v8 Advanced Users guide

[cdicken]

Hi all

This is just starting a thread to collect together any good tips and tricks that are posted here that could go into a version 8 Advanced User Guide.

I'd really like the AUG for v8 to be much more collaborative than the one for v7 - and I think if we start rating posts on this community, and also if you chaps notify me about any good solutions, I think we will end up with a cracking guide.

Anyway, the first few tips will be added below this one

[cdicken]

Brochure Pages included in the Site Map

http://community.actinic.com/showpost.php?p=113953&postcount=90

[cdicken]

Store css file as a *.css file in the Site folder:

http://community.actinic.com/showpost.php?p=113387&postcount=70

[cdicken]

Only one parent section list (rather than top and bottom) and making the default navigation bars less 'clever':
http://community.actinic.com/showpost.php?p=113963&postcount=3

[RuralWeb]

Shortened description for best sellers/new products in side bar:
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?p=114284&posted=1#post114284

[pinbrook]

How to remove links frm tp level sections in a sitemap

You need to get into the layout called 'Site Map Section List'. You can either do this by going into 'Design | Library' - in the group called 'Site Map Section Lists' - or change the 'Select Page Type' drop down list in the 'Design' tab to 'Site Map'. Then click on one of the links in the sitemap and click the 'Navigate to Parent Layout' button a couple of times (yellow spiral with up arrow).

Highlight the 'Site Map Section Link' layout selector and click the 'Insert Block' button (green 'C'). The condition you want is:

SectionLevel >= 2

[pinbrook]

How to add a feature image to acatalog/index to only have it on that page only

I would add the image into the 'Main Product Area' layout - then add a condition so that it only appears on the store front page - as follows:

Highlight the image code and click the green 'Insert Block' button (green 'C' with a plus).

In the dialogue that appears, start typing 'SectionLevel' - Actinic will prompt you after a few characters to insert the variable.

Then from the 'Insert an operator' list select 'Equals'

Then type '0'.

SectionLevel == 0

That should mean that the image will only appear on the store front page.

[pinbrook]

Which designs are as table free as Actinic will take it?

Comtemporary and clean CSS

[jont]

How to have thumbnail images in the new arrivals / new products / best seller side bars:

If you wanted to use the 'Thumbnail' field for the best sellers/new products, then click on the product name of an item in the new products/best sellers list then replace

<img src="<actinic:variable name="ProductImageFileName" />" width="75" />

with

<img src="<actinic:variable name="ProductThumbnailImageFileName" />" />


to prevent an empty place holder from showing products without a thumnail image specified .....

Design | Library | Conditions > right click over "site" create new condition

Label as IsThumbnailAvailable and enter the text dscriptions

Condition : = ProductThumbnailImageFileName == true

Create a new condition around the <img> code as above

use : IsThumbnailAvailable > 0

[cdicken]

Create a new condition around the <img> code as above

use : IsThumbnailAvailable > 0
Edit/Delete MessageThis will work. Just for the record, you don't have to use the libary. You can just put condition code around the <img> tag that says:

ProductThumbnailImageFileName != ""

You can select the 'Is Not Empty' option from the 'Insert and Operator...' list to insert the '!= ""' automatically.

[cdicken]

Product summary (with add to cart button) linking to full details page (also with add to cart button).

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22321

[cdicken]

Automatic thumbnail generation (nice one Norman!)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22410

[cdicken]

I've also just written up in the Advanced User guide how to set up a second extended information page (i.e. how to have two pop-up windows for a product).

[Mike Hughes]

Jan's post on various 'out of stock' options:

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22549

Mike

[Jan]

Also one to only show certain top level sections in the sidebar

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22547

Regards,

[cdicken]

The beta guide is now available for download.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22566

[cdicken]

Section list in three columns, with sub-sections listed underneath each top-level section.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22754

[cdicken]

The full Advanced User Guide is now available to download from the 'Downloads' area of the Actinic web site.

[cdicken]

Alternative page titles optimised for SEO

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22884

[cdicken]

Using the Contact Us form as a newsletter

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=22909

[cdicken]

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=23085

Using the same layouts for brochure pages as well as store pages.

[cdicken]

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?p=120608#post120608

Fragments in different places on the page

[mmoranuk]

Hi

I tried the List of Section Images with Javascript on p44 of the Advanced guide. It works except the Section image is not displayed - just a broken image. There is definitely a section image on the site as it can be seen if I navigate from the Top Level Section menu. Any ideas? I've triple checked the code.

The guide is excellent though.

Cheers

Mark

[mmoranuk]

OK Jo - have posted with a URL.

