Idiots guide: Splitting your product list (TLS) into sections...

[jont]

entiresectionlist

Word of note this can grind some sites to a standstill

[TraceyHand]

entiresectionlist

Word of note this can grind some sites to a standstill

*shudders at the memories*

[ljz]

For anyone that was having a similar problem to me! I was putting the code into the wrong layout. If you put this code into your overall layout then the repetitive sections will not be a problem. Duh!!

Hello, I'm having the same problem Elaine was. Could someone please explain what the "overall layout" is and how I access it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Elainek]

Okay, If you go to your design tab and on the right handside you should see your content tree, if you click on the design tree option instead (next to content tree), you can navigate to the overall design layout. This will depend on what theme you are using, i was using the Design Wizard so the layout where i inserted the code was the Design Wizard Outer Layout.

I hope this is of some help to you, let me know if i have not explained this well

Elaine

[ljz]

Okay, If you go to your design tab and on the right handside you should see your content tree, if you click on the design tree option instead (next to content tree), you can navigate to the overall design layout. This will depend on what theme you are using, i was using the Design Wizard so the layout where i inserted the code was the Design Wizard Outer Layout.

I hope this is of some help to you, let me know if i have not explained this well

Hello Elaine,

Thank you for replying to me. It was very kind of you, and I appreciate it.

I'm using version 8.5.3 IDHB, as of yesterday. (I thought that maybe upgrading would "fix" the problem I'm having.) I've done what you suggested, but am having the same problem.

I've been using the "Works Best with Cotemporary" layout, and have added the code to the "Top Level Section List in Boxes" layout, and have also tried adding it to the "Section Name Only Section Link." The menu still loops.

So, unfortunately, the code just isn't working for me. The menu is looping equal to the number of categories I have. I've spend about two weeks scouring the Internet and reading all of the associated posts on this site, but I think I have to finally say that the "monster" won. First time ever I gave up on a piece of code, but I just can't work out what is wrong.

Thanks again for answering me.

LJ

[Elainek]

Hello,

I think what you might be doing wrong is your putting the code in those layouts. However if you go to the overall design i.e. Works best with contemporary, and then find the layouts "Top Level Section List" dont click into these layouts and place the code, stay in the layout "Works best with contemporary" and delete that particular layout (Top Level Section List)then paste your code where this layout was. Make sure you have a snapshot and then you can always revert back to it if it doesnt work.

Im not on Actinic at the moment but i can send you a screenshot of my code if that helps, when im back on. If this doesnt help you! Persevere your nearly there!

Elaine

[ljz]

Hello,

Im not on Actinic at the moment but i can send you a screenshot of my code if that helps, when im back on. If this doesnt help you! Persevere your nearly there!

Hello Elaine,

I think it would help if you would send a screenshot of the code. Just want to make sure that I'm putting it in the right place. Thank you so much for your help. I hope that I can return the favor some day.

--LJ

[Vonagut]

Hi LJ,

have you managed to make it work yet?

It took me a little time but I got there. Here's what I did.

1, Go into the design tree and select the highest part of the tree which for me was 'Works best with Contempory'.

2, Move to the left screen with the line numbers which is 'Layout code - works best with Contempory'

3, scroll down to the line 'Top Level Section List' and replace with the text supplied.

I think that's how I did it. I hope it works.

Chris

[ljz]

Hello Elaine and Chris,

Yes! I finally got it to work. I made some additions to the code. (I'm using the "Works Best with Contemporary" layout.)

I wanted to use rollover menus, which disappeared when I replaced the existing code. I'm attaching an example of the code I used, in case it may prove useful to someone else. Please, anyone, let me know if there is a problem with the code, because I definitely don't want to lead anyone astray.

<!-- LJZ Beginning of code to add Category Headings and Rollover menu in left-hand menu -->

<div class="tech_menu_button_title">
   <p class="tech_text_product_section">Product Sections:</p>
</div>

<!-- Added top padding and left padding for better centering, added border style to create solid line around main category name -->
<div class="text_heading_left_column" style="padding-top:5px" style="padding-left:0.07cm" style="border:1px solid">Category 1</div>
<actinic:block type="EntireSectionList">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22List%20Number%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%201" >
<!-- Added to create rollover menu -->
<div class="tech_menu_button_border"><div class="tech_menu_button_product">
<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName"/>"><actinic:variable name='SectionName'/></a>
<!-- Added these div end statements for the tech menu button commands -->
</div></div>
</actinic:block>
</actinic:block>

<div class="text_heading_left_column" style="padding-top:5px" style="padding-left:0.07cm" style="border:1px solid">Category 2</div>
<actinic:block type="EntireSectionList">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22List%20Number%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%202" >
<div class="tech_menu_button_border"><div class="tech_menu_button_product">
<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName"/>"><actinic:variable name='SectionName'/></a>
</div></div>
</actinic:block>
</actinic:block>

<div class="text_heading_left_column" style="padding-top:5px" style="padding-left:0.07cm" style="border:1px solid">Category 3</div>
<actinic:block type="EntireSectionList">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22List%20Number%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%203" >
<div class="tech_menu_button_border"><div class="tech_menu_button_product">
<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName"/>"><actinic:variable name='SectionName'/></a>
</div></div>
</actinic:block>
</actinic:block>

<div class="text_heading_left_column" style="padding-top:5px" style="padding-left:0.07cm" style="border:1px solid">Category 4</div>
<actinic:block type="EntireSectionList">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22List%20Number%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%204" >
<div class="tech_menu_button_border"><div class="tech_menu_button_product">
<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName"/>"><actinic:variable name='SectionName'/></a>
</div></div>
</actinic:block>
</actinic:block>

<div class="tech_menu_button_title"><div></div></div>

<!-- LJZ Ending of code to add Category Headings in left-hand menu -->

I also want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. It was an enormous help, and I appreciate it.

--LJ

[Elainek]

Thats great Liz, sorry im only replying time has been flying too fast Glad you got it working okay!

Elaine

[ljz]

No worries. I've had the same problem lately.
--LJZ

[frenchy232]

Hello All,

I have implemented the above and it is working well.

http://www.theogroup.co.uk/index.html

The challenge I now face is what to do with products that need to appear within more than one list, Ultra Marathons & Adventure Racing for example.

One answer would be to have more than one instance of these products, however having spoken to the operational guys, they see this as a shopwstopper, mainly due to stock control issues, which I can understand.

Has anyone faced this in the past and come up with a solution, any ideas much appreciated.

Cheers,

Frenchy.

[leehack]

Paste duplicates of the original product, it is all linked back to the main product then. Right click copy - paste as duplicate.

[gabrielcrowe]

Just a note, to say that this:
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=35767

Gives a similar effect, without the slowdown of using EntireSectionList.

...though I love the original technique, using php like this has many advantages. including the ability to drill down with css, and the ability to highlight the active section at any depth.

[Paul Cooper]

Thank you Ben for such comprehensive instructions, I have been wanting to do this on our website since day 1.

Not sure if anyone can advise but it does seem to have slowed the page loading a bit and I wonder if this down to the use of entiresectionlist warned about above? I have viewed the source code in firefox and see that the home page has over 6000 lines and much of that is white space. I do not know what is was before, I would appreciate any feedback as to whether the page loading time is slow as I really want to keep the new menu structure but not if the loading time is unacceptable.

Gabe, I tried to follow your link but got 404.

Thanks

Paul

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