cpath how does it work?

[michelew]

Probably something you should now when you work with php.

 

I'm having trouble to figure out how cpath works, more precisely if I have:

 

.../catalog/index.php?cPath=21_35

Where in the code of index.php do I find the way 21_35 is being matched to categorie 21 and subcategory 35 of the database. Which calculation in which query (if a query is involved) refers to these id's.

 

The reason why I need to know this is because I added an id to the link, which would give:

.../catalog/index.php?cPath=21_35_1

 

This refers to an extra field I added to the table "products_to_categories".

 

If you think what I explain is incomplete or not clear, feel free to ask details.

 

Thank you for reading and eventually answering this question.

 

Mich?le

[241]

The initial part is done in catalog/includes/application_top.php

 

// calculate category path
 if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['cPath'])) {
   $cPath = $HTTP_GET_VARS['cPath'];
 } elseif (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['products_id']) && !isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
   $cPath = tep_get_product_path($HTTP_GET_VARS['products_id']);
 } else {
   $cPath = '';
 }

 if (tep_not_null($cPath)) {
   $cPath_array = tep_parse_category_path($cPath);
   $cPath = implode('_', $cPath_array);
   $current_category_id = $cPath_array[(sizeof($cPath_array)-1)];
 } else {
   $current_category_id = 0;
 }

 

this is then used in index.php to work out if category depth is top categoy or sub category.

 

// the following cPath references come from application_top.php
 $category_depth = 'top';
 if (isset($cPath) && tep_not_null($cPath)) {
   $categories_products_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " where categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'");
   $cateqories_products = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_products_query);
   if ($cateqories_products['total'] > 0) {
     $category_depth = 'products'; // display products
   } else {
     $category_parent_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " where parent_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'");
     $category_parent = tep_db_fetch_array($category_parent_query);
     if ($category_parent['total'] > 0) {
       $category_depth = 'nested'; // navigate through the categories
     } else {
       $category_depth = 'products'; // category has no products, but display the 'no products' message
     }
   }
 }

 

also used here

 

<?php
 if ($category_depth == 'nested') {
   $category_query = tep_db_query("select cd.categories_name, c.categories_image from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and cd.categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "'");
   $category = tep_db_fetch_array($category_query);
?>

 

and here

 

<?php
   if (isset($cPath) && strpos('_', $cPath)) {
// check to see if there are deeper categories within the current category
     $category_links = array_reverse($cPath_array);
     for($i=0, $n=sizeof($category_links); $i<$n; $i++) {
       $categories_query = tep_db_query("select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$category_links[$i] . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "'");
       $categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query);
       if ($categories['total'] < 1) {
         // do nothing, go through the loop
       } else {
         $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.categories_image, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$category_links[$i] . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
         break; // we've found the deepest category the customer is in
       }
     }
   } else {
     $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.categories_image, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id = '" . (int)$languages_id . "' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
   }

   $number_of_categories = tep_db_num_rows($categories_query);

   $rows = 0;
   while ($categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query)) {
     $rows++;
     $cPath_new = tep_get_path($categories['categories_id']);
     $width = (int)(100 / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW) . '%';
     echo '                <td align="center" class="smallText" width="' . $width . '" valign="top"><a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $categories['categories_image'], $categories['categories_name'], SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_WIDTH, SUBCATEGORY_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '<br>' . $categories['categories_name'] . '</a></td>' . "\n";
     if ((($rows / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW) == floor($rows / MAX_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES_PER_ROW)) && ($rows != $number_of_categories)) {
       echo '              </tr>' . "\n";
       echo '              <tr>' . "\n";
     }
   }

 

with a statement here for the listings

 

  } elseif ($category_depth == 'products' || isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
// create column list

[michelew]

Great Steve! What a complete answer. Thanks.

 

Mich?le

[tapaule]

For some reason I am having a problem around this issue. Seems that some categories I added are not displaying properly on index.php, but they are fine in the categories box. That is, the catalog box shows the sub-categories properly, but when selecting a category with certain sub-categories index.php says "There are no products to list in this category." when there are several sub-categories.

 

I know this is directly related to applicaiton_top.php, specifically this query:

 

"select count(*) as total from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " where categories_id = '" . (int)$current_category_id . "'"

 

as is does not return a total greater than 0, so it diplays products (which there are none, just subcategories.

 

I am stumped as to why it doesn't work correctly, as the data in the products_to_categories table seems to relate everything correctly.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

Tom

[Jerah]

For some reason I am having a problem around this issue. Seems that some categories I added are not displaying properly on index.php, but they are fine in the categories box. That is, the catalog box shows the sub-categories properly, but when selecting a category with certain sub-categories index.php says "There are no products to list in this category." when there are several sub-categories.

 

Having the same problem here, but it appears only with one category.

[Jerah]

Check this topic. A (semi) solution.