Sidebox issue

Greetings!

I recently went to define pages editor to change the categories for my sidebox, define_homepages_v1.php and I changed the category of "beauty and health" to "beauty" - linking it to my beauty products page and when I did that now my homepage says that the slideshow is not found and banner manager id is not valid; however I didn't change any code or any banner or banner id. I'm sending screenshots to show what's on my screen. My site is https://www.cedargroveherbs.com/new (i'm working on a new store), and I'm using ZC Version 1.5.8. I'm also including pictures of what the slideshow and banner originally looked like. Should I send a pic of the source code for the define_homepages_v1.php? *I changed the category back to how it was before I changed it to see if that would fix the problem but it still says slideshow not found and banner manager id is not valild.

You have me confused and I lived in Lufkin at one time.:P

The information in the Categories sidebox is determined by the actual categories in the admin.

The define_main_page is something totally different and cannot dictate which categories are present in the sidebox.

I'm afraid we're going to need a little more information to sort this one out.:dontgetit

dbltoe:

You have me confused and I lived in Lufkin at one time.:P

The information in the Categories sidebox is determined by the actual categories in the admin.

The define_main_page is something totally different and cannot dictate which categories are present in the sidebox.

I'm afraid we're going to need a little more information to sort this one out.:dontgetit

Cool! I've been here for 20 years. Believe me, it's not your fault that this is confusing. I think it's the way this new template "NEON" was designed. I have categories already created in my categories in admin. However, on the sidebar I wanted to link the categories to the pages (because I'm not using their fashion categories, I'm creating a Herb & Metaphysical store). Maybe seeing this code from the define_homepage_v1.php will help. Sh*ts crazy! I'm scared to make any changes to the define editor pages because this is the second time I've had a problem. I made a change 2 days ago to the define_information_links.php in the define editor (which only showed bullet points with no words), in an attempt to add my blog link and all the links disappeared on the website. I fixed it, but I didn't fix the way they originally had it, I just wrote the names of the pages and linked them to my pages (privacy_policy, Conditions of use, site map, etc.). It looks the same on the site, I just know they had it set up a different way originally behind the scenes.

<div class="home_supermarket"> <section class="slider_section supermarket_slider sec_ptb_50 clearfix" data-background="images/wt_images/backgrounds/bg_13.jpg"> <div class="container"> <div class="row justify-content-lg-between"> <div class="col-lg-3"> <div class="alldepartments_menu_wrap"> <div class="alldepartments_dropdown show_lg collapse" id="alldepartments_dropdown"> <div class="card"> <ul class="alldepartments_menulist ul_li_block clearfix"> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_01.png" /> </span> <strong>Free Gift Product</strong> </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_02.png" /> </span> <strong>Trending Product</strong> </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_03.png" /> </span> <strong>Discount Products</strong> </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_04.png" /> </span> Beauty & Health </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_05.png" /> </span> Women's Fashion </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_06.png" /> </span> Smart Phones & Tablets </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_07.png" /> </span> Computing & Gaming </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_08.png" /> </span> Home & Living </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_09.png" /> </span> Diamond </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_10.png" /> </span> Men </a></li> <li><a href="#!"><span class="icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_11.png" /> </span> Accesories </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-6">[wtsm_slideshow ID="1"]</div> <div class="col-lg-3">[wtwbm_slider ID="1"]</div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="policy_section sec_ptb_50 pb-0 clearfix bg-light-grey"> <div class="container"> <div class="supermarket_policy clearfix"> <ul class="ul_li clearfix"> <li> <div class="supermarket_policy_item clearfix"> <div class="item_icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_12.png" /></div>

<div class="item_content">
<h3 class="text-uppercase">Free Delivery</h3>

<p>For all order over $99</p>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="supermarket_policy_item clearfix">
<div class="item_icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_13.png" /></div>

<div class="item_content">
<h3 class="text-uppercase">Safe payment</h3>

<p>100% secure payment</p>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="supermarket_policy_item clearfix">
<div class="item_icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_14.png" /></div>

<div class="item_content">
<h3 class="text-uppercase">Shop with confidence</h3>

<p>If goods have problems</p>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="supermarket_policy_item clearfix">
<div class="item_icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_15.png" /></div>

