hideCategories

At last I got the readme updated, and will be submitting this as soon as I click "Submit Reply". I will post an update when the new version is available in the Zen Cart downloads. Changes as follows:

2.00 - 03/09/2011

• updated files to reflect changes in Zen release 1.3.9h.
• Incorporated the following posted modifications in to the codebase (some of these posted solutions were modified slightly so they worked properly and worked with the latest version of Zen Cart 1.3.9 - most notably the posted solution for hiding categories in the category tabs):
• Add Hidden Categories code to What's New sidebox
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=885697&postcount=256
• Add Hidden Categories code to Site Map & Customers Who Bought center box
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=466332&postcount=94
• Add Hidden Categories code to Categories Tab
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=687852&postcount=195
• Included a modified includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/templates/tpl_document_product_info_display.php template specifically for hidden products. This template removes the top and bottom "Next" and "Previous" navigation buttons as well as the catgory link/image without compromising regular products. Requires using "document-product" product type to create your hidden categories.
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=466521&postcount=96
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=886281&postcount=258
• Corrected files which caused issues in MySQL 5
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=796893&postcount=237
• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=797169&postcount=238

hideCategories v2.0 is now available in the downloads..:clap:

DivaVocals:

At last I got the readme updated, and will be submitting this as soon as I click "Submit Reply". I will post an update when the new version is available in the Zen Cart downloads. Changes as follows:

2.00 - 03/09/2011

• updated files to reflect changes in Zen release 1.3.9h.

• Incorporated the following posted modifications in to the codebase (some of these posted solutions were modified slightly so they worked properly and worked with the latest version of Zen Cart 1.3.9 - most notably the posted solution for hiding categories in the category tabs):

• Add Hidden Categories code to What's New sidebox

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=885697&postcount=256

• Add Hidden Categories code to Site Map & Customers Who Bought center box

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=466332&postcount=94

• Add Hidden Categories code to Categories Tab

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=687852&postcount=195

• Included a modified includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/templates/tpl_document_product_info_display.php template specifically for hidden products. This template removes the top and bottom "Next" and "Previous" navigation buttons as well as the catgory link/image without compromising regular products. Requires using "document-product" product type to create your hidden categories.

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=466521&postcount=96

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=886281&postcount=258

• Corrected files which caused issues in MySQL 5

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=796893&postcount=237

• http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=797169&postcount=238

Hello,

The following files are not stated in the Read Me Files tab. Are they supposed to be included with this mod and uploaded?

includes/classes/site_map.php
includes/classes/db/mysql/define_queries.php

Regards

Forgot to add, my categories tabs disappeared completely. Havent installed any modules with conflicting files.

Berserker:

Hello,

The following files are not stated in the Read Me Files tab. Are they supposed to be included with this mod and uploaded?

includes/classes/site_map.php
includes/classes/db/mysql/define_queries.php

RegardsYes.. left off the readme inadvertently

Berserker:

Forgot to add, my categories tabs disappeared completely. Havent installed any modules with conflicting files.

From the hideCategories readme:

FOR EXISTING STORES: You will need to open ALL your EXISTING categories and re-save them in order to apply the hideCategories changes. Otherwise some places where categories should be hidden will not work correctly, and some places where categories should NOT be hidden may not display correctly.

Minor updates.. Here's the changelog:

2.0.1 - 03/19/2011

• Update the readme file list (2 files were inadvertently left out)
• Minor changes to language files (for better clarity)
• Updated folder icons (again for better clarity - wanted slightly more OBVIOUS icons -this change was made based on feedback I've received from my clients)
• Added hidden folder icons to category page legend

I'm wondering if your hidden categories will help solve the management of prices?

I have downloadable products that are currently priced solely by attribute (priced by size).

I'd like to create four bands of price attributes (cheap --> expensive) and categories seem to be the best way of achieving this because I can copy the price of 1 product (I can create a reference product that is used soley for this purpose; in fact 4 reference products, one in each category) to all other products in that category.

I don't particualarly want the customer to be aware of the category only that some products are more expensive than others, so hiding the category (but not the product) seems a good idea. Currently all products reside within 1 category "stock photos" - not a problem at the moment because stock photos are all that is sold and all are downloadable. If I start supplying framed photos, for example, they would reside in a completely new category where price banding would not apply.

Any thoughts / downfalls about using hidden categories for price banding?

Thanks,
Ric

I don't think this is what you're looking for. It certainly wasn't designed with that in mind anyway. I think you're going to need to customize it so much, that you may as well not use it and just customize the core. I'm surprised there's no other mod out there that does what you want - group by pricing is common on many ecomm sites. Anyway, I don't think HideCategories is really going to help you for that purpose.

Hi and thank you for your reply.

Yes, I find it odd that price banding by some parameter or other isn't more available in Zen Cart.

Another solution is to upload a batch of products to a temporary category, apply the prices to that category and then transfer those products to their final category.

Thanks though for having a think about this problem!

Regards,
Ric

Using a clean version of Zen 1.3.9h and just installed this mod and everything seems to be working, except the products still appear when using the search function.
I am using the hide direct link and it is working for everything but the search function.
I searched the forum and reviewed the install, but can't figure it out. Did I miss something?

jt1020:

Using a clean version of Zen 1.3.9h and just installed this mod and everything seems to be working, except the products still appear when using the search function.
I am using the hide direct link and it is working for everything but the search function.
I searched the forum and reviewed the install, but can't figure it out. Did I miss something?
See post 285 on the previous page.. Skipping this step is the most common reason why this mod will appear to NOT work..

