Add Header Descriptions for Catagories to STS4.2HTC259

[etzeppy]

I have STS4.2 with the integrated HTC2.59 working great but I really need to get category descriptions in the header tags. There is a mod for HTC that does this. The mod mostly involves changes to the index.php code.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to implement this mod for the STS version of HTC since you don't insert the HTC code on the individual pages.

 

Any input is appreciated.

[bkellum]

I have STS4.2 with the integrated HTC2.59 working great but I really need to get category descriptions in the header tags. There is a mod for HTC that does this. The mod mostly involves changes to the index.php code.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to implement this mod for the STS version of HTC since you don't insert the HTC code on the individual pages.

 

Any input is appreciated.

If I am not mistaken, you should have this option already. Go to your admin and under Catalog, select a category and you should be able to edit the Header Tags Category Description right there.

Then just make sure you have the required code in your template that is needed for HTC and STS to work together. (headcontent tag)

[etzeppy]

If I am not mistaken, you should have this option already. Go to your admin and under Catalog, select a category and you should be able to edit the Header Tags Category Description right there.

Then just make sure you have the required code in your template that is needed for HTC and STS to work together. (headcontent tag)

 

I don't have any header descritpion fields under Catageories. Descriptions were present for products but default. Looking at the full HTC install files, I do see that this was an option with 259 so I can always run the SQL and get the fields in there. I just assumed that I would be missing code to make it work. Right now my categories are getting the same header descriptions as my index. I don't see how that will change by just adding the fields but maybe it will.

[bkellum]

I don't have any header descritpion fields under Catageories. Descriptions were present for products but default. Looking at the full HTC install files, I do see that this was an option with 259 so I can always run the SQL and get the fields in there. I just assumed that I would be missing code to make it work. Right now my categories are getting the same header descriptions as my index. I don't see how that will change by just adding the fields but maybe it will.

etzeppy,

I no longer have a shop running STS4.2 with HTC2.5.9 so I can't compare if it does or does not have the category description. However, I created that bundle and I don't ever recall a time when any of my STS/HTC bundles did not have the category description option. Check your install to be sure you did not miss anything as well as the configuration of HTC such as the "fill tags" option with "Categories" checked and not skipped.

I do have an update for STSv4.4 with HTCv2.6.0 if your are interested. Also, in the STS Power Pack site (link in my signature) you will find the download for STSv4.3.3 with STSv2.6.0.

[etzeppy]

etzeppy,

I no longer have a shop running STS4.2 with HTC2.5.9 so I can't compare if it does or does not have the category description. However, I created that bundle and I don't ever recall a time when any of my STS/HTC bundles did not have the category description option. Check your install to be sure you did not miss anything as well as the configuration of HTC such as the "fill tags" option with "Categories" checked and not skipped.

I do have an update for STSv4.4 with HTCv2.6.0 if your are interested. Also, in the STS Power Pack site (link in my signature) you will find the download for STSv4.3.3 with STSv2.6.0.

 

I did a new store install so I think I got everything that was there but I'll double check. I'll also look at the STS upgrade path you suggest.

 

Thanks

[etzeppy]

etzeppy,

I no longer have a shop running STS4.2 with HTC2.5.9 so I can't compare if it does or does not have the category description. However, I created that bundle and I don't ever recall a time when any of my STS/HTC bundles did not have the category description option. Check your install to be sure you did not miss anything as well as the configuration of HTC such as the "fill tags" option with "Categories" checked and not skipped.

I do have an update for STSv4.4 with HTCv2.6.0 if your are interested. Also, in the STS Power Pack site (link in my signature) you will find the download for STSv4.3.3 with STSv2.6.0.

 

I did a little research and found the following:

 

I do have all of the database fields required to support the HTC updates for catagories. Those were indeed included in the New Store install of STS4.2HTC259. However, those fields do not appear in admin. I'm not sure why they don't because all of the other HTC fields do appear in admin and I did a New Store install. This was the very first contribution I installed.

 

I'm not entirely sure how to get these fields to appear in admin after the fact because I've performed so my mods. I looked at the HTC instructions for adding the category descriptions in admin/catagories.php and it didn't make any sense. It was telling me to add lines of code after other lines that are not even there.

 

I checked in phpMyAdmin and the categories_htc_description fields were all blank. I don't know if I'm just missing the code to edit these fields in admin or if there is other HTC code missing that allows these fields to actually function. I think I'll fill them from phpMyAdmin and see what I get before I go any further.