<div class="item_content">
<h3 class="text-uppercase">24/7 help center</h3>

<p>Dedicated 24/7 support</p>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="supermarket_policy_item clearfix">
<div class="item_icon"><img alt="icon_not_found" src="images/wt_images/icons/supermarket/icon_16.png" /></div>

<div class="item_content">
<h3 class="text-uppercase">Friendly services</h3>

<p>30 day satisfaction guarantee</p>
</div>
</div>
</li>

</ul> </div> </div> </section> <section class="deals_section sec_ptb_50 clearfix"> <div class="container"> <div class="row align-items-center"> <div class="col-lg-3"> <div class="supermarket_section_title clearfix"><span class="sub_title text-uppercase">A wide selection of items </span> <h2 class="title_text mb-0">Top Flash Deal</h2> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-7"> <div class="gray_line"> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-2"> <div class="carousel_nav cust-slick-slider align_right" data-target=".supermarket_deals_carousel"><button aria-label="Prev" class="cslick-prev left_arrow5" type="button"></button><button aria-label="Next" class="cslick-next right_arrow5" type="button"></button></div> </div> </div> <div class="supermarket_deals_carousel position-relative clearfix">[wtwbm_slider ID="28"]</div> </div> </section> <section class="product_section sec_ptb_100 bg_white clearfix"> <div class="container"> <div class="row justify-content-lg-between"> <div class="col-lg-3"> <div class="supermarket_sidebar_tab mb_30"> <div class="wrap_heade bg_supermarket_red clearfix"> <h2>Top Flash Deal</h2> <span>A wide selection of items</span></div> <ul class="ul_li_block nav"> <li><a class="nav-link active" data-bs-target="#top_sale_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Top Sales</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#tv_video_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">TV & Video</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#cameras_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Cameras</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#audio_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Audio</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#cell_phones_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Cell Phones</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#computers_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Computers</a></li> <li><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#accesoriess_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Accesoriess</a></li> </ul> </div> [wtwbm_slider ID="2"]</div> <div class="col-lg-9"> <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane fade active bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="top_sale_tab">[products type="best_sellers" style="grid" max_products="12" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" show_product_reviews="false" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="tv_video_tab">[products type="category_products" category="120" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="cameras_tab">[products type="category_products" category="114" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="audio_tab">[products type="category_products" category="136" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="cell_phones_tab">[products type="category_products" category="142" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="computers_tab">[products type="category_products" category="155" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="accesoriess_tab">[products type="category_products" category="142" style="grid" max_products="9" show_xxl_columns="4" show_xl_columns="4" show_lg_columns="4" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none"]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="advertisement_section sec_ptb_50 pb-0 clearfix"> <div class="container">[wtwbm_slider ID="3"]</div> </section> <section class="bestseller_section sec_ptb_50 pb-0 clearfix bg-light-grey"> <div class="container"> <div class="row mb_50 align-items-center justify-content-lg-between"> <div class="col-lg-5"> <div class="supermarket_section_title clearfix"><span class="sub_title text-uppercase">A wide selection of items</span> <h2 class="title_text mb-0">Bestseller Products</h2> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-7"> <ul class="supermarket_tab_nav ul_li_right nav clearfix"> <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link active" data-bs-target="#top_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Top 20</a></li> <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#phones_tablets_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Phones & Tablets</a></li> <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#laptops_computers_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Laptops & Computers</a></li> <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" data-bs-target="#video_cameras_tab" data-bs-toggle="pill">Video Cameras</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane fade active bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="top_tab">[products type="best_sellers" style="grid" style="micro_grid" max_products="6" show_xxl_columns="3" show_xl_columns="3" show_lg_columns="3" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" product_class="btn-icon-text"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="phones_tablets_tab">[products type="category_products" category="142" style="micro_grid" max_products="6" show_xxl_columns="3" show_xl_columns="3" show_lg_columns="3" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" product_class="btn-icon-text"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="laptops_computers_tab">[products type="category_products" category="152" style="micro_grid" max_products="6" show_xxl_columns="3" show_xl_columns="3" show_lg_columns="3" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" product_class="btn-icon-text"]</div> <div class="tab-pane fade bg_white supermarket_product_columns" id="video_cameras_tab">[products type="category_products" category="160" style="micro_grid" max_products="6" show_xxl_columns="3" show_xl_columns="3" show_lg_columns="3" show_md_columns="2" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" product_class="btn-icon-text"]</div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="advertisement_section sec_ptb_50 clearfix"> <div class="container">[wtwbm_slider ID="4"]</div> </section> <section class="supermarket_feature_carousel tt-carousel-products arrow_ycenter clearfix" data-autoplay="true" data-autoplayspeed="4000" data-item="1" data-item-lg="1" data-item-md="1" data-item-sm="1" data-item-xs="1" data-slick="{"dots": false}" data-speed="1000">[wtwbm_slider ID="5"]</section> <section class="bestseller_section sec_ptb_100 clearfix"> <div class="container"> <div class="row justify-content-lg-between"> <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <div class="bestseller_wrap"> <div class="supermarket_section_title mb_50 clearfix"><span class="sub_title text-uppercase">A wide selection of items</span> <h2 class="title_text mb-0">Bestseller Products</h2> </div> [products type="best_sellers" style="micro_small_grid" max_products="3" show_xxl_columns="1" show_xl_columns="1" show_lg_columns="1" show_md_columns="1" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" show_product_buttons="false" show_product_labels="false"]</div> </div> <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <div class="bestseller_wrap"> <div class="supermarket_section_title mb_50 clearfix"><span class="sub_title text-uppercase">A wide selection of items</span> <h2 class="title_text mb-0">Top Deals Products</h2> </div> [products type="category_products" category="152" style="micro_small_grid" max_products="3" show_xxl_columns="1" show_xl_columns="1" show_lg_columns="1" show_md_columns="1" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" show_product_buttons="false" show_product_labels="false"]</div> </div> <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <div class="bestseller_wrap"> <div class="supermarket_section_title mb_50 clearfix"><span class="sub_title text-uppercase">A wide selection of items</span> <h2 class="title_text mb-0">New Products</h2> </div> [products type="new_products" style="micro_small_grid" max_products="3" show_xxl_columns="1" show_xl_columns="1" show_lg_columns="1" show_md_columns="1" show_sm_columns="1" show_xs_columns="1" title="none" show_product_buttons="false" show_product_labels="false"]</div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div>

