adding description to category listing

I'm running into problems getting category descriptions to display in the category listing. For example I'm trying to make it so that the following page:

http://www.sphotos.biz/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_2_3

will display the category image, followed by the category name, followed by the category description.

I tried inserting $categories->fields['categories_description'] into category_row.php but its not displaying.

I'm totally new to php so I'm assuming that I'm not correctly calling the variable.

Thanks!

Can you please explain clearly what did you add in which file?
Also, did yo useperately try to echo the cateogry description and getting any value in the .php file?
San

jonathan_pohl:

I tried inserting $categories->fields['categories_description'] into category_row.php

Specifically I altered line 39 so that it is now as follows:

  'text' => $categories->fields['categories_description'] . '<br />' . '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '<br />' . $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</a>');

I tried to echo $categories->fields['categories_description'], but am not getting any output.

Thanks again

jonathan_pohl:

Specifically I altered line 39 so that it is now as follows:

'text' => $categories->fields['categories_description'] . '<br />' . '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '<br />' . $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</a>');

> 
> I tried to echo $categories->fields['categories_description'], but am not getting any output.
> 
> Thanks again
That explains it
Go above the code where it is getting the value and try to figure out the reason!

Has anyone figured this out yet? I am trying the same thing and can get a static word to sho up every time after the category name, but cannot figure out how to get the category description to populate.
thanks
Chris

fattchris:

Has anyone figured this out yet? I am trying the same thing and can get a static word to sho up every time after the category name, but cannot figure out how to get the category description to populate.
thanks
Chris

Can we see the cart so that we can help?

sure.

http://www.livinghopechurch.com/cart/

here is what I want it to look like....

thanks for any help you can provide!

Chris

sorry...i've been away from this project for a while, anyways i'm not quite sure why "that explains it". I can get static output, and I check and made sure that the variable that i'm calling is defined just like the others being called in that argument. can you give me something a little more specific than "go above the code and figure out whats going on".

thanks

jonathan_pohl:

sorry...i've been away from this project for a while, anyways i'm not quite sure why "that explains it". I can get static output, and I check and made sure that the variable that i'm calling is defined just like the others being called in that argument. can you give me something a little more specific than "go above the code and figure out whats going on".

thanks

$categories is an array, but there is no "categories_description" element in it. I do not know where it is created, but would love to so that I can achieve same result you desire.

A>

What version of Zen Cart are you using?

Ajeh:

What version of Zen Cart are you using?

I am using Zen Cart 1.3.7

Just found the solution to the big question above:

To get category description directly use something like this:
zen_get_category_description($categories->fields['categories_id'],'1')

The first parameter is the category id (Surprise!)
The second parameter is your desired language ID.

So, line 39 of my new category_row.php now looks like this:

$list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="categoryListBoxContents"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
                                       'text' => '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '<div class="category-name">' . $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</div class="category-name"></a>'.'<div class="category-description">' .zen_get_category_description($categories->fields['categories_id'],'1') . '</div class="category-description">');

And I get category descriptions in the list of categories - exactly what I (and others) wanted.

A more efficient way would be to improve category_tree.php, but the override system does not cover classes :( [not that I am bold enough to try a stunt like that]

Hi,
I made the change as mentioned above and it works, however I would like to position these div's to the right of the picture to conserve space.
I tried to no avail. Any ideas?

.category-description{
float:right;
clear:right;
width:50%;
text-align:left;
}
.category-name{
float:right;
clear:right;
width:50%;
text-align:left;
}

http://www.sitemagicdesigns.com/zen/stoneawards-c-33.html?zenid=ecf47027d530b57f6038d81363fe427b