X-Cart:Banner System - Revision history

Dohtur: /* Banner System FAQ */

2016-06-29T06:20:29Z

‎Banner System FAQ

Dohtur at 06:53, 29 May 2014

2014-05-29T06:53:13Z

Dohtur at 09:54, 15 February 2013

2013-02-15T09:54:49Z

Admin: /* Overview */

2013-02-06T13:30:21Z

‎Overview

Dohtur: /* Banner System FAQ */

2012-10-30T08:56:43Z

‎Banner System FAQ

Dohtur: /* Banner and image size recommendations */

2012-10-30T08:38:02Z

‎Banner and image size recommendations

Dohtur: /* Banner System module installation and removal */

2012-10-25T14:29:48Z

‎Banner System module installation and removal

Dohtur at 09:55, 18 October 2012

2012-10-18T09:55:41Z

Dohtur at 08:00, 26 September 2012

2012-09-26T08:00:43Z

Show changes

Vladimir Gurinenko: moved Draft:Banner System to X-Cart:Banner System: Publishing

2011-06-21T11:29:41Z

moved Draft:Banner System to X-Cart:Banner System: Publishing

@@ Line 193: / Line 193: @@
 '''A:''' No, affiliate banners are created by the module [[X-Cart:Affiliate|X-Affiliate]]. However, Banner System allows you to add JS code, so you can add your partners' affiliate banners to your store's pages via Banner System.
+<br /><br />
 '''Q: What is the recommended storage location for Banner System images (database vs. filesystem)?'''
 '''A:''' Like other types of images in X-Cart, Banner System images can be stored either in the database or on the file system. You can change their location using the <u>Images Location</u> section of your store's Admin area (For more information, see [[X-Cart:Images_Location_Management|X-Cart:Images Location Management]]). We recommend storing large images on the file system; this way they will be cached and served faster.
 [[Category:X-Cart modules]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:53, 29 May 2014
Line 7:		Line 7:

	<u>Banner System</u> is available as a built-in module in X-Cart GOLD PLUS and PLATINUM editions 4.5.3 or later. In the said editions, it does not require installation and can be enabled in the <u>Modules</u> section of X-Cart Admin area.		<u>Banner System</u> is available as a built-in module in X-Cart GOLD PLUS and PLATINUM editions 4.5.3 or later. In the said editions, it does not require installation and can be enabled in the <u>Modules</u> section of X-Cart Admin area.
−
−	~~== Banner System module installation and removal==~~
−
−
−	~~To install Banner System:~~
−
−	# Obtain the Banner System distribution package by downloading it from the File area section of your {{QA}}. The distribution package you need is contained in the archive file <u>x-banner-system-x.y.z.tgz</u> where <u>x</u>, <u>y</u> and <u>z</u> stand for X-Cart version (These need to match the version of X-Cart on which your store is based).
−	~~# Copy the distribution package to the X-Cart root directory on your server or hosting account.~~
−	~~#* ''If you use a Windows-based server, or a UNIX-based server without terminal access:''~~
−	#: a) Decompress the archive with the Banner System distribution package to a directory on your system using your favorite compression program (WinZIP or any other archiver with support for TAR files).
−	~~#: b) Use an FTP client to upload all the files contained in the archive (retaining the directory structure) to the X-Cart root directory on your server or your hosting account.~~
−	~~#* ''If you use a UNIX-based server with terminal access:''~~
−	~~#: a) Use an FTP client to upload the archive with the distribution package to the X-Cart root directory on your server or your hosting account.~~
−	~~#: b) Decompress the package using the following command:~~
−	~~#: <pre>tar -xzvf x-banner-system-x.y.z.tgz</pre>~~
−	~~#: {{Note1\|'''Important:''' Make sure you keep the directory structure while unpacking and uploading the distribution package, otherwise some necessary files can be overwritten! }}~~
−	# In a web browser, run the installation script <u>httр://<YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN>/install-banner-system.php</u>, replacing the <u><YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN></u> part with the actual domain name of your X-Cart based store.
−	~~# Enter the [[X-Cart:FAQs#What_is_Auth_code_and_where_can_I_find_it.3F\|Auth code]], accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.<br />~~
−	~~# The installation script copies the files and activates the module. Click the '''Next''' button to continue the installation.~~
−	~~# The installation script generates a new system fingerprint. Click the '''Next''' button to complete the installation.~~
−
−	~~To uninstall <u>Banner System</u>:~~
−	# In a web browser, run the installation script <u>httр://<YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN>/install-banner-system.php</u>, replacing the <u><YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN></u> part with the actual domain name of your X-Cart based store.
−	~~# Choose the <u>Uninstall the module</u> option, enter the [[X-Cart:FAQs#What_is_Auth_code_and_where_can_I_find_it.3F\|Auth code]], accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.~~
−	~~# Once the installation script has removed the Banner System files and deactivated the module, click the '''Next''' button to complete the uninstallation.~~
−	# On the ''Uninstallation complete'' screen, click '''Next''' to leave the Wizard.<br />{{Note1\|Important: After you have uninstalled Banner System, be sure to remove the Banner System distribution package from your web directory as well.}}