dbltoe:

You have me confused and I lived in Lufkin at one time.:P

The information in the Categories sidebox is determined by the actual categories in the admin.

The define_main_page is something totally different and cannot dictate which categories are present in the sidebox.

I'm afraid we're going to need a little more information to sort this one out.:dontgetit

Cool.. I've been here 20 years.

Believe me, it's not your fault that it's confusing. I think it's the way the author created the template. Its called "NEON". I have categories created already with all my products. When it comes to the sidebar, in the define_homepages_v1.php the categories that came with the template are for fashion but I'm creating an herb & metaphysical store, so I wanted to change them to reflect my particular categories. However, when I made a change to customize it, the situation occurred. It's bothersome - 2 days ago I went to define_imporant_links.php to customize the links (the page just showed bullet points with no words) and when I tried to add my blog page link it showed the important links gone on the site. It's the way they have the code set up on the define pages editor. How can I show you the code?

Over fifty for me but the house is still there.

It's always best to answer all the questions in the posting tips AND, if possible, give us a link to the site.

In posting the link to the site, use a format like yoursiteDOTcom until you really want the whole world to drop by.

With what I'm hearing and a store-bought template, you may have a rough battle ahead.

dbltoe:

Over fifty for me but the house is still there.

It's always best to answer all the questions in the posting tips AND, if possible, give us a link to the site.

In posting the link to the site, use a format like yoursiteDOTcom until you really want the whole world to drop by.

With what I'm hearing and a store-bought template, you may have a rough battle ahead.

Yeah, I've been having problems with it from day 1, but slowly but surely I have fixed all of them and I'm learning in the process. Plus I have you guys! So I might hang in there. Once I have the site looking good I can leave it as is for a while and take a break. I'm sooo tired lol.

The site where u can view the problem is https://www.cedargroveherbs.com/new

I highly encourage you to have a developer (*) review this template against the list of recommended template fixes in

https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/template/template_changes/

The Perfectus/Webtwine templates are often based on 1.5.4/1.5.5 and have not been updated since then. This means security holes, accessibility problems, PHP 8 issues, and missing notifiers so plugins fail to work.

