[Plugin: Ecwid: Random Products] Expand plugin to display category products, latest products, etc

I thought I would have the plugin upgrades done last night… still debugging though.

Oh ok, which upgrades are you currently working on? If it’s the category image links I described, I can help you test that since I requested it ??

I have not included the image category nav completely yet, but I have got some of the needed functionality working. Can you point me to a site that uses a graphical (image based) navigation?

I am a bit at a loss as to how you are hoping this will look.

I can try to describe a little better for you:

Suppose I have these 4 product categories in my Ecwid store:

Books, DVDs, T-Shirts, Jewelery

As you know, in Ecwid, you can upload an image for each category. So what I would like to see is a vertical sidebar widget that will display those category images and category titles perhaps below each image. And each will link to that category’s product page listing as defined by the ecwid cart plugin settings (whether a grid, list, etc)

CAT-IMAGE
Books

CAT-IMAGE
DVDs

CAT-IMAGE
T-Shirts

CAT-IMAGE
Jewelery

This will give the ability to have a nice graphical sidebar to show product categories, and the visitor to the site will never miss your products because they aren’t just a text menu. Does it make sense?

Uhg… I’m an idiot. I didn’t know the Ecwid API was only for the paid version. Wonder why the “random” api call works for the free version?

Maybe I can rework this using the javascript api which I believe is open to all licenses.

Anyway… here is what I have done… its not tested, and it no longer works with the free version of ecwid. Bleh.

https://cottonwarrior.com/ecwid-useful-tools.tgz

@dax702… I get the idea, but I am not sure I am going to continue at this point. The API is not available to the free version… there doesn’t seem to be much point in making this a free extension.

I’m going over to the ecwid forum to pitch free for all api access…

Ohhh I see.. yeah I am a paid member. For the $17, per month, I think Ecwid is a great deal, great support and great product that always works. I suppose I could accomplish the very same thing by making my own images and dropping them into the sidebar in several widgets..

Yeah I think its cheap too. But so is FoxyCart. The beauty of ecwid is the free version… its the thing that sets them apart from everyone else. Oddly, they think of the API as a feature instead of an advertising venue. Oh well…

You can look at what I have done and extend it easily enough for yourself if you want.

I don’t know the first thing about writing code, so I wouldn’t be able to do anything with it =(

Well, the other guy in this thread (fkie) is the original author of the Random Products Widget. I assume he will use my Latest Products Widget as well. Maybe he will be willing to add a categories image view for you.

Ok, I will wait for him to reply to this thread to see where he stands on the feature idea I suggested..

Hi, guys!
I am really busy at work at the moment, so did not check the thread.

@moens Ecwid Product API works for free accounts partly. As I noticed only “profile” method for the list
https://kb.ecwid.com/w/page/25285101/Product%20API
did not work for free accounts.

@dax702 I will check the moens’ results with the mod over the weekend and will let you know whether it will be included into the main plugin and whether I will add a support of categories. Sorry, just do not have time right now.

Thank you for the update on this, anxious to hear your findings =)

@fkie, I don’t know… the method I used was:

https://app.ecwid.com/api/v1/STOREID/products?category=CATEGORYID

…and it told me I needed to upgrade to the paid account. Honestly, if I’m going to use a paid API, I’m going to use FoxyCart.

I posted the following thread in the Ecwid forum, but no comments or bumps so far, heh. Oh well, maybe free users don’t really care:

https://www.ecwid.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12685

Hi, moens!

I just had a look at your plugin and found out that I cannot use it for some reason. Perhaps, I’m using it incorrectly, but neither widget nor shortcode works.

It throws error messages like:
****************
How Many: 6, Category Id: , Type: random Array ( ) Initial Products: 1
Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, boolean given in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 21

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 24

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 91
How Many: 10, Category Id: , Type: random Array ( ) Initial Products: 1
Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, boolean given in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 21

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 24

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /u/feakie/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ecwid-useful-tools/classes/EcwidUsefulToolsProduct.php on line 91
******************

I defined default category in the Ecwid’s setting, but it did not make any difference. Could you plugin explain a bit, how your version of plugin is supposed to be used?

Thank you!