 

What should I expect to see from the HTC category fields to validate that it's working? Will the category descriptions completely replace the Index description or will one be appended to the other?

[bkellum]

Keith,

Did you consider upgrading to the newer bundle version? I'm only suggesting this because some of the HTC files in the version that you are using was based on an older build of osCommerce (probably why you are not seeing some of the code).

It is obvious that you are missing some of the files from the admin side.

Here is what I suggest if you do not want to upgrade but just keep your current version:

 

Download STSv4.3.3 with HTCv2.6.0. You are not going to use any of these files but you will take advantage of the updated "headertags_admin_install.TXT" that comes with that contribution.

Follow these instructions and you should pick up any missing code from the admin that you currently do not have.

 

If you feel that this is too daunting for you, then my next suggestion would be to use a file and compare utility such as Beyond Compare or WinMerge to merge the changes from the files included in this bundle over your current files. This is a very good way of installing this bundle since you will not miss any files as well as not create any parse errors from having misplaced code or errant spaces, etc.

 

You can find the link by using the STS4 Power Pack link in my signature below.

 

Hope this has helped,

[etzeppy]

Keith,

Did you consider upgrading to the newer bundle version? I'm only suggesting this because some of the HTC files in the version that you are using was based on an older build of osCommerce (probably why you are not seeing some of the code).

It is obvious that you are missing some of the files from the admin side.

Here is what I suggest if you do not want to upgrade but just keep your current version:

 

Download STSv4.3.3 with HTCv2.6.0. You are not going to use any of these files but you will take advantage of the updated "headertags_admin_install.TXT" that comes with that contribution.

Follow these instructions and you should pick up any missing code from the admin that you currently do not have.

 

If you feel that this is too daunting for you, then my next suggestion would be to use a file and compare utility such as Beyond Compare or WinMerge to merge the changes from the files included in this bundle over your current files. This is a very good way of installing this bundle since you will not miss any files as well as not create any parse errors from having misplaced code or errant spaces, etc.

 

You can find the link by using the STS4 Power Pack link in my signature below.

 

Hope this has helped,

 

I'm going to have to tackle one of those approaches. In the mean time, was hoping to get some sort of basic funtionality. I filed in the category descriptions and ran the pages through a meta tags checker and the descriptions were not picked up. In a previous post you mentioned checking my template for the headcontent tag. Can you point me in the right direction for looking at that piece? As I stated, I am hoping to fake my way through some basic functionality until I get time to perform a real upgrad.

 

And yes, you have been very helpful as always. Thanks for that.

[bkellum]

I'm going to have to tackle one of those approaches. In the mean time, was hoping to get some sort of basic funtionality. I filed in the category descriptions and ran the pages through a meta tags checker and the descriptions were not picked up. In a previous post you mentioned checking my template for the headcontent tag. Can you point me in the right direction for looking at that piece? As I stated, I am hoping to fake my way through some basic functionality until I get time to perform a real upgrad.

 

And yes, you have been very helpful as always. Thanks for that.

Keith,

This is the required code in each of your STS templates to make STS work (as well as pick up your HTC info):

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html $htmlparams>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
<!--$headcontent-->
 <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css">
</head>

[etzeppy]

Keith,

This is the required code in each of your STS templates to make STS work (as well as pick up your HTC info):

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html $htmlparams>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
<!--$headcontent-->
 <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css">
</head>

 

Oh, I have that. STS and HTC work great with the exception of the category descriptions. Here is my final question for while (I mean it). Since I already have the database feilds for category descriptions and HTC is generally working with STS, where is the code that tells OSC to fill the meta description with category description when a category page is requested? I think that is where I was oringally going with this thread. It looks like in a non STS implemention of HTC that takes place in index.php. I assume this is not the case with STS installed. If I could get that piece working, it would buy me some time until I can get to a real upgrade. I'm okay with using phpMyAdmin to fill my category descriptions for now. My real problem is that the category descriptions are not filling the meta description on the category pages.

 

Sorry be so think headed about this. It's just that I'm so close to having this contribution do exactly what I need. I hate to perform major surgury when a simple out patient procedure might dramatically improve my quality of life :)

[etzeppy]

Bill,

 

I got it! When I attempted to manually fill the category descriptions in phpMyAdmin, I used the wrong field. I intially populated categories_htc_description when I should have been working with categories_htc_desc_tag. I have no idea what categories_htc_description is even supposed to do and at this point I don't care. I will just populate the correct data field until I get a chance to do proper to upgrade.

 

Keith