As a general rule, I discourage people from using these templates.

(*) Not me; someone else.

That template is like trying to get to Diboll on 69. Ain't gonna happen.

You still haven't answered the posting tips so I'm not sure what version you are using.

I'd wait till 2.0's release and go with the Bootstrap template.

dbltoe:

That template is like trying to get to Diboll on 69. Ain't gonna happen.

You still haven't answered the posting tips so I'm not sure what version you are using.

I'd wait till 2.0's release and go with the Bootstrap template.

stop pissing on other peoples template choices. either help with their problem or move on.

all these comments do is chase potential developers from working on this project. less developers means less stores; less stores means less hosting.

TIS.

unlike others, i am willing to help people that have templates outside of the norm.

to start off, when working on your new site, i would turn off whatever URL writer you have on. getting that to work is generally not that hard; but when posting a link as to where your problem might be, it is far easier for someone, who actually knows code, to help when they do not have to decipher what, in fact the page is.

i think your template looks good, and i would encourage you to continue working on it.

i would also pay heed to what @swguy said. the security fixes are important.

best.

stop pissing on other peoples template choices. either help with their problem or move on.
all these comments do is chase potential developers from working on this project. less developers means less stores; less stores means less hosting.

Absolutely.
The lack of any attractive templates whatsoever forces the brave and determined (to use ZC) to use commercial alternatives, horrendous as they are to those who are familiar with the innards of the code.

Many "templates" are not just visual mods but a complete site solution including a pile of (outdated) plugins and hacks (that arguably should be in the core to begin with) making "template integration" into a formidable site merge-upgrade nightmare followed, I expect, in many cases by a jump to an alternative ecommerce solution that offers what people think they need.

Hence supporting these users who persevere in their quest is a Pandoras box of support with problems on multiple fronts, so yes it's understandable to recommend that users stay well away from such packages. But what alternatives are there???

I sympathise as I am currently going round in circles trying a commercial template vs Bootstrap.
And getting no work done.
And getting a lot of pressure from my partner who cannot understand why the hell would I waste my time with this if there are no templates/designers because no-one uses it anymore?

I help with templates all the time and would not touch it myself. To suggest that I am here to denigrate versus assist is not sustainable. I believe it is most helpful to point out flaws that, without a doubt, will cause lower rankings and less traffic.

As often stated, my goal is to assist Zen Cart and its users. I would be remiss if I suggested someone try to make this template work when Zen Cart provides a much better platform on which to build what the storeowner wants.

Here's why I said what I did when I compared results of the site's home page versus ZC 2.0 RC2.

Existing Template
CSS - 55 Errors 1054 Warnings
HTML - 9 Errors 35 Warnings
Acccessibility - 9 Critical 27 Serious 37 Moderate 1 Minor
Lighthouse - Desktop 54 78 96 100 Mobile 38 74 93 100

ZC 2.0.0 RC2
CSS - 14 Errors 671 Warnings
HTML - 0 Errors 0 Warnings
Accessibility - 0 Automatic Errors
Lighthouse - Desktop 100 100 100 100 Mobile 95 100 100 100

* The testing for ZC 2.0 was done with the latest Bootstrap, OPC, EO, and a database upgrade from 1.5.7d of a customer's site.

** All errors and all but 8 warnings are from outside sources.

*** No automatic tool can check things like hover contrast, text embedded in images, and other items not present without user interaction.

I simply can't suggest that someone continue down this rabbit whole and maintain a clear conscience.

Even a developer with new/limited abilities in Bootstrap would at the least have a clean canvas to work with and the storeowner can devote the "fix it first" cost to actual "style it" cost.

carlwhat:

stop pissing on other peoples template choices. either help with their problem or move on.

all these comments do is chase potential developers from working on this project. less developers means less stores; less stores means less hosting.

TIS.

unlike others, i am willing to help people that have templates outside of the norm.

to start off, when working on your new site, i would turn off whatever URL writer you have on. getting that to work is generally not that hard; but when posting a link as to where your problem might be, it is far easier for someone, who actually knows code, to help when they do not have to decipher what, in fact the page is.

i think your template looks good, and i would encourage you to continue working on it.

i would also pay heed to what @swguy said. the security fixes are important.

best.

