Section Layout Problems

[demalpas]

I have used the advice and code starting on page 24 of the Advanced Users Guide (Creating a Listing Page which Links Through to Full Details Pages – Method 2) to change the way just the "last" section level displays product summary details (each product separated by a line) before then displaying the product page for each product in that section.

Together with a few other changes that were necessary to the List Layout Settings, this advice and code has worked fine for those products that have only a single section menu structure (we use the norlist menu system). You can see the result on our test site at

http://www.morethanmowers.co.uk/acat...Splitters.html


However where the menu system is more than a single section for some products (e.g. 4 section levels as in Lawnmowers/Petrol Rotary/Self-Propelled Rotary/Rear Roller Self-Propelled), the section layout immediately before the last section with the products, falls over completely. However, section layouts before that penultimate one display correctly. I have fiddled with this until I am ready to scream - to no avail.
I have reverted back to the old layout for these sections.

It would seem - looking at other Actinic sites, that this problem has been solved - so please someone - tell me how to do it. Many thanks

[leehack]

Sounds like there is either a section level restriction or you do not have 'use parent' on the said sections and they are using their own layout instead of the one you have hopefully set in site options.

[demalpas]

Hi Lee - many thanks for that. However, the site options are set correctly to use parent - exactly the same as the 3 sections above the penultimate one. They all work and display perfectly, but the penultimate section does not. Perversely it picks up the layout for "Section Link with Product Details" for the first Section on the displayed page and the layout for "Use Parent (= Image Below Section Link) for the next section displayed on the "same" page.

I simply cannot trace why this is happening. Any more ideas?

[leehack]

Sounds like you have a mixture of section link layouts set on the parents. If you have one layout for the whole site and all section links should use that, then it should be set in site options and all other selectors should be left at 'use parent'. If you have 'use parent' showing a different layout, then the parent section must have something different set or that parent's parent has. If not then it's a problem never seen or mentioned before as far as i know.

Almost certain that you are looking at the wrong level though, when you click on a section, it shows you the layout of the section(s) below it, therefore if you want to change that look, you have to select down a level to do so and then click back up to see the change. The one you click on is the parent and its shows you the siblings, if you want the siblings to look different, then you have to click on them and change them. Then click back on the parent to see the well behaved siblings.

[demalpas]

Many thanks Lee. After reading and re-reading you response I realised that I had set the new code at the wrong level. I needed to set it at the section level relating to each product and not in the section above. I had been setting it at for instance "Log Splitters" and NOT setting it in Sections relating to each Log Splitter product.

I have now corrected it and it all displays properly. It also now works for multi-section products. Many, many thanks for your assistance

Mike