Using Files Containing Boilerplate Text in the Product Description

Relevance: Zen Cart™ 1.3.0.* and forward. The same approach can be used in prior versions.
Cost: Free, but donation appreciated
Related: Using Boilerplate Text in the Product Description

Including entire files of boilerplate in the description can be done in a manner similar to that described in a prior tip called Using Boilerplate Text in the Product Description. However, instead of the keyword being replaced by a string, I'll show you how to replace a keyword with a file.

Create your custom template if you haven't already done so. We'll call the template "custom" in this example.

Create a customized copy of

includes/templates/custom/templates/tpl_product_info_display.php

(from includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_product_info_display.php)

Create the directory

includes/languages/<your-language>/boilerplate

You will populate this directory with files whose names are <some-keyword>.html. For instance, suppose you have some text you want to add to all your DVD products. Create a file called DVD.html in this directory, i.e.

includes/languages/<your-language>/boilerplate/DVD.html

Put whatever HTML marked-up text you want in that file.

Now go back to

includes/templates/custom/templates/tpl_product_info_display.php

Just before

 <!--bof Product description -->

insert this code:

<!-- bof html description -->
<?php
function html_include_cb($match) {
      $prefix = "HTML_INCLUDE_";
      $match_filename = str_replace($prefix, '', $match[0]); 
      $filename = DIR_WS_LANGUAGES . $_SESSION['language'] .  
                 '/boilerplate/' . 
                 $match_filename  . ".html";
      $buffer = ""; 
      if (file_exists($filename)) { 
          $handle = @fopen($filename, "r"); 
          while (!feof($handle)) {
              $buffer .= fgets($handle, 4096); 
          }
          fclose($handle);
      }
      return $buffer;
}
if ($products_description != '') { 
   $pattern = "/HTML_INCLUDE_[a-zA-Z0-9]*/"; 
   $products_description = preg_replace_callback($pattern, "html_include_cb", 
           $products_description, -1);
}
?>
<!-- eof html description -->

Now to use this logic, all you need to do is enter HTML_INCLUDE_DVD in the product description (under Admin - Catalog - Categories and Products), and when you display the product info page, it will be changed. For any HTML_INCLUDE_SomeAlphanumericString you add to a product description, simply create a file called

includes/languages/<your-language>/boilerplate/SomeAlphanumericString.html

and it will automatically be displayed. Note that the string really does have to be alphanumeric; don't use dashes, underscores, spaces or special characters in the name.

This tip was developed in June, 2008, and was first submitted to the Zen Cart Support Forum here.

NB: Since this modification only changes the description text on the product info page, you must either not display description text on listing pages or use this logic on any listing page where you wish to display description text. For example, to turn off description display in New Products listing, go to Admin->Configuration->New Listing and modify "Display Product Description", setting the value to 0 (off). To modify New Products to use this boilerplate change, customize the file

includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_modules_products_new_listing.php

adapting the technique described here. See Using Boilerplate Text in the Product Description for a more detailed discussion.

Although this tip describes the additive use of HTML Boilerplate, it can also be used to completely replace the product description which is entered in the Zen Cart Admin Panel.

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