Thanks Carl! I got in touch with the developer and they basically just restored the original code for the page. They said not to use html editor, so there's that. A very easy fix but I was basically just a beginner when I started. Now I'm on my way to being a novice! I've finished with the website for the most part. I didn't know to put a link in the <li><a href="#!"> portion lol. This experience has been great, even though there was a learning curve, because I've been learning coding, learning the different files and their uses, and just feeling good about myself knowing that I can do anything I set my mind to. I love this zencart template because it looks snazzy! I have learned so much! I appreciate your help and will take the advice given about security! Enjoy your weekend.

dbltoe:

I help with templates all the time and would not touch it myself. To suggest that I am here to denigrate versus assist is not sustainable. I believe it is most helpful to point out flaws that, without a doubt, will cause lower rankings and less traffic.

As often stated, my goal is to assist Zen Cart and its users. I would be remiss if I suggested someone try to make this template work when Zen Cart provides a much better platform on which to build what the storeowner wants.

Here's why I said what I did when I compared results of the site's home page versus ZC 2.0 RC2.

Existing Template
CSS - 55 Errors 1054 Warnings
HTML - 9 Errors 35 Warnings
Acccessibility - 9 Critical 27 Serious 37 Moderate 1 Minor
Lighthouse - Desktop 54 78 96 100 Mobile 38 74 93 100

ZC 2.0.0 RC2
CSS - 14 Errors 671 Warnings
HTML - 0 Errors 0 Warnings
Accessibility - 0 Automatic Errors
Lighthouse - Desktop 100 100 100 100 Mobile 95 100 100 100

* The testing for ZC 2.0 was done with the latest Bootstrap, OPC, EO, and a database upgrade from 1.5.7d of a customer's site.

** All errors and all but 8 warnings are from outside sources.

*** No automatic tool can check things like hover contrast, text embedded in images, and other items not present without user interaction.

I simply can't suggest that someone continue down this rabbit whole and maintain a clear conscience.

Even a developer with new/limited abilities in Bootstrap would at the least have a clean canvas to work with and the storeowner can devote the "fix it first" cost to actual "style it" cost.

I'm not sure what all that means but it sounds like it could be a challenge. However, I like challenges and puzzles and wouldn't I be able to correct all these problems over time? By learning coding and reaching out to you guys if there's a term or something that I don't know/understand? I've definitely been learning along the way, however I do want to make sure security is tight!

Where do I go to find these errors you mentioned? And is there a way I can start fixing the problems? One thing I noticed is that my host kept switching php 7.4 to 8.0 and it was causing me problems everytime they did it, with various plugins. I would just jump in the chatbox with them and ask them to switch it back to 7.4, which they do in 2 minutes. Today when I asked them to switch again I let them know that I don't consent to them changing it because it seems like they change it back to 8.0 every week or so and it didn't seem like they had an option for me to not switch. Fortunately today they said they were able to make it where it doesn't switch anymore to 8.0. We shall see, but either way, if I have a weird problem pop up (like in GPSF II) I know to check with them about the php first. Slowly but surely I conquer all things because I don't have problems - I have solutions! Thank you, enjoy your weekend.

However, I like challenges and puzzles and wouldn't I be able to correct all these problems over time? By learning coding and reaching out to you guys if there's a term or something that I don't know/understand?
CSS and HTML errors can be found using the Web Developer tools in most browsers or go to https://validator.w3.org/ and select either the HTML or CSS checker. Any errors should be repaired ASAP. Accessibility can wait till the code is correct. Errors in CSS and HTML affect SE ranking the most.

After those are taken care of, take a look at the tools mentioned at https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/accessibility/tools/siteimprove/#accessing-siteimprove-accessibility-checker. There are more thorough checkers but this one is new-to-accessibility friendly and will give good suggestions for fixes.

One thing I noticed is that my host kept switching php 7.4 to 8.0 and it was causing me problems everytime they did it, with various plugins. I would just jump in the chatbox with them and ask them to switch it back to 7.4, which they do in 2 minutes. Today when I asked them to switch again I let them know that I don't consent to them changing it because it seems like they change it back to 8.0 every week or so and it didn't seem like they had an option for me to not switch.

I'm sure their "legalese" includes the fact that they can change the server software, database engine, PHP level, etc. at any time.