Thanks

Mark

[cdicken]

Image against each radio button choice... (thanks Norman!)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=24300

[cdicken]

Ability to resize pop up window based on image within window (needs to be updated for v8)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=24662

[fleetwood]

Just been searching for this thread (and obviously found it :)) - might be an idea to make it a 'sticky' as its so full of useful stuff

[cdicken]

Making best seller/new product thumbnail images clickable (Thanks Jo!)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25070

[cdicken]

Hiding code from the preview

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?p=131968#post131968

[cdicken]

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25088

Including files on the web site.

[cdicken]

Permutations with prices laid out as radio buttons

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25331

[cdicken]

=== all the above posts are included in version 1.2 of the AUG ===

[cdicken]

Drop down list of 'when to ship' options in the checkout...

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25290

[cdicken]

Allowing the ordering of products that are marked as 'Out Of Stock'

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25408

[cdicken]

Different section lists in different lists

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25433

[cdicken]

Laying out ordered products separately from the shopping cart.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25439

[cdicken]

highlighting 'current' section in a section list

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25477

[cdicken]

Pop-up pages for section links

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25345

[cdicken]

Showing prices without tax for logged-in customers http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25569

[cdicken]

Amendment to the section on using an image for the 'Change' button in the checkout
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=19508

[cdicken]

Removing the product hyperlink from the shopping cart.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25595

[cdicken]

Making the Other Info field optional

http://knowledge.actinic.com/acatalog/Knowledge_Base_Advanced_Script_Changes_383.html#a1033

[cdicken]

Breadcrumb trail on pop-up pages

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25723

[cdicken]

Some tips for 'Deploy Partial Site Design'

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25740

[bluenewt]

Not sure if this is strictly the right place for this or if it's already somewhere else but I thought it might be nice to have somewhere to list all the sites people have created using Actinic.

As a newbie I spent ages looking through the forums and viewing the links to people's sites just to see what was possible!

The themes are limited so it's nice to see what is possible when you start to get creative - sometimes it's just difficult to know where to start.

[RuralWeb]

There are few few sites to look at here http://act-e-shops.egyptianwonders.co.uk/dir/index.html there is also a thread with new V8 sites on it and the actinic website has quite a few as well!!

[cdicken]

Showing shipping classes as radio buttons rather than a drop down list

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25970

[cdicken]

Linking to extended information pages from marketing lists

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25817

[cdicken]

CSS Based product layout in the shopping cart...

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25899

[cdicken]

Automatically creating one product per section.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26130

[cdicken]

Jump list using advanced list functionality
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26347

[cdicken]

Changing the order of the years in the date drop down (on the store pages)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26502

[TraceyG]

Hiding Brochure Page Links on the menu

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26500

[cdicken]

=== All of the above are in v1.3 of the Advanced User Guide ===

[adaptive]

Sometimes, the cart bounce page can be a bit confusing to customers and possibly unneccessary particularly if you have implemented a cart summary in your page layout template that shows what is in the cart anyway.

This method causes no page html to be displayed, no bounce delay, and leaves the cart processing (product add) in place.

Caution: This requires a modification of 'ShoppingCart.pl' (which Actinic uses to build 'ca00000n.pl')

Locate 'ShoppingCart.pl' in your Actinic site folder, and edit with Notepad or a code editor eg Dreamweaver.

Goto line 1122:
@Response = ReturnToLastPage($nBounceDelay, ACTINIC::GetPhrase(-1, 1962) . $sCartHTML . ACTINIC::GetPhrase(-1, 1970) . ACTINIC::GetPhrase(-1, 2051),$sPageTitle); # bounce back in the broswer

And relace with:
@Response = ReturnToLastPage(0,""); # immediate bounce back in the browser without page display

Use this when using 'Quantity on product page' mode and ensure bounce delay is set to anything non-zero. If you want to show the bounce page with no bounce, set the bounce delay to zero as per normal.
It will not affect the 'Quantity on confirmation page', or 'Quantity in shopping cart' modes.

