Difference between revisions of "Draft:Banner System"

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== Overview ==
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#REDIRECT [[X-Cart:Banner System]]
<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==
 
 
 
 
 
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 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> .}}
 
# 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 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==
 
 
 
After the Banner System installation has been completed, the module you have installed  needs to be enabled in your store:
 
 
 
# In Admin area, go to the <u>Modules</u> section (Settings menu -> Modules).
 
# Choose the <u>Banner System</u> module by selecting the respective check box on the left.
 
# Click the '''Apply changes''' button. This activates the module.<br /><br />
 
 
 
== Configuring the Banner System module==
 
 
 
After the <u>Banner System</u> module has been enabled in your store, you should check and adjust its configuration:
 
 
 
# In the <u>Modules</u> section (Settings menu -> Modules), click the <u>Configure</u> link opposite the module name ('Banner System').<br />The module configuration page (titled by the name of the module) opens:
 
#: [[Image:BannerS5.png|border]]
 
# Adjust the settings on the module configuration page as needed. Detailed information regarding the [[#BannerSystemModuleSettings | Banner System module configuration settings]] is available below.
 
# Click the '''Apply changes''' button to save the changes.
 
 
 
<div id="BannerSystemModuleSettings"> </div>
 
===Banner System module configuration settings===
 
 
 
Here are a few notes on the <u>Banner System</u> module configuration settings:
 
* '''Banner rotation time delay''': The length of time a banner image or HTML content is displayed within the banner container before being replaced with the next image/HTML content piece.
 
* '''Default banner width''': The width to be used for all banners that do not have a non-zero width value defined in their properties.
 
* '''Default banner height''': The height to be used for all banners that do not have a non-zero height value defined in their properties.
 
* '''Unlimited banner display time''': This option sets unlimited display time for all banners. If it is enabled, banner display time settings of individual banners are ignored.
 
 
 
== Using Banner System ==
 
Banners are created and managed using the <u>Banner System</u> section of the Admin area (Content menu -> Banner System).
 
 
 
To add a banner:
 
To remove a banner:
 

Latest revision as of 12:02, 26 September 2012