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osCommerce

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[CONTRIBUTION] Read More on product_info


jwilkins

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Read More on product_info

 

Support/development thread

 

This simple modification to osCommerce allows one to provide more information relating to your products through a "Read_More" link on product_info.php. The read_more information link only appears if the database column is NOT NULL.

 

Application/usage - I have plentiful information to provide on my products, some of which are quite unique. I didn't however want to "overload" the customer with too much information on the product_info page, rather allow the option to "Read More.." if they were interested. Thus the genesis of this module. Added SEO benefits with another area to build your word count!

 

This module is fully W3C compliant @v1.0

 

All bug fixes and development ideas welcome

 

You can download the current version HERE

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Development

 

1 - Integrate with Ultimate SEO URLs 2.1d - so your "Read More..." page will display as /my-great-product-prm-01.html

 

2 - Modular integration with FWR Media's Ultimate SEO URLs 5 - rather than my included "edit" of Usu_Products.php

 

Possibly a host more too...

 

Any development ideas welcome and please post any bugs found on this forum thread.

 

James

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Version 1.1.1 Applies a "fix" to not correctly displaying the description on /read_more.php - omitted class="main".

 

Update guides included within the new download or use the edit below:

 

Find:

<td><?php echo stripslashes($product_info['products_read_more']); ?></td>

 

 

Replace with:

<td class="main"><?php echo stripslashes($product_info['products_read_more']); ?></td>

 

 

Now the description text will be inline with your stylesheet.css

 

Done!

Edited by jwilkins
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An updated version has now been uploaded...

 

This includes a suggestion by tomh (thanks Tom), to include an "add to cart" function to the bottom of the read_more page.

 

Once again, the addition is fully W3C valid..

 

Further improvements will be: address the read_more link text and to take a look at a popup/lightbox version rather than feeding through to another stand-alone file (as suggested by tomh)...

 

Any other suggestions/development ideas welcome!

 

James

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One thing I forgot to post was a link to show the Read More module in action! My personal store build is not yet quite complete (so many things to do!!) However, I have populated one Read More field to show its "working state".

 

Read More on product_info

 

NIce site. Well laid out, pleasing to view and use.

 

George

 

PS here's a little fix for Wish list that will let your user send an email or return to shopping without hitting your menu or their back-button if they do not want to mail the list to someone. Replaces the send email button. Change your graphics accordingly.

 

<td colspan="2" align="center">
<?php
	$back = sizeof($navigation->path)-2;
	if (isset($navigation->path[$back])) {
	echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link($navigation->path[$back]['page'], tep_array_to_string($navigation->path[$back]['get'], array('action')), $navigation->path[$back]['mode']) . '">' . tep_image_button('button_continue_shopping.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_CONTINUE_SHOPPING) . '</a> or '; } 
	echo tep_image_submit('button_send.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_SEND_EMAIL, 'name="email_prod" value="email_prod"'); ?>
	</td>

You can see it at my ugly test site, http://www.designerdogregistry.com/

GEOTEX from Houston, TX

 

(George)

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It's an interesting concept- I've done this a different way. The way I did it was to simply hide the extra info using css, then have it appear when an action is performed (eg click on a read more link).

 

You can see an example of what I am talking about here;

http://www.easymenu.co.uk/aboutmenubuilder.asp

Click your mouse in the email input box (you don't need to put in an email address).

 

There are advantages & disadvantages to doing this your way and the way I did it.

My way is certainly "sexier" lol

Burt,

 

Thanks for your comments, it's always good to get input into an idea you're working on! I should really be spending more time on populating my site, rather than coding things! However, it was alway meant to be a "simple" additional space to expand the description area. I may consider adding an "extra" lightbox/popup... but I have to say that I like your CSS idea! Looks really good.

 

What I want to try and marry is: ease of use for the customer who wants to "read more" (reducing number of clicks etc) versus best/easiest route for a bot to index.. any thoughts on this would be welcome.

 

Thanks again for the input!

 

James

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NIce site. Well laid out, pleasing to view and use.

 

George

 

PS here's a little fix for Wish list that will let your user send an email or return to shopping without hitting your menu or their back-button if they do not want to mail the list to someone. Replaces the send email button. Change your graphics accordingly.

 

<td colspan="2" align="center">
<?php
	$back = sizeof($navigation->path)-2;
	if (isset($navigation->path[$back])) {
	echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link($navigation->path[$back]['page'], tep_array_to_string($navigation->path[$back]['get'], array('action')), $navigation->path[$back]['mode']) . '">' . tep_image_button('button_continue_shopping.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_CONTINUE_SHOPPING) . '</a> or '; } 
	echo tep_image_submit('button_send.gif', IMAGE_BUTTON_SEND_EMAIL, 'name="email_prod" value="email_prod"'); ?>
	</td>

You can see it at my ugly test site, http://www.designerdogregistry.com/

George,

 

Thank you for your kind comments! Isn't it surprising what you can create when you put your mind to it?!

 

Re: your wishlist code - thanks again - I shall certainly consider using this on my site, very usefull indeed!

 

Regards

James

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Nice contribution :)

 

Im watching this with close eyes.

 

Without straying too far from the project, im guessing its possible to do this to the index page?

Thanks for your comments!

 

In what capacity would you require this functionality on the index page?

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  • 1 month later...

The index page is 90% of the time the landing page for customers. Cramming information into that welcome box is a superb SEO technique. However, it soon fills up and can look out of place with large amounts of text.....

I see what you mean.. this should be fairly easy to implement on your site, depending on how your index.php is set out and how you administer the text on your index page. Let me know how you're set-up and I'll have a look at the code for you..

 

James

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  • 3 weeks later...

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