Extended Information

[AndyPeterGill]

Hello,
I downloaded the actinic 6 demo a few days ago i've been playing with it a little trying to make a cutom template to test actinics ability. However I've hit a snag... and i'm not sure if actinic can do what i'm trying to do.

I'm trying to create a page that acts as an extened information page that is very similar to normal CMS systems where the page displays extended information about a product.

I can create a simple pop-up page but I would like to develop a custom one linked from the product image and product title from the main catalogue pages. Does anyone have an example of this or the code to link to the extened info page without a pop-up. So I can place it in the productline pages.

Cheers
Andrew

[herefordmaps]

You can embed HTML into the product description. Add !!< >!! either side of any HTML code and it will work. So you can for example add:

!!<<ahref="http://www.popup.com" target="_blank"> </a> >!!

And you can make your own pop-ups....also useful for adding images straight into product descriptions. Check out:

http://www.themapcentre.com/acatalog...tware_451.html

for some examples in action.


Hope that helps.

[cdicken]

This is from the Advanced User Guide, and adds something to the discussion:

To simply include a link as part of your full description to pop open a custom page, include code similar to the following within your full description:

!!<<a href="javascript:ShowPopUp('http://www.actinic.co.uk',800,600)">Click here</a>>!!

or

!!<<input type=button value="Visit the Manufacturer" onclick="ShowPopUp('http://www.actinic.co.uk',800,600)">>!!

Where 'http://www.actinic.co.uk' is the URL to open (this can just be a filename) and '800' and '600' are the desired widths and heights of the window.

[AndyPeterGill]

Need another way

I understood you could do that from reading the dev manual, however i'm looking to produce catalogues for a few clients and would like a system that uses the extended product information in a new template which I have designed. (I have done this) the problem i have is linking to this extended information I do not wish it to appear in a pop-up window i want it to flow like the rest of the catalogue so it acts as another level into the catalogue. The final level if you like where the user selects QTY and adds to cart.

I'm just unsure of how to get around the pop-up link. I also want the link to appear around the product name so when the use clicts the product name they are taken to the extended information.

I assumed it would be (Act_ExtendedInfoButton.html):

<A HREF="NETQUOTEVAR:LINK">
<b>NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTNAME</b>
</A>

The above works but it still opens up a pop-up window with the extended information and does not display the product name just the Actinic tag NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTNAME

[cdicken]

Go to 'Design | Text', click 'Go To' and go to prompt ID 2175. Replace that entire expression with simply:

%s

This will change all your pop-up links into straight hyperlinks. I have a feeling this will not work if you are using buttons to open your pop-up windows - it will only work with text links.

[AndyPeterGill]

Worked a treat

Cheers for that... Just one more thing

Is there any way to get this link around the Product Title? So you click on the product title to get further information???

[AndyPeterGill]

If it helps

I've tried:

<A HREF="NETQUOTEVAR:LINK" target="_parent"><b>NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTNAME</b></a>

in productLine.html but it fails to work it writes the product name but leaves the NETQUOTEVAR:LINK as the link.

Its so puzzling.

[herefordmaps]

perhaps it's because you're putting it in " " 's - try doing it without.

[NormanRouxel]

Unfortunately not all of the NETQUOTEVARs work outside the Template they are intended for.

It's been a long-standing intention of Actinic to increase the span of netquotevar's validity but it's a rather slow coming.

There's a Netquotevar Dictionary in the Advanced Guide that may be useful.

Norman

[AndyPeterGill]

Shame

Cheers Norman, I've seen the dictionary and its very useful just a shame about using the tags outside the templates. Ah well we carnt have everything i guess

[NormanRouxel]

Sometimes you can use JavaScript to get at NETQUOTEVARS that are not available in the template you want.

E.g. If in your product template you want the Product Image name (only defined in Act_ProductImage.html) then in Act_ProductImage.html you can add:-

<script language=JavaScript>
<!--
var thisimage = 'NETQUOTEVAR:IMAGEFILE';
// -->
</script>


Now in your product template you can have some more JavaScript that checks if thisimage is non-null and uses it if so.

Caveats: The code in the product template has to appear AFTER the product image template is called and I usually use a document.write to create some HTML or even JavaScript using that value as it will be overwritten when the next product down the page is displayed.

Norman