Zen Cart New Product Type Using Ultimate SEO URL Package
This post is to help those who are using Zen Cart and are using new product types with Ultimate SEO URL package installed. There are a couple of things to change in order to make everything work together as it took me a couple of hours to figure out. I hope this will help others save these couple of hours of hair pulling.
Prerequisite:
Zen Cart installed
New product type added
Ultimate SEO URL package installed
Goal:
Have the URLs for the products using the new product type show URLs in this format.
http://www.domain.com/[product name]-p-[product id].html
Changes Required:
NOTE: [handler_name] is the new product type name added.
- File - seo.url.php
Original:
$seo_pages = array(
FILENAME_DEFAULT,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO,
FILENAME_POPUP_IMAGE,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_REVIEWS,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_REVIEWS_INFO,
);Result:
$seo_pages = array(
FILENAME_DEFAULT,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO,
FILENAME_POPUP_IMAGE,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_REVIEWS,
FILENAME_PRODUCT_REVIEWS_INFO,
FILENAME_[handler name]_INFO
); - File - seo.url.php
Original:
$this->reg_anchors = array(
'products_id' => '-p-',
'cPath' => '-c-',
'manufacturers_id' => '-m-',
'pID' => '-pi-',
'products_id_review' => '-pr-',
'products_id_review_info' => '-pri-',Result:
$this->reg_anchors = array(
'products_id' => '-p-',
'cPath' => '-c-',
'manufacturers_id' => '-m-',
'pID' => '-pi-',
'products_id_review' => '-pr-',
'products_id_review_info' => '-pri-',
'[handler name]_id' => '-pji-',
- File - seo.url.php -> function parse_parameters
Find "case 'products_id':"
Within this case statement, add the following.case ($page == FILENAME_[handler name]_INFO):
$url = $this->make_url($page, $this->get_product_name($p2[1]), '[handler_name]_id', $p2[1], '.html', $separator);
break; - File - [webroot]/includes/filenames.php
Add the following definition.define('FILENAME_[handler name]_INFO', '[handler name]_info'); - File - [webroot]/.htaccess
Add the following rewrite rule.RewriteRule ^(.*)-pji-(.*).html$ index\.php?main_page=[ handler_name]_info&products_id=$2&%{QUERY_STRING} [L]
Beware duplicate mail()’s in PHP/Firefox
Strangely, invoking the PHP SMTP mail() function after outputting any HTML within a PHP page will cause Firefox to intepret the PHP command twice, thereby sending out 2 duplicate emails. This was happening using PHP5, FF1.5, and Windows IIS6. The issue is fixed by simply placing the mail() command as the first part of any script, before any headers or output are called. I cannot ascertain yet why this is occurring. Any ideas, anyone?
Fatal error: Cannot use string offset as an array in …
PHP5 Error message that is caused by attempting to assign a value to an array element of a variable that is declared as a string.
Example that generates error:
$foo='bar';
$foo[0]='bar';
Get error message Fatal error: Cannot use string offset as an array in ...
Explanation
$foo was declared as a string in $foo='bar'.
$foo[0] is trying to append an element onto a string variable.
Example that does not generate error:
$foo[0]='bar';
$foo='bar';
Does NOT generate error.
Explanation
$foo[0]='bar' instantiates variable $foo as array since it has not been instantiated. Then assigns 'bar' to element $foo[0].
$foo='bar' implicitly re-declares $foo as a string and assigns 'bar' to it.
Example that does not generate error:
$foo='bar';
$foo=array();
$foo[0]='bar';
Explanation
$foo='bar' implicitly declares $foo as a string variable then assigns 'bar' as the value.
$foo=array() explicitly re-declares $foo as an array.
$foo[0]='bar' can now be executed as $foo is declared as an array.
Let me know if this helped you or if I am not clear on anything. Thanks.
CMS evaluation
A good evaluation of some of the more popular open source CMS software packages available.
http://raibledesigns.com/page/rd?entry=open_source_cms_evaluation_part