link to next product from the detail of a product?

[mueller]

Also, if anyone can help me with some other cusotmization issues on the listing page please pm me.

What type of customization issues are you looking for help on?

[JLynn]

If anyone has any additional thoughts on this one - let me know. I've had an open ticket but still haven't heard back...I'd like to get this functional on my product listing pages.

I originally used the code that Gonzo posted...when the code was in there - it sorted properly as long as you chose an option from the drop down menu for product sorting (the one the customers can manually change - upper right side). So in other words, if a customer came from the left menu bar (by product category/price, etc.), the thumbnails of the dynamic links were not in default sort order (they were all mixed up). I would like to have this option for my customers in text dynamic link form (if it sorts correctly from both areas - the left bar & drop down). Does anyone have any thoughts on what I might try code wise?

[mueller]

Have you tried setting a default (forced) sort order so that when the page first loads from a link on the left the products are sorted by something (date, name, etc.)?

[JLynn]

I have a general default set for everything (priced low to high) - or do you mean some other type of forced code?

[mueller]

Have you tried setting the sort of one of these pages to default to sort by Name (or whatever you want it to sort by) and tested it?

I did have a problem with sorting not working a while back and I forget what resolved it, although support was involved. I will try to dig up and notes on what did it for me.

[JLynn]

Hey Mueller,
I'm trying to understand where the code pulls from....tested (changed my default sort order in category settings of the admin file and tried a couple different sorts). The best I can tell - the dynamic link images are not following the sort for the category default (on all categories). So it works fine on all customer sort choices, except the default.

e.g. I added the code in the listing template, then changed my default from product/category (in my case Jewelry w/subcat Bracelets)- went in to view, clicked on bracelets (the product view page is sorted properly to my default which was set), then click on the first product for the detail pages, and look at the dynamic links...they are NOT in the default sort order. Go back to product view...manually change my sort from the drop down and choose something other than my defualt sort - and the dynamic links ARE in the proper order. So again, no matter how many times I test the dynamic link image sorts...it worked fine on all sorts EXCEPT for my default (the system is ignoring my cat default) I'm not sure if manually selecting each product sort would help (from the product sort options in the admin file) - but for me, there would be way too many products, changing inventory and new products on a weekly basis for me to manage.

I'd like to test without images and just use a text "prior/next" type of thing - does anyone know code wise what I might try? I've tried a couple things - but programmer/code guru I'm NOT
J-Lynn

[mueller]

I had a similar problem where the page was loading without defaulting to the proper sorting. Unfortunately I cannot find a ticket for it and I don't recall what the resolution was.

I do know that I had involved 3DC support and they fixed it. You may want to open a ticket on this one.

[JLynn]

I've had a support ticket open since 4/5 - we've gone back and forth. Today I heard back from Carlin in Support who said "this should be the correct code for the prev and next links."

Which is good to know - but didn't solve why the code is not working properly...here's the code I'm using just below the Header block on the listing template:

<div align=right class="font2">
<!--START: PREV_PROD--><a href="[prevprodlink]"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #c71585">«Prior Product</A></SPAN></A><SPAN style="COLOR: #c71585">/</A></SPAN><!--END: PREV_PROD--><!--START: NEXT_PROD--><a href="[nextprodlink]"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #c71585">Next Product»</A></SPAN><!--END: NEXT_PROD--> </div>

I sent back another response on the ticket this morning...

"The code is not working for the default order of low to high price on the product detail pages (but works fine on all other sorts on detail pages).

I just tested this in the earring category today. To start...the subcat page shows all items in proper price order from low to high. If you click on the first individual product (noting what should be coming next earring and price wise) - you'll see that the default order is not correct. The first item in the earring cat is $12.50, the next should be 13.50 - but instead it's showing a $26 earring. If I go back to the main earring sub cat view and change the sort to anything else, they are all in order. So again, the code is not working properly on whatever my default setting is.

I've checked my setting in general default and also category and they all look fine, so I'm really confused as to why it's not working."

This morning I also played around with just setting my overall main cat default and leaving the sub cats blank (didn't work) and vice-versus which didn't work either. So currently I have the general default for the entire main cat set for low to high, and the individual sub-cats default set for low to high. The code is still not working on whatever the default is set for...and again, I've tested these with different default settings and it's the same across the board - is not following the default sort on the prior/next code dynamic links.

Any thoughts on where else I might check to see if it's something I might have missed...or do you think it's an internal issue?
J-Lynn

[JLynn]

Well - I'm still wondering if anyone can help me on what I need to do code-wise to get it working with my product default sort. Unfortunately, after numerous back and forth with support since 4/5 - I'm no further along. The latest response was:

"the next/previous is a bit buggy so it's not always going to work exactly how you would expect. If you need further assistance with this issue please respond to this ticket with any quesitons/comments you may have. If you need assistance with a separate issue please submit a separate support ticket and we will be happy to help you."

Since this was Gonzalo's original code with the text prior/next instead of dynamic images (and mind you this works great with everything except the default sort order), I've still asked for help with the open ticket on 5/5. I know they are busy with the new update - but I still would love to use this option because it makes it so much easier for the customer (they don't have to toggle back & forth bewteen a product and the entire category view). A little fluff I know...but it's still a nice feature - below is the code that works with all sorts that a customer can choose from the drop down (but will NOT work with whatever you have your default sort set for). I thought the reference to the prior product was ok - and I have tried placing the code in numerous areas in the listing template to see if by chance it might make a difference (it doesn't) and I've compared so prior/next code options with the hope of maybe finding something I'm missing that I'm a little dizzy...maybe it's something code-wise I have incorrectly...anyways...any ideas, thoughts of what I might try would be very much appreciated.

<div align=right class="font2">

<!--START: PREV_PROD-->
<a href="[prevprodlink]"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #c71585">«Prior Product</A></SPAN></A><SPAN style="COLOR: #c71585">/</A></SPAN>
<!--END: PREV_PROD-->

<!--START: NEXT_PROD-->
<a href="[nextprodlink]"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #c71585">Next Product»</A></SPAN>
<!--END: NEXT_PROD-->

</div>

[JLynn]

Heard back from support this afternoon...thought I'd share

spokw with gonzalo. the way the next/previous works within the category is that is will simply go to the next catalog id product. this is why this isn't on the default templates. it doesn't work with any of the sorting options. simply goes to the next catalog id in the category. this is the only way it will work.

So unfortunately a no-go for the above codes (image or text) and I've removed it from the template - so I guess for now the path links above the bar will have to do for navigation...although as a customer I don't always think to use the path links...I'm more apt to click on a link that says "Back to prior page" or use the back arrow button on the top browser bar (I did ask support if there was a "back to prior page" code that could be used in place of the path - but I'm not sure how involved that would be