27
Mar 10
A client wanted to add a description to each of his product categories, such that the first built-in description would be above the product listing, and the second description would be below the product listing. Â Rather than have them create static blocks for every category, it was obvious that I’d have to create a new category attribute.
Fortunately, I stumbled upon one possible solution. Â The method doesn’t involve creating a full-blown module, rather, just a few database modifications using phpMyAdmin.
Summarized, the process comes down to:
- Create a new row in the eav_attribute table, one that mimics a category’s meta-description attribute with everything being the same except for a unique identifier and a label.
- Create a new row in the eav_entity_attribute table, to provide a sort order for your newly created attribute, following in the format footsteps of the existing rows.
For the fully detailed procedure, see Create Custom Category Attributes with phpMyAdmin
6
Mar 10
When writing processes to automate some of Magento’s normally laborious tasks, perhaps for a product-import script, a mass attribute update script, category import, or inventory adjustment, keep in mind that you may have to refresh some kind of cache — especially when working with attributes. If you are encountering quirks or inconsistencies with your data, try these:
- Rebuild Catalog Index
Mage::getSingleton('catalog/index')->rebuild();
- Rebuild Flat Catalog Product
Mage::getResourceModel('catalog/product_flat_indexer')->rebuild();
- Inventory Stock
Mage::getSingleton('cataloginventory/stock_status')->rebuild();
For more cache refreshes, such as:
- Catalog Rewrites
- Layered Navigation Indices
- Product Image
- Search Index
… please refer to the source of this knowledge http://www.magentocommerce.com/boards/viewthread/43238/#t156277
6
Sep 09
Here goes: wshkb4gy8m
So in order for me to “claim” this blog for submission on Technorati, I have to create a post with a certain jumbled string in it. Technorati will then read the jumbled string and verify that I am indeed the owner of this site.
Technorati is a search engine for blogs. I believe I’m jumping onto the bandwagon a little later than most people, but it’s better late than never.
Hopefully that works, otherwise I’m stuck with a useless post.
[edit] – it worked.
1
Sep 09
Having a reference for basic mod_rewrite examples on hand is always a good idea. About once every two weeks, I have to set up a server’s URL rewrites, and because I don’t use it that often, I’m susceptible to forgetting its exact syntax.
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14
Aug 09
Recently I’ve had to import a client’s catalog data from Excel 2007 to the Magento eCommerce Platform. The data in Excel was unsurprisingly in a format that was unsupported by Magento’s import methods. Using code, I needed to parse Excel data into the format Magento required. In PHP, I wasn’t aware of any way to interface with .xls or .xlsx files, so I tried exporting the data to flat-file CSV, where it could be easily manipulated using PHP’s native CSV functions.
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17
Dec 08
No “greetings readers” here, although anyone reading this is more than welcome. The purpose of this blog is to serve as a utility for me to log my thoughts related to programming. Often times when I’m working on a project, I’ll encounter an issue that I’ve encountered before. The problem is that I don’t necessarily remember the solution, and I have to go through the whole process of “figuring it out” all over again. With this blog though, I’m hoping that I can (going forward) document my issues and solutions in case I return.
What kind of programming do I do now? I’m heavily engaged in web development, predominantly the Web 2.0/AJAX practices. I work for RedStage Networks, based in Hoboken, NJ. I’m glad to be part of a highly engaged and enthusiastic team, always working with cutting edge technology.
So if anyone ever reads this, then happy reading. If not, then “memo-to-self”: tag, tag, tag, tag your posts. How will you ever find solutions if you don’t tag your posts?