Disclaimer:
Not throughly tested but seems to work with all non error cart operations so far. If cart error occurs e.g. maximum quantity exceeded, the error return bounces page to product list with error shown page top with anchor link to error description for the product.
Depending on the error, it may contain 'Please return to catalog to amend order'. You may want to remove this text from the error message (Modify design text ID's: 59, 63, 173, 175, 190)


Jon
(Adaptive Image)

[cdicken]

Supressing password field at end of checkout for logged-in customers

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26777

[cdicken]

How to generate a hierarchical design export

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=26816

[cdicken]

Message to give countdown to free offers

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=27756

[cdicken]

Text fields for searchable properties

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25592

[cdicken]

Some tips on including CSS files and protecting conditional comments
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=28025

[cdicken]

=== All of the above are in v1.4 of the Advanced User Guide ===

[cdicken]

Arranging Push Button grid into a horizontal row rather than a column
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=28012

[Duncan Rounding]

A minor request Chris - would you mind changing the Word doc TOC to be a hyperlink to the page in the next update of the AUG. ie adding the /h switch to the TOC formatting . No big deal obviously bit it makes it a lot easier to get around the document.

[cdicken]

Duncan - it's a good suggestion, but I have no idea how to do it.

You can use Ctrl + click to jump straight to the topics.

Perhaps you could drop me an email to explain how to do the hyperlinks.

[cdicken]

Unregistering Dreamweaver designs

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=28535

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=28540

[Duncan Rounding]

...You can use Ctrl + click to jump straight to the topics...

My fault. In fact in Word (2003 at least) you can make the hyperlinks active in the TOC without using CTRL+ Click by doing the following:
On the menu - Tools|Options - Edit tab - uncheck 'Use CTRL+ Click to follow hyperlink'

[cdicken]

Wonderful Checkout Progress Indicator

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25776

[john whyte]

If i can get help. I cant figure out which parts are needed to make up the online store ... innerlayout, insert thisnthat, login, cartmeout, ??? is there a list of which parts do what ?

[john whyte]

email me if you have answers.

[cdicken]

Hiding the states list until you need it

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=29749

[cdicken]

Stripping out path information

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30035

[Coggy]

Hi Chris,

The thread that was referred to in post number 58 (http://http://community.actinic.com/showpost.php?p=149154&postcount=58) states a bug, which requires some spaces to be removed. This bug came to light after the code example had originally been added to the AUG. Can the AUG guide be updated accordingly?

Also in this thread (http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?p=165650#post165650) Norman has provided a fix for another potential bug in the same piece of functionality, which should also be detailed in the AUG.

Chris

[cdicken]

Thanks - I'll make sure these are included in the next update.

[cdicken]

Problem with 'Optional Other Info Box' script change. http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30106

[johnwarde]

Suggestion for AUG:

For sections with many products ... how to set-up across multiple pages .. i.e. 5 products per page.

John

[leehack]

Already in there John.

[Bruce]

How to add price, first 10 words of product description and an 'Add to cart' to the section link - http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30435

Note: Works only with a single product per section setup

Thanks to : Jonathan Snow

[los_design]

How to add price, first 10 words of product description and an 'Add to cart' to the section link - http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30435

Note: Works only with a single product per section setup

Thanks to : Jonathan Snow
Nicely done... well done Mr Snow, very cool :o

[Bruce]

Adding 'Gift Wrapping' as an upsell on the checkout pages http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30711&page=2

Thanks to : Jo Morecroft

Regards,

[Bruce]

Controlled display of Marketing Lists - http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30816

This can be used creatively on lists anywhere on the store, brilliant usage of conditions.

Thanks to : Jonty John

Regards,

[Bruce]

Correction to AUG article:
Selecting Quantity from a Drop-Down

The original code is as follows:

Replace HTML tag with the following:
<select name="Q_<Actinic:Variable Name="ProductReference"/>"><option selected value="<Actinic:Variable Name="DefaultQuantity"/>">1</option><option value="2">2</option><option value="3">3</option><option value="4">4</option><option value="5">5</option><option value="6">6</option><option value="7">7</option><option value="8">8</option><option value="9">9</option></select>
This code contains options up to '9' – but you can easily adapt it for more or fewer items
You will have to change <Actinic:Variable Name="ProductReference"/> to
<Actinic:Variable Name="ProductID"/>

This is to prevent it from failing when using duplicates.

Kind regards,

[george]

Listing working examples of these tweaks would be good Brucey boy. ;)

(Feel free to delete this post, just wanted to tell somone).

[pinbrook]

You can see the gift wrap option at surf-wax.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

[RuralWeb]

Its a bug I found today and reported you can see the working example at http://www.ukcheaptoners.co.uk/acatalog/hp-toner-cartridges.html

Its for a multiple quantity drop down selector- (site still under construction)

[cdicken]

=== All the above threads have been included in v1.5 of the Advanced User Guide - now available to download ===

[robwill]

Would it be possible to have page numbers next to the added changes in revision history? I'm finding it quite difficult finding where they all are.

[cdicken]

Sure - I'll see whether we can do that. It's a bit tricky as page numbers change all the time as new articles get added. You could just search for the article title in Word. That'll get you straight there.

