Linking to categories from an external page

[mattyb]

I'm looking to link to specific categories from an external page (outside the catalog). I've noticed that when doing this, that the cart does not start a session. So when customers try to add products to their shopping cart, they then will click continue shopping and it takes them to the previous page and their cart is empty. Is there any way around this?

 

Here is the link to see what I mean:

http://blackswanhome.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=7_8_77

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

[steve_s]

you can try using force cookies so its stored that way not id in url see if that works

[mattyb]

Well I think I might have found it but I still need help. I had used STS templates to change the look a bit and changed the continue_shopping link to get the cart to do what I wanted it to do.

 

I really need the continue_shopping link to go back 2 pages not just one so here's what I had originally did:

<?php echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link($navigation->path[$back]['page'], tep_array_to_string($navigation->path[$back]['get'], array('action')), $navigation->path[$back]['mode']) . '">' . tep_image_button('button_continue_shopping.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_CONTINUE_SHOPPING) . '</a>'; ?>

 

Changed that code to this:

<A HREF="java script:history.go(-2)"><?php echo tep_image_button('button_continue_shopping.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_CONTINUE_SHOPPING); ?>

 

It had worked except I didn't realize that peoples items were being wiped out if they had entered from outside the cart onto specific category pages. So my question now is, how can I modify the continue_shopping code to go back 2 pages?

[mattyb]

Ok so above all of the code for the continue shopping button I see

 

$back = sizeof($navigation->path)-1;

 

I tried changing it to -2 and the button disappears. Any thoughts?