Admin-Editable Sidebox - Support Thread

Kuroi,
Thanks for comprehensive response.
The reason you cannot see this online is that I am working on a test site that will have a completely different look and feel from the one online.
I am showing credit cards images (merged into one) inside the editable sidebox.
I started out with an image 150px wide, which is the max width allowed for sidebox, and, yes, it did overflow, probably for the reasons you explained.
So I cropped image to 141px and now it is inside the sidebox.
Still don't understand why I cannot center it exactly, will continue testing settings.
The padding 0.4em is inserted in there by the standard Zen Cart stylesheet, and if I change that setting it will have site-wide effects.
I am enclosing a screenshot of the image.

Folks,
I have an editable sidebox and through define page manager I am trying the following code:

The only thing that appears in the sidebox is poll_process(5);

But when I use this code in say Page 2 the poll shows up fine. Obviously there is a conflict in the code I am using in a sidebox area.

How can I adjust the code above and get the poll to work?

Thanks in advance.

ckosloff:

Kuroi,
Thanks for comprehensive response.
The reason you cannot see this online is that I am working on a test site that will have a completely different look and feel from the one online.
I am showing credit cards images (merged into one) inside the editable sidebox.
I started out with an image 150px wide, which is the max width allowed for sidebox, and, yes, it did overflow, probably for the reasons you explained.
So I cropped image to 141px and now it is inside the sidebox.
Still don't understand why I cannot center it exactly, will continue testing settings.
The padding 0.4em is inserted in there by the standard Zen Cart stylesheet, and if I change that setting it will have site-wide effects.
I am enclosing a screenshot of the image.In so far as its possible to tell from a screenshot, it looks to me as though the image and padding already defined when added together do exceed the width of the box, so the image is actually centered but in a box larger than the one you#re looking at, that protrudes invisibly from the right of the visible sidebox.

You need to either reduce the size of the image, or reduce the size of the padding (or take it off altogether since you don't need horizontal padding if you are also centering).

AdamTOW:

Folks,
I have an editable sidebox and through define page manager I am trying the following code:

<?php // Important! You have to include it before your html code include_once "/home/nutrili/public_html/shoppoll/poll_cookie.php"; ?> <html> <body> <?php include_once "/home/nutrili/public_html/shoppoll/booth.php"; echo $php_poll->poll_process(5); ?> </body> </html>

The only thing that appears in the sidebox is poll_process(5);

But when I use this code in say Page 2 the poll shows up fine. Obviously there is a conflict in the code I am using in a sidebox area.

How can I adjust the code above and get the poll to work?

Thanks in advance.You can't easily (if at all) insert php code through the define pages manager. It's designed as an easy way in inserting HTML, and most likely your php is being stripped out leaving only the raw text which is displayed.

I'm guessing that your site also has trouble copying with the way in which you have added a whole mini page in this one box with its own html and body tags. Zen Cart already inserts these for every page. They shouldn't be repeated.

To add php to a sidebox, the blank sidebox mod would be a better option.

Kuroi,

I think you nailed the problem.
To make the image smaller would result in less quality, so I would rather remove the horizontal padding.
Now, how do I do this without affecting the other sideboxes?
Thanks.

ckosloff:

To make the image smaller would result in less quality, so I would rather remove the horizontal padding.
Now, how do I do this without affecting the other sideboxes?Something very similar to what you tried previously when you set the padding to 0, but without seeing the site it's not possible to diagnose why this isn't working for you.

Kuroi,

Thanks for quick answer.
I will have to repost on this later on.
Reason being that it is not possible for me to put online the new version of the site for now, some sections are dependent on others, which are still unfinished.

Thanks for that.
I will try the blank sidebox.

HI,

because zen cart lacks a proper plugin system I am trying to use the override system where ever possible to protect my upgrades when zen cart is updated.

I have tried putting editable sidebox in all the appropiate overrides folders (shown below). the sidebox appears and can be turned on and off etc , but the editable page does not appear in the defines page.

If I install as it is in the package this sidebox all works as it should.

is there some code i need to change or will these sideboxes not work like that.

