Adding Pages to Information Box

Hello,

I've been trying to add a page to the Information Sidebox I've created that has Contact Us, Shipping, etc.

I added the page under the Define Pages Editor with the page define_page_3.php

I've been going around and around trying to get it to show up with EZ Pages, etc. and I can't seem to figure it out. I've been searching the tutorials and Wiki as well without luck. I have the page created, but I can't get it to show up where I want it to let alone at all.

I'm sure this is something standard and easy to do, but after a couple hours I've hit a wall.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Many thanks in advance for help.

Chris

download the about us contribution

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&cPath=40_47&products_id=182

This will guide you for adding pages as well as how to insert the link into the information box. The read me should get you through this without many problems.

The contribution can be modified to be a page named whatever you want as well as have any content you choose.

Thank you for the reply.

I'd hate to start adding too many unnecessary mods when it can/should work out of the box.

Is there any reference as to how to do this through Zen Cart as is?

This isnt really much of a mod, more of a tutorial for adding additional pages. It was distributed from the zen team. Look at the readme, it will enlighten you as to how the pages are created and called, this is basically the way all pages that you have in the information box now are created.

Thanks. You'd think "EZ Pages" would be easy enough to not have a mod to make it work. I'll look again.

Chris

About Us add-on is to create a new Page from start to finish ...

EZ-Pages does not require the creation of new directories and files ... everything is built in for you ...

You should perhaps install a test directory with a test database and the demo products of Zen Cart v1.3.7 and read through many of the Products and Features setup ...

It also includes a long explination of EZ-Pages as one of the examples ...

I don't want an ABOUT US page and the directions are horrible.

• simply rename "about_us" in every filename or folder in this package to "mypage"
• edit the extra_datafiles/mypage_filenames.php and change the define's by changing "ABOUT_US" and "about_us" to "MYPAGE" and "mypage" respectively.
• edit modules/pages/ABOUT_US/header_php.php and change the "ABOUT_US" reference to "MYPAGE"
• edit any of the language files as desired (some heading defines will need changes)

I can't believe that this is the only way to make an additional information page. But I guess it's what you get with open source.

:D

Take a breath ... read the post I made ... and take your time in setting up the EZ-Pages ...

You either are not using it correctly or missing a setting etc.

Ajeh:

About Us add-on is to create a new Page from start to finish ...

EZ-Pages does not require the creation of new directories and files ... everything is built in for you ...

You should perhaps install a test directory with a test database and the demo products of Zen Cart v1.3.7 and read through many of the Products and Features setup ...

It also includes a long explination of EZ-Pages as one of the examples ...

Is that you Linda? If so you've sure put in your time helping out over the years.

I'm using 1.3.0.1 with a store that's been online for awhile. Just trying to figure this out now.

Thanks.

Yeps ... 'tis moi ... :cool:

Good grief ... v1.3.0.1 is so very, very old ...

There are so many security issues, bugfixes and missing features since our current release of v1.3.7 ...

Time to move up in the world ... :smartass:

When I "check for updates" it always says:

Your version of Zen Cart™ appears to be current

So I guess I figured it was up with the time. I just added the store last summer, hard to believe it's that old already. :blink:

Back to EZ Pages before I do an update.

I setup a new page, give it a title.

Open in New Window: No
Page is SSL: No
Header: No
Sidebox: Yes Sort Order of 6
Footer: No
Chaptor(TOC): no

I then add my HTML into the box.

Internal Links: index.php?main_page=dealers (I'm setting up a dealers page for the products)

I always get:

Error Error: you have defined multiple settings when only one may be defined per Link ...
Only define either: HTML Content -or- Internal Link URL -or- External Link URL

I get this no matter if I have the HTMLarea or (none)

I should also note that when I DO NOT have an internal link....it'll go without the error but no page shows up in the Information box.

You cannot set an EZ-Page to be two things ...

Either it is HTML or it is a link ...

That is why you get the warning ...

