[SOLVED] variables not accessible in left column (header.tpl)-$category class not available

[sixthmind]

I am currently learning template variables and trying to understand how they work and what they mean.

I've done a test on {$category->id_cms_category}, which I put in cms.tpl and I get a result 9, but when I put this in header.tpl or blockcms.tpl (left column), there is no results, it's blank.

 

Can somebody please explain how this works and how I can get the same result in different .tpl file?

[PrestaHeroes USA]

in your .tpl file, put in {debug} and this will show you all the variable available to your .tpl file. Hope this helps.

[sixthmind]

thanks Elpatron for your reply. I am already using {debug}. That's how I find all the variables. But the question is how to make certain variables like $category, which is class, available also in header.tpl and blockcms.tpl and not only available in cms.tpl.

Why can't I use certain variables everywhere? How does this work? I would be very happy if somebody explain this.

I am also still learning smarty.

[PrestaHeroes USA]

Hi, I as well am learning. For .tpl files, you need to see the caller, typically a controller folder and class folder, this is where variables are pass to the tpl.

[sixthmind]

Ok, I understand class $category is not included in header.tpl and blockcms.tpl. I still need to figure out how to include it, so I can then use its variables.

I wonder if I was meant to put this code in header.php or somewhere else:

 

include_once("../classes/Category.php");
include_once("../classes/CMSCategory.php");

[sixthmind]

I think the question is really how to assign $category class to for example header.tpl. Anybody please?

[PrestaHeroes USA]

Look at ProductController.php in folder controllers to see how $category is init and then passed to smarty .tpl. Sorry I have been on a train across Spain today so I've not been online. Now time for a beer and tapa.

[sixthmind]

Ok, may I ask why ProductController.php? Development guide says that this controller is used by product.php to get a product. $category is currently available in cms.tpl, so shouldn't I be looking at CMSController for something in there? well, i found this code in ProductController.php:

/* Category */
               $category = false;
               if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']) AND preg_match('!^(.*)\/([0-9]+)\-(.*[^\.])|(.*)id_category=([0-9]+)(.*)$!', $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], $regs) AND !strstr($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], '.html'))
               {
                   if (isset($regs[2]) AND is_numeric($regs[2]))
                   {
                       if (Product::idIsOnCategoryId((int)($this->product->id), array('0' => array('id_category' => (int)($regs[2])))))
                           $category = new Category((int)($regs[2]), (int)(self::$cookie->id_lang));
                   }
                   elseif (isset($regs[5]) AND is_numeric($regs[5]))
                   {
                       if (Product::idIsOnCategoryId((int)($this->product->id), array('0' => array('id_category' => (int)($regs[5])))))
                           $category = new Category((int)($regs[5]), (int)(self::$cookie->id_lang));
                   }
               }
               if (!$category)
                   $category = new Category($this->product->id_category_default, (int)(self::$cookie->id_lang));

               if (isset($category) AND Validate::isLoadedObject($category))
               {
                   self::$smarty->assign(array(
                       'path' => Tools::getPath((int)$category->id, $this->product->name, true),
                       'category' => $category,
                       'subCategories' => $category->getSubCategories((int)self::$cookie->id_lang, true),
                       'id_category_current' => (int)$category->id,
                       'id_category_parent' => (int)$category->id_parent,
                       'return_category_name' => Tools::safeOutput($category->name)
                   ));
               }
               else
                   self::$smarty->assign('path', Tools::getPath((int)$this->product->id_category_default, $this->product->name));

               self::$smarty->assign('return_link', (isset($category->id) AND $category->id) ? Tools::safeOutput(self::$link->getCategoryLink($category)) : 'javascript: history.back();');

 

So would I have to create a copy of controller in override folder and put something in there so that certain classes would be available in other template files as well?

[DrGren]

Hi sixthmind,

 

Did you find a solution to this? I am having basically the same problem since I don't want to display the left column if the products belong to a certain category. However, smarty doesn't know about the $category variable at the moment it prints the left column. Did you solve it? And in that case would you care to share your solution?

 

Thank you very much.

[DrGren]

On my part I solved this by using the $name variable instead of the $category (the category I am interested in contains only one product which is the one that needs a completely different layout).

 

I tried to implement the code above from ProductController.php into FrontController.php but with no success. Couldn't understand how to modify the call to idIsOnCategoryId.

[sixthmind]

Hi DrGren

I managed to resolve the problem with help from another forum. Somebody very kind explained to me how everything works here -> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9565637/prestashop-variables-not-accessible-in-header-tpl-category-class-not-availabl

Hope it helps you as well. Let me know how you get on.