I have also tried the fix mentioned at the begging of the thread which did not work.

includes\languages\english\extra_definitions\CUSTOM\editable_sidebox_defines.php
includes\languages\english\html_includes\CUSTOM\define_editable_sidebox_content.php
includes\modules\sideboxes\CUSTOM\editable_sidebox.php
includes\templates\CUSTOM\sideboxes\tpl_editable_sidebox.php

Any help would be appreciated.

Shoulders

@shoulders

To over-ride some files there needs to be a file to be over-ridden. Some of the files in this package fall into this category and since there are no equivalents to them in the core Zen Cart code, Zen Cart doesn't know to go looking in your over-rides folder.

However, this is open source software, so if you wish to design a new way of installing the mod that works as effectively as the one in the installation instructions, then you are very welcome and I look forward to hearing more about it.

kuroi:

@shoulders

To over-ride some files there needs to be a file to be over-ridden. Some of the files in this package fall into this category and since there are no equivalents to them in the core Zen Cart code, Zen Cart doesn't know to go looking in your over-rides folder.

However, this is open source software, so if you wish to design a new way of installing the mod that works as effectively as the one in the installation instructions, then you are very welcome and I look forward to hearing more about it.

thanks for the reply. I will use the method described beging of this thread and thanks also for the main site sidebox. very helpful

kuroi,

I fixed it!
This is what was happening: I was using FCK editor and it inputs extraneous characters.
Moreover, it loads images to directories outside the root of the store.
So, I went into the source, kicked out all the garbage and it works fine now.

kuroi,
I am trying to install a scroller in a blank sidebox, because I tried the editable sidebox and it didn't work.
I follow instructions, turn on sidebox and it's there, but when I install the javascript, it crashes my test site.
I see that the sidebox is pulling text from two files:

1. includes/languages/english/extra_definitions/blank_sidebox_defines.php
   and
2. includes/templates/template_default/sideboxes/tpl_blank_sidebox.php
   I tried to copy the script and failed miserably, crashes the site.
   I am attaching the script.
   Please help installing it.
   Thanks.

Here are the steps I've taken:

Downloaded the file.
Unzipped it.
Opened the Read Me folder for instructions.
Click-n-Dragged the "Includes" folder from the file's window to my C-panel under Public_html. It looked like it took OK.
Couldn't find it.
Logged off and back onto my control panel. Still nothing.

I follow the path given in the Read Me file, and it's fine until I get to "editable_sidebox_defines.php." When I click that, I get a blank screen. I've also logged off and on my Admin, but the option still isn't showing up under the Define Pages Editor.

What next? This looks like a wonderful module, and I think it'll be a breeze to use - once I get the bugger installed.

~Sara

Sara's Soaps:

Here are the steps I've taken:

Downloaded the file.
Unzipped it.
Opened the Read Me folder for instructions.
Click-n-Dragged the "Includes" folder from the file's window to my C-panel under Public_html. It looked like it took OK.
Couldn't find it.
Logged off and back onto my control panel. Still nothing.

I follow the path given in the Read Me file, and it's fine until I get to "editable_sidebox_defines.php." When I click that, I get a blank screen. I've also logged off and on my Admin, but the option still isn't showing up under the Define Pages Editor.

What next? This looks like a wonderful module, and I think it'll be a breeze to use - once I get the bugger installed.

~Sara
Why C Panel?
It just goes to the root of your store...

Huh? :huh: OK, so what do I need to do differently? Or do I need to back up a couple of steps? Because it's still not showing in the dropdown.

~Sara

Is your public_html the store root? i.e. did it already have an includes folder?

Yes, and yes.

Like ckosloff, I'm a bit puzzled by your reference to cPanel. I access it via a web browser and can't drag and drop files to it. Are you sure that you were actually successful in uploading the files.

Kuroi,
Please I need some help installing that scroller in a sidebox.
Cannot do it via editable sidebox.
In a previous post you mentioned that your blank sidebox is better for that purpose.
However, I am also "puzzled", because this mod pulls text from two locations and I don't know which one to use.
Thanks.