Meanwhile there was an old bug in your version where it did not detect it was old ...

Do a search on:
/new_shop

There are a number of threads where this is broken down for a safe and careful Upgrade ...

Look through them until you find the best one to help you safely upgrade your site ...

Ditto Linda's comments regarding EZ-pages as well as 1.3.7.

I'm using both on shedkitstore.com -- you might want to have a peek to see how easy it can be to cherry-pick your sidebox menu elements.

Hint: I disabled every sidebox in Layout Boxes Controller except for Categories, Shopping Cart, CC Accept (an add-on contrib), EZ-pages and Banner Box. Prior to that, however, I created link-based EZ-pages that linked up to pages like Contact Us, Shipping Info, Privacy, Conditions, etc. -- and I hand-picked the place on the page where these links would be displayed, e.g. Shipping in the sidebox, Privacy in the footer, etc.

Took me a while before I wrapped my brain around the concept, but it's really quite liberating. :)

A couple of questions on this...

1. It seems my defined page URLs seem more "friendly" than those generated from EZPages...true?

2. Can EZPages be added to the "More Information" box, and how. All pages defined go to the "Information Box". I have other links I use in the "More Info" box...tried chapters, but no go;

3. Where is the HTML stores in EZPages, a SQL table? I love the fact that I can manipulate the code of the defined pages outside of admin and in my html editor...can it be done with EZPages?;

4. It seems I cannot add php code to either the defined pages or EZPages (well, I can add it, but it doesn't show up).

Any help on any of the above would be appreciated. I would like to eventually use this and delete most, if not all, of my defined pages.

I don't know where to begin adding EZ-pages to the information sidebox, but anything is possible if you're persistent and patient enough. :smile:

As for editing off-line, I compose everything in Dreamweaver and paste the code into the admin EZ-pages form. Yes, there is a table for that -- so back-up your database religiously, just in case.

Running PHP statements from within your html output sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, not that I'm an expert. If it were me, I'd thoroughly research the hazards of doing that prior to trying it.

Good luck with your project.
Sean

Sean,

As an addendum to my previous post:

#3 - EZPages are housed in a sql table in the zen db, so they are not housed in files as defined pages...edit as you say with an editor and upload;

#4 - Found post for php in the pages here:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37252

So, just need #1 & 2 and I'm good!

Very interesting -- I didn't know you could do that. Me, I'd still rather keep my PHP "behind the curtain" where script kids can't see it.

There is an old contribution out there for creating info-pages -- might make your job a little easier if you're bent on circumventing EZ-pages. No idea whether it works with 1.3.7, but I recall it worked okay with 1.3.0. As for the URLs, I think they're no friendlier than EZ-pages.

An easier solution might be to install one of the SEFU/SEO-URLs contributions and approach the search engine friendliness component thus. I'm using Chemo's SEO-URLs, which doesn't rewrite EZ-page URLs as nicely as it does listing and product URLs.

I've reached a point where all my sites utilize EZ-pages, if for no other reason than I have the impression that the Zen community is aggressively developing EZ-pages and will continue doing so.

Take the above with a pound of salt, as I probably know as little about future releases as you do. Maybe less. :blush:

tv...thanks...probably the About Us contrib which I am using now to define those pages in both the "Information" and "More Information" sideboxes...just want to fully convert to EZPages (and I'm with you in saying it looks as if the team is looking to do more with them). But when I add a link to EZPages it always defines it in one of the sideboxes...I want to be able to mimic the other sidebox I use for links in EZ, but don't know how to tell EZ to define in the other box. So looking for a way to have EZ be able to define links in multiple sideboxes.

And I was looking at the SEO URL contribs, wondering how they treated EZPages, so appreciate the answer on that.

Maybe someone more familiar with the sidebox template structure can suggest a general strategy for creating additional EZ-page sideboxes -- or perhaps porting one (or both) of the EZ-page header/footer template(s) into custom sidebox template(s)?

Just a thought.