	== Enabling the Banner System module==		== Enabling the Banner System module==

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:54, 15 February 2013
Line 219:		Line 219:

	'''A:''' No, affiliate banners are created by the module [[X-Cart:Affiliate\|X-Affiliate]]. However, Banner System allows you to add JS code, so you can add your partners' affiliate banners to your store's pages via Banner System.		'''A:''' No, affiliate banners are created by the module [[X-Cart:Affiliate\|X-Affiliate]]. However, Banner System allows you to add JS code, so you can add your partners' affiliate banners to your store's pages via Banner System.
		+
		+	'''Q: What is the recommended storage location for Banner System images (database vs. filesystem)?'''
		+
		+	'''A:''' Like other types of images in X-Cart, Banner System images can be stored either in the database or on the file system. You can change their location using the <u>Images Location</u> section of your store's Admin area (For more information, see [[X-Cart:Images_Location_Management\|X-Cart:Images Location Management]]). We recommend storing large images on the file system; this way they will be cached and served faster.

	[[Category:X-Cart modules]]		[[Category:X-Cart modules]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:30, 6 February 2013
Line 7:		Line 7:

	<u>Banner System</u> is available as a built-in module in X-Cart GOLD PLUS and PLATINUM editions 4.5.3 or later. In the said editions, it does not require installation and can be enabled in the <u>Modules</u> section of X-Cart Admin area.		<u>Banner System</u> is available as a built-in module in X-Cart GOLD PLUS and PLATINUM editions 4.5.3 or later. In the said editions, it does not require installation and can be enabled in the <u>Modules</u> section of X-Cart Admin area.
−
−	~~For X-Cart GOLD edition 4.5.3 and later, <u>Banner System</u> is available as an add-on module which can be purchased and installed separately.~~

	== Banner System module installation and removal==		== Banner System module installation and removal==

@@ Line 164: / Line 164: @@
 right: 50px;
 </pre>
 The class ".banner_system_navigation a" defines the appearance of navigation numbers.
@@ Line 170: / Line 171: @@
 To replace the navigation numbers with bullets, open the file <u>skin/common_files/modules/Banner_System/js/jquery.cycle.all.js</u> and replace the line:
 <pre>
- a = '<a href="#">'+(i+1)+'</a>';
+a = '<a href="#">'+(i+1)+'</a>';
 </pre>
 with the following line:
 <pre>
- a = '<a href="#">&nbsp;</a>';
+a = '<a href="#">&nbsp;</a>';
 </pre>
@@ Line 186: / Line 187: @@
 <pre>
 {if $active_modules.Banner_System and $top_banners ne '' and !($main eq 'catalog' and $cat eq '')}
- {include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$top_banners banner_location='T'}
+{include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$top_banners banner_location='T'}
 {/if}
 </pre>
@@ Line 193: / Line 194: @@
 <pre>
 {if $active_modules.Banner_System and $bottom_banners ne ''}
- {include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$bottom_banners banner_location='B'}
+{include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$bottom_banners banner_location='B'}
 {/if}
 </pre>
@@ Line 202: / Line 203: @@
 <pre>
 {if $active_modules.Banner_System and $left_banners ne ''}
-  {include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$left_banners banner_location='L'}
+{include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$left_banners banner_location='L'}
 {/if}
 </pre>
@@ Line 209: / Line 210: @@
 <pre>
 {if $active_modules.Banner_System and $right_banners ne ''}
-  {include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$right_banners banner_location='R'}
+{include file="modules/Banner_System/banner_rotator.tpl" banners=$right_banners banner_location='R'}
 {/if}
 </pre>

@@ Line 142: / Line 142: @@
 }</pre>
 (The format is "margin: top right bottom left;", so '''margin-right''' property is 0 and '''margin-left''' is 270px). Now if we add up 0 and 270px, and subtract the resulting value from 960px, we'll get 690px. This means that the maximum width for banners displayed in the main column (both the top and bottom locations) is 690px.
 [[Category:X-Cart modules]]

