Problem: Extended info pages not created

[DaveH]

I'm working on a new site (neatwholesale.com/neat.html) but I am hitting an odd problem where extended information pages are not being created using Version 10.0.1.KEUB - you can see this by clicking the Calendula product in All Carrier Oils section.

This is not an upload problem as the files are not being generated locally in the Preview Store either.

You can see that the first product is called 'Template - Copy Me'. All other products were created by copying that template and changing the details.

Any thoughts would be appreciated?

In the meantime I'm going to install the latest Beta release to see what happens.

[bentleybloke]

You need to make sure you have the following code in your product template.

<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInformationLinks" />

Also that the above layout contains this:

<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsPopUpPageGenerated%22%20%2f%3e">
   <actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageDesign"/>
</actinic:block>

[DaveH]

Thanks for the quick reply bentleybloke...

You need to make sure you have the following code in your product template.

<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInformationLinks" />

Not sure what you mean here; where is the 'product template' that I should put the code into?

If you mean the 'Template-Copy Me', then that is just a standard product that I copy each time I want a new one inserted - saves me having to put in a few default values (such as a list of component items).

EDIT: Sorry, I realise what you mean now: the 'product layout'.

Also that the above layout contains this:

<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsPopUpPageGenerated%22%20%2f%3e">
   <actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageDesign"/>
</actinic:block>

I'm having the same problem with both my 'Custom Standard Layout Using CSS' and the default 'Standard Layour Using CSS' so I don't think it is a layout issue (although I haven't totally disregarded that possibility yet).

EDIT: I have a suspicion now (thanks Pinbrook, below) that this could well be the problem, even though it doesn't explain why only some are created and others are not.

However, if it is a layout issue, I can't see how it would only affect some products and not all.

PS. I've upgraded to 10.0.2KHKA of Business Plus now and the issue still exists - I didn't really expect it to go away, but it was something to try

Any other thoughts? (My deadline is end of July to get the site up!)

[DaveH]

One thing that maybe a developer could comment on...

The files that are not being created are not present in the FileList table in the ActinicCatalogue.mdb

Don't know if this is a cause of my problems or an affect. Does this table get populated when a product is created, or when the site is published?

[pinbrook]

within Actinic, for a product you have extended info, what layout are you using for extended info?

could you post the layout code here (use the code tags)

[DaveH]

I've now put bentleybloke's suggestion...

<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageDesign"/>

into my Product Layout and it now seems to be working as expected (although it still doesn't explain the irregularities).

Seems totally illogical, but obviously Actinic is using this ExtendedInfoPageDesign variable to determine whether it should build the Extended Info page, regardless of (in addition to) the tickbox setting within the product itself.

Thank you both

[NormanRouxel]

Seems totally illogical

Not really. This is a layout Selector and it will obey the layout you choose for the Extended Info Page. Because this is part of the product layout it allows you to tinker with the generated page or substitute your own way of generating these pages.

If some products created the Extended Info and some didn't there be two reasons:

1) Some products were using the product layout that included the extended info page and some were using one that didn't.

2) You'd inadvertantly deleted the ExtendedInfoPageDesign sometime in the past but pages generated prior to that deletion were still lurking.

[DaveH]

Not really. This is a layout Selector and it will obey the layout you choose for the Extended Info Page. Because this is part of the product layout it allows you to tinker with the generated page or substitute your own way of generating these pages.

You've lost me here Norman. I understand that the selector selects the relevant layout, but not why I need an Extended Info page selector in my Product Layout code.

If some products created the Extended Info and some didn't there be two reasons:

1) Some products were using the product layout that included the extended info page and some were using one that didn't.

2) You'd inadvertantly deleted the ExtendedInfoPageDesign sometime in the past but pages generated prior to that deletion were still lurking.

#1 - all products were generated using the 'template-copy me' product, so all settings were identical between all products. Indeed, to cure some products, I merely copied them (ctrl-C) and repasted them (ctrl-V), but this just resulted in random other products causing a problem where they had previously been working fine.

#2 - yes, I had intentionally left out the ExtendedInfoPageDesign from my Product Layout design - unfortunately not knowing at the time that it was necessary (and still not understanding why).

#2 - I had manually deleted all existing files from my site so I know it wasn't due to lurking files. I had also exported all my products to .csv, deleted them all from the site, uploaded the site and checked there weren't any residual files left, then reimported the csv and published again to get the same irregularities. I had also checked the text in the csv between one product that was working and one that wasn't to ensure there were no differences for when they were re-imported.

[NormanRouxel]

but not why I need an Extended Info page selector in my Product Layout code

To let you replace that with your own version of the Extended Info page file generation code.

Perhaps one that does something completely different, like opening the Extended Info page in a lightbox instead of a popup. Or generating an Extended Info page where the page file name is based on the product name.

I recall an Advanced Guide article that uses this capability to create two different extended info pages.

[DaveH]

Thanks for the clarification Norman.

I understand and recognise the need for the selector to allow a product to determine which extended info page it should use, but this is set as part of the properties for extended info in the Content area.

It's the need for inclusion of the selector within the page Design of the product that baffles me - surely Actinic could (but doesn't seem to) read the appropriate setting from the product properties rather than having to find it within the design code.

Ah well, moons wane and tides ebb, so we'll put this one to rest for now.