Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

[InvincibleRecordings]

I am planning ahead for moving into MIVA version 9. It seems important to use the built in Miva Category and Product template system. We are presently using Sebenza Product Template and Emporium Plus Category Template modules. I am trying to figure out how to use the built in Miva feature and for the life of me cannot see anything like what we are using anywhere.

Can someone be so kind as to direct me as to where to start and/or find documents on what I should do?

Also no one has complained about the Emproium Plus Category Template module for use in version 9 so maybe we can let that be?

[Brennan]

Re: Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

There is some documentation starting on page 19 of the Version 9 reference guide

http://www.miva.com/referenceguide

But the short answer is under each product/category there is a field called "Alternate Display Page". To use this you would first copy PROD/CTGY and create a completely new page template such as PROD_new. Then assign each product to use this new template.

From our experience most people can get by with a single product/category template with some conditionals to display some custom information based on the product or category.

As for Emporium Plus Category Template Manger module it should work just fine, but if you are going to migrating to the built in version, I would go all the way and remove this module too.

[ids]

Re: Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

Use the Alternate Page display feature for both Products and Categories. They are assign directly in the Product or Category definitions.

You can export/import the assignments if you'd like to manage assignments off line in a spreadsheet.

Scott

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Re: Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

Here's a totally unsolicited aside:

If you DO have more than two templates, and a few conditionals dependent on category or product, then you are probably confusing the hell out of your customers. Consistency of information display is key to getting your customers comfortable with finding the product s and information they are looking for.

[jsdva]

Re: Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

Here's a totally unsolicited aside:

If you DO have more than two templates, ... ,you are probably confusing the hell out of your customers. Consistency of information display is key to getting your customers comfortable with finding the product s and information they are looking for.

100% agree with Bruce!

Jamie

[SpeakerRepair.com]

Re: Miva built in Category and Product Templates Confusion

Use the Alternate Page display feature for both Products and Categories. They are assign directly in the Product or Category definitions.

You can export/import the assignments if you'd like to manage assignments off line in a spreadsheet.

Scott

I'm trying to export my products and assign an Alternate Display Page to about 800 of them, then re-import. For the Export I chose ONLY the "Alternate Display Page" field and nothing else. I've edited the file and when I go import it, I doesn't have an "Alternate Display Page" as a selectable field for the header. See attached pic for visual.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

*** EDIT: I figured it out. I guess I was using the Legacy import by mistake. I used the "new" import and it worked just fine.