Want to Add 3 Random Image Products to Column

[Guest sunshine]

Hi Everyone,

Need help please. The template has 3 columns; left for nav, language, etc. The middle is the main content. Now, for the right being the 3rd column, I would like to have 3 or 4 boxes that will provide random images of items that come from a particular category(department) identified in the nav bar. The customer, if interested in seeing this can click the pic and will be taken straight to the product. Just like the 'Random Product' we now show on the main page but for specific categories. I'm taking a wild guess and saying I would be just do a 'save as' for the boxes/random_prods but config wise I don't know.

[Guest sunshine]

I tried just adding 3 random products to the right column. Every product that came up was the same. I'd like the products to be different in each box.

[Guest]

copy/paste the code you're using to put the 3 products up there and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction to get 3 unique products.

[Guest sunshine]

Hi Sir William ,

Here's my 'code' and it wasn't very creative as you can see

<div class="colRight">

  {SHOPPING_CART}

  {RANDOM_PROD}

  {RANDOM_PROD}

  {RANDOM_PROD}

	</div>

I simply input 'Random Prod' 3 times. The action above is due to having gone blank without my vitamins in narly a week. I went through the English Language folder to see if I could find anything specific related to the nav categories, as the intended idea was to do a 'save as' on the random product tpl and adjust it for the nav (departments).

[Guest]

Ok, I can't test this (I don't have enough products in my store to be effective), but it *should* work just fine.

In your template, do this:

<div class="colRight">

 {SHOPPING_CART}

 {RANDOM_PROD}

 {RANDOM_PROD2}

 {RANDOM_PROD3}

</div>

Then in /index.php, add a call for RANDOM_PROD2 & 3 as such:

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD",$box_content);

	

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD2",$box_content);

	

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD3",$box_content);

What that should do is call the randomProd.inc.php file for each requested random product. It will choose a different product each time it's called. Now there is the chance that two instances will choose the same product, but it is reasonably unlikely. If you'd like a guaratee of three different random products, I'd have to rewrite some stuff....which I'm not willing to jump into as a freebie. :w00t:

[Guest sunshine]

Thank you Sir William,

I'm going to try that in a little while and post back with results.

I do have a mod request for you Need to get a sample and I'll email you today with the info then you can give me price.

[Guest sunshine]

Sir William

It worked! Just have to change the words 'Featured Products'

BTW emailed you a little while ago.

[markscarts]

A very good and simple solution. By tweaking a few other files, you can display a group of randoms in the center column! Sounds like grounds for a new free tutorial in the minor mods section

@ Sir William, what'd really be cool would be to have a row of three, and a script that says when and if the three all displayed the same image simultaneously, a large JACKPOT sign will flash :)

[Guest]

Ok Mark, put away the laptop and get some sleep. The meds have caught up with you now. :(

[Guest sunshine]

I slept like a baby last night, all night

@ Didn't ya already know about Marks flash fetish

@Markscarts Good idea for tutorials. Maybe you can add in how to move the shopping cart to the top header area where search is now. This way we can get rid of the third row altogether and being that the left nav isn't good for the little search' 'bots.

[Guest idara]

Ok, I can't test this (I don't have enough products in my store to be effective), but it *should* work just fine.

In your template, do this:

<div class="colRight">

 {SHOPPING_CART}

 {RANDOM_PROD}

 {RANDOM_PROD2}

 {RANDOM_PROD3}

</div>

Then in /index.php, add a call for RANDOM_PROD2 & 3 as such:

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD",$box_content);

	

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD2",$box_content);

	

	include("includes/boxes/randomProd.inc.php");

	$body->assign("RANDOM_PROD3",$box_content);

What that should do is call the randomProd.inc.php file for each requested random product. It will choose a different product each time it's called. Now there is the chance that two instances will choose the same product, but it is reasonably unlikely. If you'd like a guaratee of three different random products, I'd have to rewrite some stuff....which I'm not willing to jump into as a freebie.

Hi Sir

I want 3 random products too. Can't understand which files to be modified, please write the file names tobe modified I am using CC v 3.0.6 with killer skin

Regards

Yunus

[markscarts]

Yunus, the "template" Sir Will writes of is skins/. . ./styleTemplates/global/index.tpl

That is where you would add {RANDOM_PROD2} and {RANDOM_PROD3} (random_prod should already be there somewhere).

The other change is to index.php which lies at the root of your store :dizzy:

[Guest idara]

Thanks Markscarts, will give it a try

Yunus

[Guest ardwyn]

A big thank you once again Sir William and also to you Mark for the directions of the files. (I'm thinking of writing a script that says "Thank You Sir William" to make it easier for me.

I modded this on my site and also took the words "Featured Product" out and it does the job very well.

If You'd like to take a look Here.

[markscarts]

Very, very cool, ardwyn.

I took that principle yesterday, and came up with this design showing three randoms.

The top pic would look best if your main product pix are at least 300 px wide. Some of these sample item pics are very small and get stretched with this design, but you can get the idea I hope:

http://allservico.com/skinTest/

[Guest ardwyn]

See what you mean about the stretch but the site looks clean, nicely cut, and very smooth.

Well done Mark

[Guest aikdo]

Heads up in 800x600 mark the site doesn't fit when it comes to most of the pages with that design... and on the homepage the latest products are all in 1 column...

Looks great but think would only work in a 2 column design...

[markscarts]

Good point about the two-column design. This is just an experiment, I'm not using it anywhere yet. Thanks for the heads up, m8 :)