Replacing original pages with html pages

I am trying to create an HTML page that will be laid out the same way as the multiple products page and that will update to show any new products and categories as they are added just as the original would.

The reason for this is that i would like to rename the pages that are usually represented by a long string of characters so they are search engine optimised. I cannot install the patches for SEO pagenames as I cannot upgrade easily to v.1.3.2. I also wish to have full control over what is on the page that the customer sees without hacking into the original code, just refering to it and taking what i would like to display, and adding other things that are not in the original coding. I must stress that I do not wish to alter the original pages in any way. This page will be accessed via other html pages that i have successfully copied from the original pages.

I have tried going into the source code for the page and copying the code into and html file. This gives me an exact replica of the page. The problem is that if I add any new categories or products, these will not show as the code is an html version of the page before any additions and does not replicate any new additions to the original page.

From what I can tell I will need to create the content from the original files by using the <?php echo> command and refer them to the parts of info that i would like to display. I have tried doing this in a number of ways without success.

My first question is, would I be using the correct method by using <?php echo>?

Secondly, is there any suggestions for how I should code this?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

No suggestions, but one question.

You are doing this vast amount of work to get your pages to be indexed by search engines. Do you think that the many thousands of standard Zen Carts out there are not well indexed by search engines?

Ok, another question (or statement).

If you are capable of successfully doing this modification, why are you not capable of upgrading your cart to the latest version with its enhanced security and function?

Oh yes, you do know about template overrides, don't you? The idea of them is to safeguard your customizations within the framework of ZC.

Thank you for your reply. Firstly, Yes I know that many standard sites are well indexed by the search engines. Proof of this is my main site which has acheived a ranking of 2 with google, with 400+ pages listed within just a couple of months with no proffessional assistance. This is just one of a few reasons why I wish to try what I have suggested.

Secondly, upgrading has proved to be very difficult (in fact impossible with my limited knowledge) as there have been quite a few changes to zencart since v1.2.5. My web designer left me with a site that was completely unfinished and i was seriously ripped off. I have had to scrape by using common sense and a huge amount of luck through trial and error. All efforts to upgrade have been totally unsuccessful and i have given up trying.

As for being able to duplicate the pages in html, that is just a case of right clicking on the chosen page and choosing 'View Source'. Then copying and pasting to an editor before adding or deleting sections that i don't want. Not very technical (as I said, I have very limited knowledge).

Thirdly, I don't have a clue about overrides and what they do (or how they do it). All that I know is that I need to be able to customise my pages in a way that zencart will not allow without major hacking of the template (I think) which I do not know how to do. Copying pages in their original form and replacing them with html pages that are easier for me to customise is the easiest option that I have (according to my limited knowedge).

My problem is that i want to take information that is on the original pages that is automatically updated when I add categories or products. This will save me having to manually add more coding to included the info that i wish to take from the original coding which is why I do not want to alter it in any way.

I am just trying to make good what has been bodged by someone else. Problem is that I don't have the knowledge to try to rip the site apart and put it back together again. I have the layout exactly as i want it with v1.2.5 but I cant get it with the new version. Lots of issues ... no skill .... MAJOR PROBLEM!!!

Does any of this make sense??!! Its probably easy for you guys and you probably i'm a prat for trying to do what i am trying to do (and you would probably be right!!). Just don't have that answers so I am trying to get around it another way.

Steve,

The problem you will have is that static HTML pages will not operate correctly, you will not be able to use the cart functions at all and you can actually get penalized by the search engines for having duplicate content.