Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

Hi,

I'm trying to integrate a new responsive design into my store. I've run into a problem with the display of products on the category page. It currently uses tables for layout and I want to use div's, and all the products are on a single row, and I'm using columns to display each product.

It seems that to use the table system, the products template uses some kind of product matrix to determine how many products appear on a row.

How do I prevent it from using this system as it won't work with my new system?

Is there a non-matrix based template that can be used?

Thanks,

Leigh

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

You will need to re-code the template and replace the table-base code with divs

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

You could copy certain tpl files from one of the responsive skins, such as light_responsive/customer/main/products_t.tpl.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

@cherie Thanks. Is there any way to get access to these tpl's without having to pay for the entire skin?

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

I managed to work it out. The idea of a matrix with rows was confusing me because I saw row_length=4 and thought that it was specifically designed for 4 products per row in a table, but it seems not to be the case. I just had to make sure that all my markup was placed inside a single for each loop and not separate ones for different rows.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

Actually, it turns out that the row_length was specially designed for table rows. The grid system I'm using is made of a single row of products, so I had to change the row_lenght=1 for it to work properly.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

or use divs as steve said, depends what you want

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

I am using div's. The issue is that the code and the matrix part of this template are specifically set up for a table based layout. It's not the markup that I was having issue with. It was the code i.e. the loops etc...and where they needed to be for the div based system I'm using to work properly.

Thanks.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

Most of the 'table' based code should stay in tables, ie. product page details.

Product listings however, you should break out of tables and use divs or lists wherever you can.

Ignore the 'matrix' code and use your own where you can, it's just QT's slack coding.

They know nothing about SEO and they never will, so do your best.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

@leigh

Hi, better still invest in Phil's X-Cart reBOOT Responsive Template and save yourself a whole load of grief :D :D :D

Take a look X-Cart-reBOOT-Responsive-Template

Kind regards

ITVV

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

Tables should avoided unless data needs to be presented in such format. Using tables nowdays on anything but key:value pairs is just not good layout/design practice.

The XC templates code is old. Very old. Even their newer responsive design was done by mostly adapting css to existing templates instead the other way around. They do not want to re-write the templates and create one brand new up to date and html5 standards structure.

If you do understand the templates and html you can get rid of probably 50% of their code and improve them a lot. Not only SEO but site structure will improve not to mention smaller footprint for css and files.

Lots of js code can also be omitted due to html5 features.

So don't just settle for a simple setting in this table-based template. It is still bad although it may work for you.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

There was a time when tables were seen as a no-no and you thought you'd gain SEO points by removing them, but that's no longer the case.

So use tables all you like, but just have decent content, titles, meta descr etc.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

Two responsive skins are included.

Re: Using Non-Matrix Layout for Product Category Pages
 

@ITVV Thanks. Yes, it looks like this could be the way to go. Frustrating as I'm more than half way through this!