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 #: {{Note1|'''Important:''' Make sure you keep the directory structure while unpacking and uploading the distribution package, otherwise some necessary files can be overwritten! }}
 # In a web browser, run the installation script <u>httр://<YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN>/install-banner-system.php</u>, replacing the <u><YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN></u> part with the actual domain name of your X-Cart based store.
-# Enter the Auth code, accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.<br />{{Note1|Note: The Auth code is a random code that was generated after you installed your copy of X-Cart. If you do not remember the Auth code, find it on the [[X-Cart:Summary_Page |Summary]] page in X-Cart Admin area before the License info subsection. Another way to find out the code is to retrieve the value of the variable $installation_auth_code from the file<u><xcart_dir>include/install.php</u> .}}
+# Enter the [[X-Cart:FAQs#What_is_Auth_code_and_where_can_I_find_it.3F|Auth code]], accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.<br />
 # The installation script copies the files and activates the module. Click the '''Next''' button to continue the installation.
 # The installation script generates a new system fingerprint. Click the '''Next''' button to complete the installation.
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 To uninstall <u>Banner System</u>:
 # In a web browser, run the installation script <u>httр://<YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN>/install-banner-system.php</u>, replacing the <u><YOUR_XCART_DOMAIN></u> part with the actual domain name of your X-Cart based store.
-# Choose the <u>Uninstall the module</u> option, enter the Auth code, accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.
+# Choose the <u>Uninstall the module</u> option, enter the [[X-Cart:FAQs#What_is_Auth_code_and_where_can_I_find_it.3F|Auth code]], accept the License Agreement and click the '''Next''' button.
 # Once the installation script has removed the Banner System files and deactivated the module, click the '''Next''' button to complete the uninstallation.
 # On the ''Uninstallation complete'' screen, click '''Next''' to leave the Wizard.<br />{{Note1|Important: After you have uninstalled Banner System, be sure to remove the Banner System distribution package from your web directory as well.}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Overview ==
 <u>Banner System</u> is a banner management solution for your X-Cart based store. It is an X-Cart module that allows you to create banners and easily embed them in your store's pages using nothing but the tools provided in the Banner System section of your store's Admin area.
 The system supports rotating banners, that is, banners in which promotion messages and images transition from one to another like in a slideshow. Strategically placed rotating banners can help you maximize advertising text and image space on your store site without overwhelming your site visitors with informaion. They can also improve your site's overall appearance by making it look more professional.
 With Banner System, you do not need to be a webmaster or a web developer to get your promotions displayed on the storefront. Adding a banner to your X-Cart based store has never been easier: all you need to do is provide banner content and adjust a few settings, like banner position, size, display period and - for rotating banners - the transition effect to be used. It is possible to create banner ads using both images and HTML code, including JavaScript. You have full control over your banners' location: you can have your banners displayed at the top, left, right or bottom of the page, and, of course, there can be more than one banner at any of the said locations. It is possible to define the pages on which each of your banners will be shown (for example, you can set up your banners to appear on the home page or in a specific product category). You also have control of when each of your banners should be published and how long it should stay up on your store site, so you will never have to worry that important information might not reach your customers on time.
 == Banner System module installation and removal==
@@ Line 67: / Line 71: @@
 The top, bottom and left column banner locations are supported by all standard X-Cart skins. The skin ''Light&Lucid (3-column)'', which is now the only skin with a right column, also provides support for the right column banner location.<br /><br />
 When you choose a banner location from the menu in the <u>Banner System</u> section, the respective banner management page opens. You should see a page like the following (The title of the page will be the name of the banner location selected).
 : [[Image:Add_banner.png|border]]
 <br />
 The banner management page has two sections. The section titled <u>Banners</u> is a place where you can see a list of banners created for the current location; before any banners have been added, this list is empty. The section titled <u>Add banner</u> is where you add new banners.
 <br /><br />
 === Adding banners ===
@@ Line 76: / Line 80: @@
 <br />
 To create a banner, you need to use the <u>Add banner</u> section on the banner management page. All you need to do is define the properties of the new banner and click '''Add'''. You do not need to worry too much about defining all the properties correctly from the very start: you will be able to edit any properties of the banner after it has been added. The following banner properties can be defined:
