Specials Sidebox showing on home page only

Is is normal for the specials sidebox (set to right column) to only show on home page? I would like it to be visible when viewing products as well.

Thanks,
Dustin

divinelighting:

Is is normal for the specials sidebox (set to right column) to only show on home page? I would like it to be visible when viewing products as well.

Thanks,
Dustin

I am wondering the same thing.

The specials sidebox is designed to not show on the product _info page ...

You can customize the code with your templates and overrides ...

I prefer, when working on sideboxes, to copy both parts of a sidebox to the templates and overrides so that things are managed in pairs ... but that is a personal opinion ... :smile:
/includes/modules/sideboxes/specials.php
/includes/templates/template_default/sideboxes/tpl_specials.php

Copy to your templates and overrides directories:
/includes/modules/sideboxes/your_template_dir/specials.php
/includes/templates/your_template_dir/sideboxes/tpl_specials.php

If you look at this section of code, you will see how the sidebox is disabled when there is a $_GET['products_id'] set:

// test if box should display
  $show_specials= false;

  if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
    $show_specials= false;
  } else {
    $show_specials= true;
  }

  if ($show_specials == true) {

Any time $show_specials is set to false you will not see the specials sidebox and when $show_specials is set to true then there will be a special sidebox ...

You can add any number of conditions to the sideboxes to use this method to control them ...

I'm curious what the thought might be to have no specials on detail pages by default. Would this maybe be to not distract someone away from a page containing an add-to-cart button on it?

Is the strategy only I'm wondering about.

In part, it is to show that it "can be done" ... the other part is to remove a distraction ... :smile:

Ajeh:

The specials sidebox is designed to not show on the product _info page ...

You can customize the code with your templates and overrides ...

I prefer, when working on sideboxes, to copy both parts of a sidebox to the templates and overrides so that things are managed in pairs ... but that is a personal opinion ... :smile:
/includes/modules/sideboxes/specials.php
/includes/templates/template_default/sideboxes/tpl_specials.php

Copy to your templates and overrides directories:
/includes/modules/sideboxes/your_template_dir/specials.php
/includes/templates/your_template_dir/sideboxes/tpl_specials.php

If you look at this section of code, you will see how the sidebox is disabled when there is a $_GET['products_id'] set:

// test if box should display
$show_specials= false;

if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
$show_specials= false;
} else {
$show_specials= true;
}

if ($show_specials == true) {

> 
> Any time $show_specials is set to false you will not see the specials sidebox and when $show_specials is set to true then there will be a special sidebox ...
> 
> You can add any number of conditions to the sideboxes to use this method to control them ...

I can not get specials to work when click on [more]. I changed the false to true in includes/modules/sideboxes/temp/specials.php and still does not work.

Did you do anything to the other file includes/template/temp/sidesboxes/tpl_specials.php? Currently, when you click on[more] it takes you to page with lines and no images or details.

Kim

If I change the code to read:

  if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
    $show_specials= true;
  } else {
    $show_specials= true;
  }

where it always evaluates to true, then I always have a specials sidebox ...

Ajeh:

If I change the code to read:

if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
$show_specials= true;
} else {
$show_specials= true;
}

> 
> where it always evaluates to true, then I always have a specials sidebox ...

I have this in includes/modules/sideboxes/temp/specials.php

// test if box should display
  $show_specials= true;

  if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
    $show_specials= true;
  } else {
    $show_specials= true;
  }

And I still do not have images or descriptions, just doted lines.

Kim

Do a search in the Developers Tool Kit in the bottom input box for:
$show_specials

and select Catalog and click search ... to see what files come up and make sure the files have the right settings on the server ...

Ajeh:

Do a search in the Developers Tool Kit in the bottom input box for:
$show_specials

and select Catalog and click search ... to see what files come up and make sure the files have the right settings on the server ...

Hi Ajeh,

I did the admin search with developers tool kit and all came up as true. What are the correct settings for the files? Next, I need to look at settings on the server.
Thanks, Kim

If they are both set to true and you have active specials you should see the specials in the sidebox regardless of where you are ...

Ajeh:

If they are both set to true and you have active specials you should see the specials in the sidebox regardless of where you are ...