[leehack]

Chris, do you know if you use correct headings throughout the document, you can create a table of hyperlinked contents with the correct page numbers? The table of contents option reads all of your heading & sub-headings etc. When you click refresh on the page, it will refresh it instantly for you. You can even have version control and have anything new you have added auto turn red and its entry in the TOC.

[jont]

How about a wish list request to have updates available as a download option to save having to print everything again (a paperless office is not quite here and I expect a lot of users prefer a hard copy).

If any changes are required to existing documentation a simple note to replace page X. In a former life this was how all updates to manuals were handled with the new stuff going on top (front of file) and alterations slotting into place. If formatting was done to prevent articles being orphaned that would make life a whole lot easier.

[pinbrook]

it never occured to me to print the wretched thing...

how do you copy/paste?

I would prefer to see it as an online facility though, maybe merged with v8 KB? :rolleyes:

[leehack]

Jo you're obsessed with the KB, printing the KB and the AUG together - dream on, some of us value the rain forests! AUG is a great bedtime or bogtime read. It could easily have the pages added for extra info, just like normal printed manuals are maintained.

IN FACT, surely some printing company on here could do a deal for a printed version of it, gotta be worth a fiver surely?

[gabrielcrowe]

some of us value the rain forests!

do a deal for a printed version of it, gotta be worth a fiver surely?

is this the cost of the rainforests, Mr. Hack?
:D

[Darren B]

probably get you quite a large lump of brazillian rain forest;)

[pinbrook]

Jo you're obsessed with the KB, printing the KB and the AUG together - dream on, some of us value the rain forests! AUG is a great bedtime or bogtime read. It could easily have the pages added for extra info, just like normal printed manuals are maintained.
Excuse me, i don't want to print the blessed thing, i just want it online and searchable.

Printing is a waste of ink and trees as its out of date within 1 day.

Merging KB and AUG is smart - there's a fine line between something being AUG or KB so put the 2 together and have one place to search - which hopefully in the near future will be the wiki

[george]

A printed book would be great in my humble.


And I don't care about effin' trees.

[cdicken]

Laying out related items in columns

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=31408

[cdicken]

Showing a different section name in the breadcrumb trail.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=31722

[wfl]

The AUG is a dynamic resource. Printing it doesn't work because you loose site of new stuff.

I agree with Jo that a more encompassing resource including the AUG and KB is what is required with good indexing. A wiki would be good but the quality needs to be controlled by Chris - or someone of his great knowledge, integrity and patience ;=)

Although a doc or pdf may need to be available for those who have finished Harry Potter and want something else to lull them off to sleep ;=)

[cdicken]

A clickable icon that opens the product image.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=31922

[cdicken]

Neat trick to show different best sellers/new products lists to logged in and retail customers.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=31803

[cdicken]

Ability to change the page that is shown when customers first log in.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=25414

[slam32]

Bravo.So many good guide.Keep it up.Thank you for sharing.

[cdicken]

Extension to code for delivery cut-off times
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=30213

[cdicken]

Retaining comments within <script> and <style> tags -

By default, when Actinic uploads, it strips out all comments - this obviously isn't great if all you are dpoing is trying to protect important code from older browsers.

There's a neat solution here that addresses this:
http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=32935

[cdicken]

Making search results look like products with add to cart buttons.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=31559

[cdicken]

A hierarchical bulleted list down to any level (i.e. a decent looking sitemap)

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=33498

[cdicken]

Automatic generation of links in fragment text

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=34436

[cdicken]

New php code for the xe.com currency converter.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=33542&page=2

[Bruce]

v7
Linking to a specific product from the Brochure Page using the following format, http://www.url.com/acatalog/page.html#aproductreference as the full url.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=35342&page=2 post #29 and #30

[cdicken]

Tweak to the code that handles turning section links into products.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=35434&page=2

[cdicken]

There's a change to the the method for changing the appearance of your customer account prices. You no longer need to edit the Perl. See http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=35798

[Billy]

Chris is there any chance you could make this thread a sticky as I know I refer to this the most when I am looking for answers??

Cheers
Billy:D

[leehack]

Billy the AUG is a downloadable file and contains far more info than just this thread. Perhaps it would be a good idea to download that onto your PC instead. Failing that add this thread to your favourites also, but the download is best.

[RuralWeb]

Also note that the AUG is maintained with upto date mods relating to anything posted here on the forum - its best as Lee says to always use the code from the AUG rather than from here.

[Billy]

Push button grid with out of stock buttons as well!

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=37812

Billy