 * '''Pos.''': Position of the banner among other banners displayed at the current location. In all the standard banner locations (top, bottom, left, right), banners are ordered from top to bottom.
 * '''Categories''': Page(s) at which the banner is to be dislayed. You can select multiple items by holding down the Ctrl key. ''Secondary pages'' are pages like “Contact us”, “Register”, “My account”, etc.
 * '''Banner width''' and '''Banner height''': These settings define the size (width and height) of the container that will be used to display banner content.
 * '''Start date''' and '''End date''': These fields can be used to specify the period during which the banner should be displayed on the storefront.
 * '''Banner effect''': The effect to be used for transitioning from one banner "slide" (image or other type of content) to another. This is needed only for rotating banners; for banners containing a single slide, this property will be ignored. The complete list of available effects can be seen on the [http://www.malsup.com/jquery/cycle/browser.html Effects Browser] page.
 * '''Unlimited''':  This option sets unlimited display time for the banner. If this option is enabled, the '''Start date''' and '''End date''' fields will be ignored.
 * '''Navigation''': This option enables a navigation bar that will allow your customers to browse specific slides within the sequence rotated by the banner:<br />[[Image:Banner_navigation.png|border]]<br />This may be helpful, for example, when a banner slide changes before a customer is done reading it; in this case, the customer can go back to the slide they were reading simply by clicking the respective icon on the navigation bar, without having to wait a whole cycle.<br /><br />
 After you click the '''Add''' button, the new banner is added to the <u>Banners</u> list above the <u>Add banner</u> section. Now you can fill it with advertising content.
 To add content to a banner, click the <u>Edit banner content</u> link on the respective line of the <u>Banners</u> list.
 : [[Image:Edit_banner_content1.png|border]]
@@ Line 100: / Line 104: @@
 : [[Image:Banners_list.png|border]]
 <br />
 Detailed information about the meaning of specific banner properties (''Pos.'', ''Banner location'', ''Categories'', ''Banner width'', ''Banner height'', etc) has been provided in the [[#Adding banners | Adding banners]] section.
 Note how information about banner display periods is color coded in the '''Banners''' list: banners marked in blue color have a start date set in the future; banners marked red are expired.
@@ Line 111: / Line 115: @@
 == Banner and image size recommendations ==
 We do not provide recommendations as to the size of banners or image slides that you should use with Banner System. Every store has its own look, so you will need to use your best judgement when deciding how big your banners should be for each location. However, you can be sure that no matter what size you define for a banner and how big an image you decide to upload as a banner slide, it will not break the rest of your site's content:
 * A banner with the ''Banner width'' property set to a value greater than the width of the column in which it is going to be displayed will be visible only partially (up to the maximum width allowed by the respective column).
 * An image with a size larger than the banner container in which it is going to be displayed will be resized to fit the size of the banner container while retaining aspect ratio. For example, if the width and height of you banner container are, respectively, 400px and 200px, and you upload an image whose width and height are, respectively, 200px and 340px, the image will be resized to the banner container height value (200px).<br />
@@ Line 117: / Line 121: @@
 In this file, the width of the left and right columns of your site are set by the "width" property of the #left-bar and #right-bar elements like so:
 <pre>#left-bar {
- .....
+.....
- width: 250px;
+width: 250px;
- .....
+.....
+}
 #right-bar {
- .....
+.....
- width: 250px;
+width: 250px;
- .....
+.....
 }</pre>
 According to the example above, the maximum width for banners displayed in both the left and right columns will be 250px.
@@ Line 130: / Line 134: @@
 Finding out the width of the main column is a bit more complicated: you need to take the values of the '''margin-left''' and '''margin-right''' properties (or the respective values as specified by the '''margin''' shorthand property) of the '''#center-main''' element and subtract them from the the value of the '''width''' property of the '''#page-container''' element. For example, if we have a look at the <u>altskin.css</u> file for the ''ideal_comfort'' skin, we'll see that '''#page-container''' width is specified as 960px:
 <pre>#page-container {
-  width: 960px;
+width: 960px;
-  ...
+...
 }</pre>
 whereas the margin properties of the '''#center-main''' element are specified as "margin: 0 0 0 270px;":
 <pre>#center-main {
-  margin: 0 0 0 270px;
+margin: 0 0 0 270px;
 }</pre>
 (The format is "margin: top right bottom left;", so '''margin-right''' property is 0 and '''margin-left''' is 270px). Now if we add up 0 and 270px, and subtract the resulting value from 960px, we'll get 690px. This means that the maximum width for banners displayed in the main column (both the top and bottom locations) is 690px.
 [[Category:X-Cart modules]]

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:29, 21 June 2011
(No difference)