Magento dynamic block adding contents - magento

I am new to Magento CMS, i have configured products using admin panel, at the home page
I want to list down random famous
products from different categories
dynamically.
When i list the products they appear
in the menu by their categories,
when i chose page type 3 columns
where are the source files for
column 1 and 3 how can i
change/configure them.
I installed Magento with sample data
from home page when i click upon any
item it does not display data.
I see default home page using
dynamic contents block from where to
create it and how to see it ?

I think it's better to split questions into individuals one, in order to get more accurate answers. Anyway:
1. Yoast Landing Pages allows you to create products listings of any attribute you want
2. I'm not sure to understand you, but I think what you're looking for is in app/design/frontend/[package]/[template]/layout/catalog.xml. Inside <block type="catalog/product_list" name="product_list" template="catalog/product/list.phtml"> add/modify <action method="setColumnCount"><columns>2</columns></action>
3. It seems you don't have mod_rewrite enabled in your server
4. If you're using Magento's sampla data, it is not dynamic content: check in your admin CMS -> Pages -> (Title) Home Page

Strategy for you:
make a new extension with a block and a layout file
have your layout file define the block output and use the product list template and your block
in your block make a query to magento popular products report to get the popular stuff you need
design the hell out of it and $$$$

Related

How is it possible that Magento create SEO Links for products ONLY WITH the category

The problem:
Magento creates 2 SEO Links for a product like this:
product/1695/60 category/category2/productname catalog/product/view/id/1695/category/60
and for the same product:
product/1695 productname catalog/product/view/id/1695
the first is a link with the category, and the second is without but only with the productname.
But what I want is that magento creates only ONE Seo Link in fact this link WITH the category, and not this link without the category.
The question:
How is it possible that Magento create SEO Links for products ONLY WITH the category?
I search in the admin menu and the only thing what I find is the option "use categorypath for article urls". But if I choose "YES" in this option And I rebuild the indexes I got 2 SEO Link for my article.. one without the category, and one with the categorypath.
Can somebody help me?
Thanks!
Yes, it is a common problem with Magento. You do have 2 options to create the result you want:
(harder one), you truncate table core_url_rewrite and reindex
database with "use category path to product urls" set to no. If this
is a live site you will have to create a redirect tool to point users
to correct pages. I recommend the extension I've created
https://github.com/SnowdogApps/Snowdog_Error404toolsm, it is for
redirects :-)
use this extension https://amasty.com/magento-unique-product-url.html , easy to install and get the job done

Only some products using proper theme in Magento

This has been very frustrating and I cannot figure it out. I recognize the answer is most likely simple.
I have a my own package and all the desired pages except for some products are not using the desired theme product view layout.
Compared the data in mysql against a product that is displaying properly. Both records match.
In Catalog/Manage products - I have performed a side by side comparison of the products in magento admin (including design). both match.
In Catalog/Manage Categories - All categories set to apply to products and to use parent as default.
The default category is using my theme and applying to products.
Set the proper template in my local.xml file however this did not work.
<catalog_product_view>
<reference name="root">
<action method="setTemplate">
<template>page/2columns-right.phtml</template>
</action>
</reference>
</catalog_product_view>
In system/configuration/design I have the current package name set to my package for the Default Config. Any children from there are checked to use default.
I tried several configurations with flushing cache and re indexing just in case.
This is and example of the site the correct display (please note design not complete).
Page using correct Theme
Here is example of product using base theme
Page using BASE Theme
Any suggestions. I understand that I could Manually select the desired template for each product and I would sooner jump off bridge. I must be overlooking something. Appreciate any advice.
Please check to admin>product here each product can select difference type of custom design

Magento query language in a cms page

I want to display a text only for a specific language in a cms page which contains a placeholder. So I cannot use the way with the translate.csv. (see http://jagdeepbanga.com/blog/magento_how_add_translation_ability_into_cms_page_or_static_block.html) It would just display the placeholder in plane text. And since it's a CMS-Page from an plugin I can't change to a specific store view.
Is it possible to do an if query in the cms page like displayed below? (Or sort of) It should work in the cms page without the need to use or editing a phtml template.
if (store view = norsk)
{
<p>bla...</p>
{{some placeholder}}
};
I made an extension with this topic, feel free to use it or modify it!
https://github.com/miguelbalparda/MB_Translate
You can use a CMS block with a different version for each store view, and include it in your CMS page with {{block type="cms/block" block_id="your_block_id"}}

Magento CMS Page as Category Landing Page

I have a problem deciding how to implement my category/cms page structure in Magento. It seems so over rigid in its design, even to the extent of adding custom fields to categories, I had to access phpmyadmin and hack it manually.
Ok, so consider this basic sitemap, with page types.
Home CMS PAGE
Shop Category
Just In Category
Clothes Category
Shoes Category
Accessories Category
Sale Category
So Home will be a CMS page, that is ok. Just In, Clothes and all other 3rd level categories will display a list or grid of products. Easy peasy.
My issue is with Shop. I need this to contain static blocks or widgets (cannot yet see the difference), and other elements such as a daily featured product, links to promotions etc. This page will not display a list/grid of products, that is not what I need.
If I create a CMS page called Shop, there is a conflict between breadcrumbing, url titles, and a bunch of other stuff.
My question is: how do I create a category called 'Shop' and make it behave like a CMS page with blocks of manageable widgets?
Under Admin -> Catalog -> Manage Categories, select a category and go to the Display Settings tab. Change Display Mode to Static Blocks Only and select the static block that you want to display on that page.
Another option is to use a Wordpress integration extension. Fishpig has one available for Magento.

Magento Adding a Custom Layout to individual product

Hi
I have an online estore setup using magento 1.6.2 CE, an have a very novice like question!!
THE SITUATION / FACTS:
1. I have created Categories and sub categories.
2. To categories i have added a custom template for left navigation.
3. I want this template to also apply to products that i have applied to the category/ sub category. For this, i have selected Apply To Products under Custom Design to Yes.
4. i want custom left navigations for products in different categories./p>
HOw ITS ACTING:
when i access the product using the category name/ sub category name, the template is applied to it on the individual products page. For example, say the category is MENS, and the product name is shirts, so when i access it using www.mydomain.com/MENS/shirts.html the template is applied and i see the custom left menu.
PROBLEM:
when the shirts page is accessed directly, like magento does, ie www.mydomain.com/shirts.html, the custom template is not applied. it shows blank.
what is the possible workaround for this? I have tried setting APPLY TO PRODUCTS to NO, and then adding custom layout template to each product individually... but this is too cumbersome..
Thanks
Moody
Can't you just set 'Use Categories Path for Product URLs' to yes in Configuration > Catalog > Search Engine Optimization?
Navigate to your catalog.xml file in
app>design>frontend>base>default>layout>catalog.xml
You may already have this file located in your theme folder, if not copy it across.
Search for
<catalog_product_view translate="label">
<label>Catalog Product View (Any)</label>
<!-- Mage_Catalog -->
<reference name="root">
the line below this should state something like the following:
<action method="setTemplate"><template>page/2columns-right.phtml</template></action>
</reference>
Edit this so that it states this instead
<action method="setTemplate"><template>page/2columns-left.phtml</template></action>
</reference>
Notice the column denotation has changed from right to left, re-upload the file. Hey presto it is done!
emagen - Magento Designers, Shepherds Bush, West London

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