Speaking as a certified host for Zen Cart, I can tell you that most hosts are forced to go to higher versions of PHP for mostly two reasons:

1. The platforms they host have numerous security vulnerabilities at PHP levels 7.4 and below.
2. Their operating systems must drop lower versions of PHP when upgrading litespeed, cPanel, WHMCS, etc.

Only dealing with Zen Cart, myzencarthost.com is able to "hold on" to lower PHP values for now. We wil be forced to do so soon but want to keep lower versions through the upgrade to 2.0 process so that older sites can still run while upgrading on a test site. The fact that there are very few vulnerabilities in ZC that are associated with PHP allows us to do that and still protect our clients.

PHP 8.0 is already End of Life (EOL) and 8.1 wil do the same in November of 2024.

Unfortunately, non-certified hosts often upgrade their PHP versions without even checking what versions are currently used by their customers.:no:

dbltoe:

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Speaking as a certified host for Zen Cart, I can tell you that most hosts are forced to go to higher versions of PHP for mostly two reasons:
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your comment now has me curious. specifically:

• what are the requirements for being a certified host for zen cart? ie what does said certification entail?
• how long have you been a certified host for zen cart?
• who does the certification?
• how long does said certification last? and is there a renewal process?
• is there a cost, ie a payment made to ZC, for said certification? (payments for certification are pretty common in numerous industries.)

i have heard this expression elsewhere (as well as seeing it in your signature), but i have not been able to find any details on what said certification entails on this website. i am not saying it is not there, i just have not seen it.

@carlwhat I believe the certified host thing is really old and doesn't really exist anymore, as far as I can tell. You have to dig far back in the wayback machine (https://web.archive.org/web/20100420042216/http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=infopages&pages_id=10) to find the old certified host page and the link to the application.

I think barco57 covered the requirements, but I do want to address the other items.

JEANDRET (the parent company) has been hosting Zen Cart for nearly twenty years. We did not apply for Certified status until most of the companies listed on the page that barco57 presented had closed or were no longer listed. Some are still operational. I don’t know why they are no longer listed or whose decision that was. I speak only for myZenCartHost.com

As you saw on the "Apply for Certification" link, I filled out the form and submitted it by pressing send. Where or to whom it went, I don't know.

You will have to ask someone else about duration and renewal. I have not been notified of any expiration date nor have I been contacted to renew any information on the original form. I'd certainly be happy to go through any vetting process needed to maintain my standing.

I note that the Services page states “Compatible Hosting”. I submit that even GoneDaddy is compatible hosting up to a point. I feel that the term certified implies that that host is going to look out for the Zen Cart customer. I doubt there is any instance where you cannot find that true of any of those listed on the host page.

There is no payment made to Zen Cart for the display of our information. I have no control over whether the information is displayed. I note that all hosts listed in Services on the forum are also represented in 2.0.0 in the banners presented out-of-the-box.

All links from my sig, the Services link in the forum, and the banner links of the distro point to an affiliate link that lets me know if any sale results from that link. We set an agreed-upon percentage of each sale to be returned to the development team.

Unfortunately, by the time folks get to the forum, they generally already have hosting somewhere. History has shown very little click-throughs that resulted in sales.

You didn't ask, but that's the main reason we decided to give a free license to our ADA/WCAG widget to the docs site. We've not been able to generate the affiliate revenue that we felt was sufficient so I felt that providing it was one way I could make up for the lack of affiliate return for hosting.

The widget makes it much easier for the entire world to get Zen Cart assistance. And, yes, the link on the docs site is an affiliate link to our widget site. I requested the link for the license, but it was not a requirement in the donation. I have done the same with other free projects and non-profits with which I have connections.

Whern the new bug was first identified, I received a request for help and used code from DrByte to test all of our databases trying to find a commonality between occurances. I'd like to think we were helpful in determing the bug affected only certain versions of ZC. It was helpful to us, yes. But, mainly, it was help for the team.

I can't speak for others, but I do know that the link to Square in both the old and your WebPay version 1.0.4 is an affiliate link like mine that will provide a small amount to go to the development team. That's why we recommend to all new customers wanting to use Square to go through the Services link or the one in the admin and "make a little money for the team".

Keyword - TEAM