XHTML With divs instead of tables

[bingeboy]

Hi,

 

I'm working on my first osCommerce site and was wondering if there is a good method to drop some of the tables and use div and lists instead.

 

For example the boxes/categories.php seems to pull directly from the db and create a table on the fly.

 

What would be a good method to make this a <ul/> or a div.

 

Thanks

[web-project]

Web 2.0 is based on div. You can use better div instead of <ul/>

[Kanie]

Huh? Alex, what you said made no sense.

 

Getting osC to be valid XHTML is a fairly long process, but it's made easier by the two template systems available - STS and BTS. I'm a big BTS supporter (my posts here and here explain why), but there is a lot more support available for STS.

[ABCommerce!]

I did a contribution that converts all the left and right column boxes to CSS but I am not happy with it. That would take care of the boxes. The main content area is easy as you can just rip apart the pages or take a look at oscss.org and see what they have done.

[bingeboy]

Huh? Alex, what you said made no sense.

 

Getting osC to be valid XHTML is a fairly long process, but it's made easier by the two template systems available - STS and BTS. I'm a big BTS supporter (my posts here and here explain why), but there is a lot more support available for STS.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm in need of a solution that that won't change the template completely. The client/developer isn't open to this idea.

Looks like a good starting point though.

 

The category box file and the right and left templates seem to have alot of tables that aren't necessary is there a way to keep the same file structure and use different syntax to load the content in lists?

[ABCommerce!]

For example the boxes/categories.php seems to pull directly from the db and create a table on the fly.

 

What would be a good method to make this a <ul/> or a div.

 

<?php
/*
 $Id: categories.php 1739 2007-12-20 00:52:16Z hpdl $

 osCommerce, Open Source E-Commerce Solutions
 http://www.oscommerce.com

 Copyright (c) 2003 osCommerce

 Released under the GNU General Public License
*/

 function tep_show_category($counter) {
global $tree, $categories_string, $cPath_array;

for ($i=0; $i<$tree[$counter]['level']; $i++) {
  $categories_string .= "";
}

$categories_string .= '		  <li><a href="';

if ($tree[$counter]['parent'] == 0) {
  $cPath_new = 'cPath=' . $counter;
} else {
  $cPath_new = 'cPath=' . $tree[$counter]['path'];
}

$categories_string .= tep_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new) . '">';

if (isset($cPath_array) && in_array($counter, $cPath_array)) {
  $categories_string .= '<b>';
}

// display category name
$categories_string .= $tree[$counter]['name'];

if (isset($cPath_array) && in_array($counter, $cPath_array)) {
  $categories_string .= '</b>';
}

if (tep_has_category_subcategories($counter)) {
  $categories_string .= '->';
}

$categories_string .= '</a>';

if (SHOW_COUNTS == 'true') {
  $products_in_category = tep_count_products_in_category($counter);
  if ($products_in_category > 0) {
	$categories_string .= ' (' . $products_in_category . ')';
  }
}

$categories_string .= '</li>
';

if ($tree[$counter]['next_id'] != false) {
  tep_show_category($tree[$counter]['next_id']);
}
 }
?>
<!-- categories //-->
  <div class="column">
	<div class="column_header">
	  <div class="column_header_left"><h4><?php echo BOX_HEADING_CATEGORIES;?></h4></div>
	</div>
	<ul>
<?php
 $categories_string = '';
 $tree = array();

 $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '0' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id='" . (int)$languages_id ."' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
 while ($categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query))  {
$tree[$categories['categories_id']] = array('name' => $categories['categories_name'],
											'parent' => $categories['parent_id'],
											'level' => 0,
											'path' => $categories['categories_id'],
											'next_id' => false);

if (isset($parent_id)) {
  $tree[$parent_id]['next_id'] = $categories['categories_id'];
}

$parent_id = $categories['categories_id'];

if (!isset($first_element)) {
  $first_element = $categories['categories_id'];
}
 }

 //------------------------
 if (tep_not_null($cPath)) {
$new_path = '';
reset($cPath_array);
while (list($key, $value) = each($cPath_array)) {
  unset($parent_id);
  unset($first_id);
  $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . (int)$value . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id='" . (int)$languages_id ."' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
  if (tep_db_num_rows($categories_query)) {
	$new_path .= $value;
	while ($row = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query)) {
	  $tree[$row['categories_id']] = array('name' => $row['categories_name'],
										   'parent' => $row['parent_id'],
										   'level' => $key+1,
										   'path' => $new_path . '_' . $row['categories_id'],
										   'next_id' => false);

	  if (isset($parent_id)) {
		$tree[$parent_id]['next_id'] = $row['categories_id'];
	  }

	  $parent_id = $row['categories_id'];

	  if (!isset($first_id)) {
		$first_id = $row['categories_id'];
	  }

	  $last_id = $row['categories_id'];
	}
	$tree[$last_id]['next_id'] = $tree[$value]['next_id'];
	$tree[$value]['next_id'] = $first_id;
	$new_path .= '_';
  } else {
	break;
  }
}
 }
 tep_show_category($first_element); 

 echo $categories_string;
?>
	</ul>
  </div>
<!-- categories_eof //-->

[bingeboy]

I just tried your download ABCommerce!

And over wrote the i/b/categories.php and it took perfectly!!! :D

 

Nice clean code just what I was looking for.

Why are you not happy with it?

[ABCommerce!]

I just tried your download ABCommerce!

And over wrote the i/b/categories.php and it took perfectly!!! :D

 

Nice clean code just what I was looking for.

Why are you not happy with it?

 

I don't like the way the form is done for the search box in the contribution.