category descriptions on index page

Hi all,

I have all my categories listed on the index page, but I need the category descriptions there as well. The categories_description variable only seems to be available on the specific category pages. Is there any way around this?

Cheers,
cw

You would need to customize the categories row module to include descriptions ...

Note: be sure to use your templates and overrides on this ...

Well, that's what I figured, but in that file, the $categories object doesn't contain the description (object shown below). How can I access the description within the category_row file?

The object as it appears in category_row:

queryFactoryResult Object
(
[is_cached] =>
[resource] => Resource id #218
[cursor] => 0
[EOF] =>
[fields] => Array
(
[categories_id] => 2
[categories_name] => Curettes
[categories_image] => thumb-placeholder.jpg
[parent_id] => 0
)
)

Probably in the category_row.php as suggested might be red text and in an order that you prefer

//    $categories->fields['products_name'] = zen_get_products_name($categories->fields['products_id']);

    $list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="categoryListBoxContents"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
                                           'text' => '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_description'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '<br />' . $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</a>');

I'll give that a try. Thanks.

Alright, I plugged that in, didn't work -- $categories->fields['categories_description'] returns nothing. As I wrote above, categories_description is not part of the categories object. Whatever code is generating the object is not in category_row.php, and it seems to default to not tapping the categories_description table when the page is the index page, but does for individual category pages. I'm stumped.

Anyone have any further suggestions?

Cheers,
cw

Alright, so I poked around and figured my best bet was to run my own query. So I did this:

$categories_description_query = "SELECT categories_description
FROM categories_description
WHERE categories_id = :categoriesID";

$categories_description_query = $db->bindVars($categories_description_query,
':categoriesID', $categories->fields['categories_id'], 'integer');
$categories_description = $db->Execute($categories_description_query);

Then later I can call $categories_description->fields['categories_description']

Hope this helps anyone else stuck with the same problem.

Cheers,
cw

You put that query in categories_row? (I've been trying to get this to work as well, I'm not sure how I missed your post. I think I've looked at all the others that are close...) :P

Forgive my ignorance, but don't you have to have passwords to access the DB information?

I will play with this, but if someone knows WHY it works and would share that knowledge, it would be a boon to the tiny bit of my brain that tries to program...

Thanks

I've tried to run your query, and I cannot figure out where to put it to make it work. :(

Forgive my ignorance, but don't you have to have passwords to access the DB information?
ZenCart provides the opening of the DB with the credentials that are in your configure.php file.

there is a division between files that obtain data (categories_row.php & others) and files that use this information for display - mostly tpl_ files. So this is 2 step. Insure that the data has been made available. Then in aas associated tpl_ file display this data.

That is what I needed. Thanks!

So what was the final solution to accomplish this?

Has anyone actually gotten this working yet?

Ditto and just bumping up the thread

Yeah me too, I'd love an answer to this as this is stumping me and I haven't gotten it to work. In which file and where do you put the query?

I did not notice the bumps on this, sorry.

In category_row.php, around line 40, you will find something like this code (I'll call this "firstbit" for reference):

$list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="categoryListBoxContents"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
'text' => '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) .' '. $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</a><br />');

Right above the "firstbit", paste these 3 lines from CrackWilding:

$categories_description_query = "SELECT categories_description FROM categories_description WHERE categories_id = :categoriesID";

$categories_description_query = $db->bindVars($categories_description_query,':categoriesID', $categories->fields['categories_id'], 'integer');

$categories_description = $db->Execute($categories_description_query);

**Then you will need to change the "firstbit" to display the description like so:
**
$list_box_contents[$row][$col] = array('params' => 'class="categoryListBoxContents"' . ' ' . 'style="width:' . $col_width . '%;"',
'text' => '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories->fields['categories_image'], $categories->fields['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) .' '. $categories->fields['categories_name'] . '</a><br />'. $categories_description->fields['categories_description'].'<br />');

Does that help?

You should be able to get the categories_description field in $categories by adding it to the original query in /includes/modules/pages/index/main_template_vars.php (no override path available).
Add , cd.categories_description to the query in two places, line 96 and line 110:```
$categories_query = "SELECT c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.categories_image, c.parent_id, cd.categories_description

You should now be able to use $categories->fields['categories_description']


Note that the previous standalone query in posts 7 & 16 would not work if your database has table prefixes, or you use multiple languages. The query in main_template_vars accounts for those cases.