gaurd'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_max_fork_height' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_max_fork_height'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_mast_tip_forward' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_mast_tip_forward'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_mast_tip_year' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_mast_tip_year'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_emake' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_emake'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_emodel' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_emodel'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_power' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_power'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_torque' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_torque'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_power_measured' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_power_measured'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_op_weight' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_op_weight'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_num_f_tires' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_num_f_tires'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_num_r_tires' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_num_r_tires'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_max_speed' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_max_speed'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_turn_rad' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_turn_rad'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_load_center' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_load_center'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_m_fork_speed' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_m_fork_speed'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_lift_speed' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_lift_speed'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_lower_speed' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_lower_speed'][$language_id]),
							  'forklift_r_angle_stack' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_r_angle_stack'][$language_id])) ;



      zen_db_perform(TABLE_FORKLIFT, $sql_data_array);



      ////    *END OF PRODUCT-TYPE-SPECIFIC INSERTS* ////////

After clicking Preview, then Insert, I get this error,
WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again.
Thinking either I cant use the product_id in this:
'forklift_id' => (int)$products_id,
or this tag is malformed by the [$language_id] tag:
'forklift_make' => zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['forklift_make'][$language_id]),

Just not too sure what ties the extra data to a particular product.

Jeff

jeffiec:

After clicking Preview, then Insert, I get this error,
WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again.
You'll need to find the exact error. See: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?311-warning-an-error-occurred-please-refresh-the-page-and-try-again

Bah!!!:frusty:
After several misspelling errors, both in the arrays and in the table, it is working! :clap:
I knew the logs were somewhere, i just couldnt find them lol.

Just to clarify though, the preview file is going to have to be adjusted too huh?

Thanks again

jeffiec:

Just to clarify though, the preview file is going to have to be adjusted too huh?A definite maybe, depending on what all you've added to your custom product type.