Yes, I see a few in the sidebox. It is when I click on [more] the next page does not show the rest. I just has the dots for in between each product with no images or information....

If it worked in the sidebox but then the specials page itself is broken then it sounds like there is an error with that page ...

If you switch to the Classic Template, does the Specials page now work?

Ajeh:

If it worked in the sidebox but then the specials page itself is broken then it sounds like there is an error with that page ...

If you switch to the Classic Template, does the Specials page now work?

Yes, it works with classic template.

Sounds like an issue with your template files ...

You may want to compare them to the original files to see if anything stands out ...

Beyond Compare from scootersoftware.com is a handy tool for this ...

Ajeh:

Sounds like an issue with your template files ...

You may want to compare them to the original files to see if anything stands out ...

Beyond Compare from scootersoftware.com is a handy tool for this ...

I compared with original files and did not see anything...

Here are two files unless there are others I do not know about.

include/modules/sidebox/temp/specials.php

// test if box should display
  $show_specials= true;

  if (isset($_GET['products_id'])) {
    $show_specials= true;
  } else {
    $show_specials= true;
  }

  if ($show_specials == true) {
    $random_specials_sidebox_product_query = "select p.products_id, pd.products_name, p.products_price,
                                    p.products_tax_class_id, p.products_image,
                                    s.specials_new_products_price,
                                    p.master_categories_id
                             from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " .
                                      TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . " pd, " .
                                      TABLE_SPECIALS . " s
                             where p.products_status = 1
                             and p.products_id = s.products_id
                             and pd.products_id = s.products_id
                             and pd.language_id = '" . (int)$_SESSION['languages_id'] . "'
                             and s.status = 1";

//    $random_specials_sidebox_product = zen_random_select($random_specials_sidebox_product_query);
    $random_specials_sidebox_product = $db->ExecuteRandomMulti($random_specials_sidebox_product_query, MAX_RANDOM_SELECT_SPECIALS);

    if ($random_specials_sidebox_product->RecordCount() > 0)  {
      require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_specials.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'sideboxes'). '/tpl_specials.php');
      $title =  BOX_HEADING_SPECIALS;
      $title_link = FILENAME_SPECIALS;
      require($template->get_template_dir($column_box_default, DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common') . '/' . $column_box_default);
    }
  }
?>

includes/templates/temp/sideboxes/tpl_specials.php

$content = "";
 $specials_box_counter = 0;
 while (!$random_specials_sidebox_product->EOF) {
   $specials_box_counter++;
   $specials_box_price = zen_get_products_display_price($random_specials_sidebox_product->fields['products_id']);
   $content .= '<div class="sideBoxContent centeredContent">';
   $content .= '<a href="' . zen_href_link(zen_get_info_page($random_specials_sidebox_product->fields["products_id"]), 'cPath=' . zen_get_generated_category_path_rev($random_specials_sidebox_product->fields["master_categories_id"]) . '&products_id=' . $random_specials_sidebox_product->fields["products_id"]) . '">' . zen_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $random_specials_sidebox_product->fields['products_image'], $random_specials_sidebox_product->fields['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT); 
   $content .= '<br />' . $random_specials_sidebox_product->fields['products_name'] . '</a>';
   $content .= '<div>' . $specials_box_price . '</div>';
   $content .= '</div>';
   $random_specials_sidebox_product->MoveNextRandom();
 }
?>

Do you see anything?

Does the Specials page show when you use the link to specials from the Categories sidebox?

Ajeh:

Does the Specials page show when you use the link to specials from the Categories sidebox?

No, it does not work from the categories sidebox either. :frusty:

This makes me think you are looking in the wrong place for the problem ... :blink:

Check the files:
/includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_specials_default.php
/includes/languages/english/specials.php

against your template files:
/includes/templates/temp/templates/tpl_specials_default.php
/includes/languages/english/temp/specials.php

Ajeh:

This makes me think you are looking in the wrong place for the problem ... :blink:

Check the files:
/includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_specials_default.php
/includes/languages/english/specials.php

against your template files:
/includes/templates/temp/templates/tpl_specials_default.php
/includes/languages/english/temp/specials.php

Checked the files and they match....