Product list in a table with extended info not in a pop up.

[rpain]

Hello,

I'm a new user and very happy - I was spending hours working on (an open source system) but the hours I spent didn't achieve quite what I wanted.

All I'm looking for is a template that has products in a list (pic and title) and next to each one, a link saying 'more info' to go to another page (not a pop up). See:

http://www.shopatdigital.co.uk/

I'm just being a bit rubbish I know - and I could figure it out but I was just writing in case someone had already come up with a solution. I may have just missed one of the options in the menus.

Many thanks,

Richard

[Ben]

Hi Richard

Have a look at the 'Links' tab when you click on any product. These fields will allow you to create a link that opens in the same window.

Ben

[rpain]

How do I make this a default for all prods?

OK - I see the tab and this is useful. We have about 60 prods and setting up a page by hand for each one would be impractical. Two questions:

1. Can this link feature (and settings) be set as a default for all new products
2. Is there any way I can use a template to create this new 'more info' page? (based on the description/title?

Would it be possible to use the extended information tab for the main description, use one of the standard templates for the popup (normal one with sides etc.) but take the javascript pop up command out of the main product template so it just links to the ext info page? I notice that this extended info area does create an automatic file.

One last thing - how can I put html in the ext prod info page?


Thanks for your help,

Richard

[rpain]

sorted out html in extended info

I managed to work out the html in popup (!!<) - still having trouble with the other stuff, though.

[NormanRouxel]

but take the javascript pop up command out of the main product template so it just links to the ext info page?

If you go to Design / Text / Phase -1 ID 2175 you will see the line

javascript:ShowPopUp('%s',%s,%s);

if you replace this with just

%s

Then the extended info page will open in the same browser as the parent. This will only work for the text link or clicking product image methods. It will fail with the Button link.
The Close window should take you back to the parent.

You can modify this page to have more info but it's not simple. I have a V6 readme that will take you some of the way on www.drillpine.biz/actinicstuff/ - look for the one about making the popup page have cart button, etc.

how can I put html in the ext prod info page?

In the description text just surround your HTML with !!< and >!!

e.g.

Blah blah !!< <b> bold blah </b> >!! and normal text.

Norman

[rpain]

Nice one.

Thanks for that - just one last thing.

The extended info page I'm linking to I want based on the normal prod page but just containg: selected product name, the description (from extended info), the options (radio buttons etc.) and an add to basket button and then everything is perfect.

Here's my main page:

http://themanthatcan.com/acatalog/Dell_Handhelds.html

And the ext info page:

http://themanthatcan.com/acatalog/info%5f22%2ehtml

As you can see - it's not taking the variables properly

Then that's about it.

Many thanks - you have a brilliant system which has saved my life and I really appreciate your quick response.

Richard

[cdicken]

Hi there.

WHat you are trying to do will not work I'm afraid. The pop-up pages within Actinic are only meant as extended information pages for a product - not whole other pages - hence all the variables nor working.

You have two choices

1) Just use the pop-up page as an extended information page and have nothing in it other than the extended product data. Norman's instructions on 'Additional example code to make popup page have submit and attribute buttons' at http://www.drillpine.biz/actinicstuff/index.html will tell you how to put a cart button and radio buttons onto the pop-up page.

2) The other way is as Ben described: use the 'product duplicates' facility to have the product twice in the store - one in a more compact list, one in more detail - and use the 'Link' tab to link between the two.

[rpain]

thanks - just one last thing

Thanks for that - I think we'll go for option 2 as there aren't a great number of products that need further explanations (yet). Is there a way I can hide the product with the full description? (so I don't get the two prods on the same page - I know I can move the full detail one elsewhere but it will still be visible in a list) I tried hiding it on the website but then it doesn't appear in the drop down as a link from the product that needs to link to it. I tried creating a new section and hiding that but still no luck.

Thanks again - maybe add this feature in a future version?

You do have a great system, though which has saved my life!

Richard

[rpain]

template for page with just one prod

I'd also like to set up a template for the product detail page - if I do link to another prod currently, it just shows me another list but with the full description. Is there an easy way of setting it up so it only shows one product in the list?


Richard

[cdicken]

I'd also like to set up a template for the product detail page - if I do link to another prod currently, it just shows me another list but with the full description. Is there an easy way of setting it up so it only shows one product in the list?

I would put each 'full' product in it's own sub-section within the 'summary listing' section. That way, when customers view the 'more details' page, they only get one product appearing in the page.

You can then edit the settings in the 'Layout' tab of the 'summary listing' section to not display the sub-section list.

[rpain]

and finally

Thanks - done that. Just one last thing - I now want to edit the template for the final detail page. I have created a template file act_PrimaryDetail.html and I'd like to change the formatting of the 'BULK' bit - have a big pic of the prod and info directly below it instead of the two column table which doesn't give much space for a lot of text and pictures.

I can't change this bulk bit I realise. I've created a file Act_ProductLineDetail.htm and laid it out as I'd like. How do I get my new primary page to use this line detail page as the 'BULK' bit? I've tried going into the product tab of the section and putting this linedetail.html as the template but with no luck.

Thanks,

Richard

[cdicken]

I've tried going into the product tab of the section and putting this linedetail.html as the template but with no luck.

This is what you should be doing so I don't know why it isn't working.

Check that the 'Layout' tab of the product says 'Use Parent' rather than a specific template name that will override the one you select at the product level.

[rpain]

Hooray!

Brilliant - thanks so much - I'd changed the section layouts but the actual prod itself wasn't set to use parent. All working fine now.

You've got a brilliant system.

Richard