Define category template at upload

[newguyintown]

I am just checking to see if this is possible as it will make my current task much easier.

We have Sebenza's Category Template Manager. Is there a way, when uploading categories/products, to define which template they should use? I an doing engines for our site, and rather than a specific pic for each item, we want to do a "header" of images when the products in their specific category are shown. Not sure if this is possible, or if I have to specify templates after upload.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you for your time.

[lfreeman]

Instead of creating separate templates, why not use the category header area to display the individual information/images?


I am just checking to see if this is possible as it will make my current task much easier.

We have Sebenza's Category Template Manager. Is there a way, when uploading categories/products, to define which template they should use? I an doing engines for our site, and rather than a specific pic for each item, we want to do a "header" of images when the products in their specific category are shown. Not sure if this is possible, or if I have to specify templates after upload.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you for your time.

[newguyintown]

Sure - however,

The categories that these products fall under are sub-level and there are many. To do this, wouldn't I have to go to each one and add the header images? Take a look at our site (http://www.farmlandtractor.com) and you can see that the categories that would need this are set up as so:

Parent-sub1-model A-engine
Parent-sub1-Model B-engine
Parent-sub1-Model C-engine
etc.

TO do this, I would have to go to the "engine" sub-cat of each item and do the header there. Very tedious to do so piecemeal.

Suggestions?

[Leanne]

Sebenza has a Header Import/Export module that would greatly simplify the process for you.

[lfreeman]

If it's just one image and you name it with the category code and put it in a separate directory, then you could add this statement to your CTGY tempalte with a conditonal to show it if it exists?

<img src="directory/&mvte:category:code;.jpg" alt="&mvte:category:name;" border="0">

but I don't have that conditional in my notes.

Sure - however,

The categories that these products fall under are sub-level and there are many. To do this, wouldn't I have to go to each one and add the header images? Take a look at our site (http://www.farmlandtractor.com) and you can see that the categories that would need this are set up as so:

Parent-sub1-model A-engine
Parent-sub1-Model B-engine
Parent-sub1-Model C-engine
etc.

TO do this, I would have to go to the "engine" sub-cat of each item and do the header there. Very tedious to do so piecemeal.

Suggestions?

[newguyintown]

Thanks for the info, Leanne - that looks like an inexpensive fix.

Lynda - I see where you're coming from, but my question is if I can define a specific template to categories/products at upload rather than go in individually and set which template to use. Right now, they simply go in under whichever template is set as default.

OH! Just had a thought - If I set the template I want these items to use as the default and load them, then set it back to my standard template, would that cause anything to change in the existing categories/products? I don't think so, and that may be just the fix I need. I'd like your thoughts on this before I go forward and really bugger something up.

[lfreeman]

Changing CTGY/PROD page templates never changes any individual category's or product's data. If you make one template for the parent categories and one template for the sub-categories, then what you are doing should work for you also. It's just not necessary to have separate templates if you use and IF/THEN conditional statement in the default template. That way if there's data in the CTGY header, it will show, if there's not, then it won't. Making numerous CTGY/PROD templates and assigning them, etc can become a maintenance nightmare. I was just trying to simplify it for you.

OH! Just had a thought - If I set the template I want these items to use as the default and load them, then set it back to my standard template, would that cause anything to change in the existing categories/products? I don't think so, and that may be just the fix I need. I'd like your thoughts on this before I go forward and really bugger something up.

[newguyintown]

Thank you for that, Lynda. Simplicity is much appreciated.

Question - how would I specify the images to go into the header of the certain categories/products that I want? I can figure out how to add an if/else statement for the image to appear if it exists, but how do I upload the picture with the appropriate categories? I see Thumbnail URL and Image URL in the upload in admin, but I don't see a "header image" in the dropdown. Would I need to make a custom category for this? Seems complicated to me.

[lfreeman]

You would need to access your server [FTP] and create a new directory for the images, then just upload them there and the code will call them up if the path is correct.

Thank you for that, Lynda. Simplicity is much appreciated.

Question - how would I specify the images to go into the header of the certain categories/products that I want? I can figure out how to add an if/else statement for the image to appear if it exists, but how do I upload the picture with the appropriate categories? I see Thumbnail URL and Image URL in the upload in admin, but I don't see a "header image" in the dropdown. Would I need to make a custom category for this? Seems complicated to me.

[newguyintown]

I've almost got this, but maybe I'm not asking something correctly.

Where would I place the code in the template to call the image so that it is pulled into the header of the page? What code do I use to say "this image should go into the header of the body"? I can't just plunk it into the <body>, because it would show up there - how do I specify that I want it to go into the header?

Thank you for your help on this!

[lfreeman]

Maybe I am confusing you? It happens. You actually do one or the other. Either you place the image html into your header to call up the image OR you place the IF/THEN code into the CTGY template to call up the image without using the header.

Now I am getting confused...<grin>
It's been a long week for me.

I've almost got this, but maybe I'm not asking something correctly.

Where would I place the code in the template to call the image so that it is pulled into the header of the page? What code do I use to say "this image should go into the header of the body"? I can't just plunk it into the <body>, because it would show up there - how do I specify that I want it to go into the header?

Thank you for your help on this!