Okay, some feedback.

1. Went through each step carefully.
2. Made correct edits to appropriate php files, as per the contents of the latest download.
3. Loaded all up to test site X.
4. Loaded the sql through Admin function.
5. Verified presence of the sql table through MyPHPadmin.
6. Created new category and moved a test product into it.

However.

According to my meagre understanding from reading this entire thread, I ought to be seeing at least one or more additional commands, options, buttons, whatnot on in the Admin control for "Hiding..." whatever.

Nothing shows, no controls, options, anything that can be used to make a category, and thus its contents, hidden.

I have no clue why. All the correctly edited php are in the correct locations, all permissions match those of other files.

Nothing.

I'm using the latest version of the cart 1.3.9h.
MySQL 5.0

I have a couple of other mods on the cart (captcha and shipping related) but non requiring modification of the same php files. So there ought to be no direct conflict there.

I haven't seen any similar experience from anyone here, so either it's my settings or a switch I haven't seen and thrown yet.

Is there some place where you're supposed to switch this thing "On"?

To repeat, yes, I have read this entire thread, and the notes in the package and followed each edit as required, and loaded them up twice and reinstalled the sql twice, and still see nothing new.

:frusty:

The install is straightforward.. Just installed it on my test store (again) and no issues..

From the readme:> FOR EXISTING STORES: You will need to open ALL your EXISTING categories and re-save them in order to apply the hideCategories changes. Otherwise some places where categories should be hidden will not work correctly, and some places where categories should NOT be hidden may not display correctly.

NOTE: The hidden feature is ONLY available when you EDIT, not when you CREATE a new category. You must create your category 1st first, then go back and edit it. You'll notice the folder icon changes to give you a visual cue that it is hidden.

If you do not see the following (see image below) when editing your category, simply put something is wrong with your install:

worldmaker:

Okay, some feedback.

1. Went through each step carefully.
2. Made correct edits to appropriate php files, as per the contents of the latest download.
3. Loaded all up to test site X.
4. Loaded the sql through Admin function.
5. Verified presence of the sql table through MyPHPadmin.
6. Created new category and moved a test product into it.

However.

According to my meagre understanding from reading this entire thread, I ought to be seeing at least one or more additional commands, options, buttons, whatnot on in the Admin control for "Hiding..." whatever.

Nothing shows, no controls, options, anything that can be used to make a category, and thus its contents, hidden.

I have no clue why. All the correctly edited php are in the correct locations, all permissions match those of other files.

Nothing.

I'm using the latest version of the cart 1.3.9h.
MySQL 5.0

I have a couple of other mods on the cart (captcha and shipping related) but non requiring modification of the same php files. So there ought to be no direct conflict there.

I haven't seen any similar experience from anyone here, so either it's my settings or a switch I haven't seen and thrown yet.

Is there some place where you're supposed to switch this thing "On"?

To repeat, yes, I have read this entire thread, and the notes in the package and followed each edit as required, and loaded them up twice and reinstalled the sql twice, and still see nothing new.

:frusty:

DivaVocals:

The install is straightforward.. Just installed it on my test store (again) and no issues..

From the readme:

If you do not see the following (see image below) when editing your category, simply put something is wrong with your install:

I gathered that something was wrong, but no idea what.
And yes, I'm not daft I did, repeatedly, "edit" each of the categories, and all the test products in case this had an effect.

Just done it again. No effect and no clue why.

I have several disabled products, Status OFF, during current testing, could that have an effect?

Sorry, ignore all the above babblings.
Went through all the edits again and found the problem, a missing block of code in one page.

Now working.

Apologies for the inconvenience, it's been another long day.

:blush:

Reviewed the information on post 285 and re-installed all the files. Still have the same issue. I am able to hide the products with the direct link but to doesn't hide them from the search function. Does the mod allow you to hide products when someone is doing a search in the cart? If so, any idea what the issue is would be helpful.

jt1020:

Reviewed the information on post 285 and re-installed all the files. Still have the same issue. I am able to hide the products with the direct link but to doesn't hide them from the search function. Does the mod allow you to hide products when someone is doing a search in the cart? If so, any idea what the issue is would be helpful.Correctly installed and configured, yes this mod will hide products from searches..

DivaVocals:

hideCategories v2.0 is now available in the downloads..:clap:

I have succesfully installed the module in zencart 1.3.9

There is a small problem. The hidden category shows up in the category tabs. Is there a way to hide it there too?

raunharman:

I have succesfully installed the module in zencart 1.3.9

There is a small problem. The hidden category shows up in the category tabs. Is there a way to hide it there too?If this installed correctly the category tabs should be hidden too.. This was one of the KEY changes in the latest version.. Check your install..

I am also having issues hiding hidden products from the search function. I have quadruple checked my install and have marked the category as hidden (several times). On top of that, I installed the optional file and limited the hidden category to hidden products.

The only file in this mod that intersects with the search function (as far as I can see, and I'm no coder) is tpl_advanced_search.php - and it only hides the hidden categories from the category dropdown selection on the advanced search page - if I search for my hidden category, the products still appear on the advanced search result page.

I'm assuming (and yes, I know how dangerous it is to assume) that changes need to be made to the advanced search result header to hide the products from the search results.

Is this the correct file to change to hide the products from the search function? I appreciate any feedback - even if it's in the form of a slap to the back of the head. :smile: