custom sidebox, i.e. perhaps for SSL or trust seal

I recently had a client who wanted various items placed within the side columns of her site, but not within actual sideboxes. After initially playing around with tpl_main_page.php in the templates/MYTEMPLATE/common/ folder, I found a better way to do this.

You can actually create side panel features that can be controlled just like any other sidebox (Tools --> Layout Boxes Controller), but aren't actually displayed within a sidebox template.

This is particularly useful if you wish to display a SSL security seal or trust seal within a column on your website.

To create a custom side panel feature, create a new PHP file with the code below. Be sure to change CUSTOM_NAME with your own chosen name.

<?php
// -----------------------------------
// MY CUSTOM SIDE PANEL ITEM
// -----------------------------------

  // test if box should be displayed
  $show_CUSTOM_NAME = true;

  if ($show_CUSTOM_NAME  == true) {
      ?>
			
      <div align="center" style="padding:5px;">
         PLACE YOUR BOX CONTENTS HERE
      </div>
			
      <?php }
?>

Save the file as CUSTOM_NAME.php (replacing CUSTOM_NAME with your own name, providing it is consistent with the one used in the page code). Upload the file into the includes/modules/sideboxes/ folder. Then log into admin, and select Tools -> Layout Boxes Controller to manage your new feature. You can select which column to display it within, along with its sort order, just like any other module.

---

P.S. My apologies if this has been discussed a thousand times before.

That obviously works... but I know what I did was create my own sideboxes to do that by using the 'blank sidebox' mod.

Cheers!

The main difference between this code and the blank sidebox mod is that this code does not use the sidebox template.

This can be useful if you don't want your side column content to be displayed within a box.

It is also useful if you want to create a sidebox that uses a different template than the rest of your sideboxes.

Just wanted to add, thanks your a star. I have been looking for this mod for ages. Its good for me because if you want to display the google checkout acceptance logo you have to enter their code. With the normal blank sideboxes addon you got the style around it too. Where as this you just get the logo!.

Thankyou very much!

phil99:

Just wanted to add, thanks your a star. I have been looking for this mod for ages. Its good for me because if you want to display the google checkout acceptance logo you have to enter their code. With the normal blank sideboxes addon you got the style around it too. Where as this you just get the logo!.

You could also use a regular sidebox and just use CSS to turn off the styling for just that sidebox.
Nevertheless, use whatever works for you.

Hi,
I am trying to use rowanwa's code to put a PayPal logo in one of my side panels. Here is the code:

<?php // ----------------------------------- // PAYPAL ACCEPTED SIDE PANEL ITEM // ----------------------------------- // test if box should be displayed $show_MYK_PAYPAL = true; if ($show_MYK_PAYPAL == true) { ?>

  <div align="center" style="padding:5px;"> 

<!-- PayPal Logo --><table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" align="center"><tr><td align="center"></td></tr>

<tr><td align="center"><a href="#" onclick="javascript:window.open('https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/popup/OLCWhatIsPayPal-outside','olcwhatispaypal','toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=400, height=350');"><img src="https://www.paypal.com/en_GB/i/bnr/vertical_solution_PP.gif" border="0" alt="Solution Graphics"></a></td></tr></table><!-- PayPal Logo --> </div>

  <?php } 

?>

The bit I have highlighted red is straight from the PayPal web site. I am getting the following error message when I turn the sidebox on:
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /pathtomystore/store/includes/modules/sideboxes/MYK_PAYPAL.php on line 7
Line 7 is the one that says: $show_MYK_PAYPAL = true;

I am no expert in PHP, in fact I have never programmed in PHP... if anyone can say what the problem might be I would be very grateful.

Thanks,
RtX

Hi RtX,

I tested your code and it worked for me on Zen Cart 1.3.6. Have you tried re-uploading the file and testing it again? From what I can see, there's no syntax error in the code you have provided.

I will be updating my module contributions for version 1.3.8 over the next week or so. At the same time, I will check to make sure the custom sidebox code still works for 1.3.8.

Hi, rowanwa,
I have uploaded various versions of the same text and get the same or similar error messages regardless. Someone has advised me that:

if ($show_MYK_PAYPAL == true) {

should be

if ($show_MYK_PAYPAL == "true") { 

Frankly, I do not know if this is right, but I may give it a try.

Maybe I'll also try re-typing the whole file rather than copying and pasting and editing. If I have any luck, I'll post again.

Thanks,
RtX

I completely re-entered (by re-typing) the code and it worked. It looks the same but clearly is not. I think there must be a funny character or one that looks ok but is not what php expects somewhere in there. Thanks for responding.
RtX

rowanwa:

I recently had a client who wanted various items placed within the side columns of her site, but not within actual sideboxes. After initially playing around with tpl_main_page.php in the templates/MYTEMPLATE/common/ folder, I found a better way to do this.

You can actually create side panel features that can be controlled just like any other sidebox (Tools --> Layout Boxes Controller), but aren't actually displayed within a sidebox template.

This is particularly useful if you wish to display a SSL security seal or trust seal within a column on your website.

To create a custom side panel feature, create a new PHP file with the code below. Be sure to change CUSTOM_NAME with your own chosen name.

<?php // ----------------------------------- // MY CUSTOM SIDE PANEL ITEM // ----------------------------------- // test if box should be displayed $show_CUSTOM_NAME = true; if ($show_CUSTOM_NAME == true) { ?>

  <div align="center" style="padding:5px;">
     PLACE YOUR BOX CONTENTS HERE
  </div>
		
  <?php }

?>

> 
> Save the file as CUSTOM_NAME.php (replacing CUSTOM_NAME with your own name, providing it is consistent with the one used in the page code). Upload the file into the **includes/modules/sideboxes/** folder.  Then log into admin, and select Tools -> Layout Boxes Controller to manage your new feature.  You can select which column to display it within, along with its sort order, just like any other module.
> 
> ---------------------------------------
> 
> P.S. My apologies if this has been discussed a thousand times before.

I found your post in searching the forum.  You indicate to save the file "providing it is consistent with the one used in the page code."  Can you please tell me where (and on what page - index.php?) this new php page would be referenced?

Thx,
Lynne

In the Downloads section, see link at top of this page, there is a Module called "Sidebox Anywhere". Would be easier to use that as it works and is fairly easy to install.

lkzone:

I found your post in searching the forum. You indicate to save the file "providing it is consistent with the one used in the page code." Can you please tell me where (and on what page - index.php?) this new php page would be referenced?

Thx,
Lynne

Hi Lynne,

Basically, you replace the words CUSTOM_NAME in the PHP code with the name that you want to choose for your sidebox. You then save the file with the with a name that is identical to what you replaced CUSTOM_NAME with. For example, if you replaced CUSTOM_NAME with my_sidebox, then you should save the code with the filename my_sidebox.php. You would upload this file into the includes/modules/sideboxes/ folder.

The new file would not be referenced using index.php? because it isn't a new page on your store. It is simply a sidebox module that can be turned on and off using Zen Cart admin. Once the new file has been uploaded, log into your admin area and select Tools -> Layout Boxes Controller. Click on the sidebox with the filename you have chosen. You can then use the Edit button to control the display of the box on your store.

Hopefully that clears a few things up. Let me know if you still have questions.

I did a search and found this link. PERFECT! Thank you so much. I was able to move my Hacker Safe logo over to the right sidebox very easily. Thank you!

https://www.tenpercentfirearms.com/index.php

Thank you rowanwa for the code. This works great. I have been trying to figure how to do something just like this. Thank you again.

<?php // ----------------------------------- // MY CUSTOM SIDE PANEL ITEM // ----------------------------------- // test if box should be displayed $show_CUSTOM_NAME = true; if ($show_CUSTOM_NAME == true) { ?>

  <div align="center" style="padding:5px;">
     PLACE YOUR BOX CONTENTS HERE
  </div>
        
  <?php }

?>

Great stuff! Thank you.

Cool, thanks, works well. Does what it says on the tin.

I tried this and all I got was a broken link image ( a blue square with a "?"). This is what I've done with the code:

<?php // ----------------------------------- // Store locations 1 // ----------------------------------- // test if box should be displayed $show_CUSTOM_NAME = true; if ($show_CUSTOM_NAME == true) { ?> <div align="center" style="padding:5px;"> <a target="_self" href="http://xxxxxxx.net.au/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=6"><img src="http://xxxxxxx.net.au/images/AW_banner.jpg"></a> </div> <?php } ?>

Heres a screen shot of the problem:

Do I add the code into an alredy existing sidebox or just make a new php as i have done

sorry, in the previous post I entered an earlier version of the code that also did'nt work. The code I used for the above screenshot was:

<?php // ----------------------------------- // MY CUSTOM SIDE PANEL ITEM // ----------------------------------- // test if box should be displayed $show_STORE_LOCATION1 = true; if ($show_STORE_LOCATION1 == true) { ?>

  <div align="center" style="padding:5px;"> 
     <img src=http://adultworld.net.au/store/images/banners/AW_banner.jpg/> <a target="_self"

href="http://adultworld.net.au/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=6">
</div>

  <?php } 

?>

If you would like a sidebox with a header like the rest of the sideboxes I suggest you use the blank sidebox contribution: http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&cPath=40_52&products_id=174

The custom sidebox contribution you are trying to use doesn't use sidebox headers.

The reason your image link is broken is probably due to the lack of quotation marks

<img src=http://adultworld.net.au/store/images/banners/AW_banner.jpg/>

change to

<img src="http://adultworld.net.au/store/images/banners/AW_banner.jpg" />

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the advice on the quotation marks, it worked.

I did end up using the blank sidebox contribution in the end. I had a slight problem with it... I tried to duplicate it, renaming the 3 files and the code in them. I wanted 2 pemanent adds in both rifgt and left columns. I managed to display 2 different headers for each sidebox but the images were the same, even though I had different image links in each "blank_sidebox_defines.php" and "blank_sidebox_defines2.php" file.

My solution (for now) was to only have one banner sidebox switched on and in its place in the opposite column I've got the blank sidebox "on". As the banners are linked to a store locations page I wont need stats on them as yet. :)