VirtueMart Forum

VirtueMart 2 + 3 + 4 => Frontend Modules => Topic started by: rexel99 on November 08, 2013, 00:39:16 AM

Title: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 08, 2013, 00:39:16 AM
Using the 'VirtueMart Search Product' module placed in the left menu it shows a nice small text entry form on the web page and works fine, except...
(search for lift and you get 8+ results as expected)

When viewing pages linked to a VirtueMart ยป Category Layout in the menu do not provide results.
(enter elka or lift on these pages and you get a search page but no results, even if you re-search within the form on the result page, nothing)

You can see this on the site (live) at www.suspensionsrus.com.au (http://www.suspensionsrus.com.au) where the home, gallery, about us pages have a working left-menu product search, however on the Road/Off-road/Tools (etc) pages (linked to VM categories) the left-menu search module produces no results.

I did look for other discussions on this first (of course) but only saw issues with the category listings and display, not the 'no show' problem I am experiencing, any links to other discussions or solutions would be appreciated please.

VM 2, Joomla 2.5.9, PHP 5.3.3
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: PRO on November 08, 2013, 00:45:37 AM
category filter turned on?
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 08, 2013, 01:40:43 AM
Quote from: PRO on November 08, 2013, 00:45:37 AM
category filter turned on?

In the module settings.? Search Filter Category = No. (tried yes but no visible change)
Thanks...
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: PRO on November 09, 2013, 17:18:40 PM
what version of vmart are you using? & your joomla is out of date
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 09, 2013, 22:37:37 PM
VM is 2.0.18a
Yes, both are a little out of date but upgrading these are a  pain as they introduce more issues and display problems that need to be fixed and thats always an issue for production systems. Would an upgrade actually help this problem or is this a waste of time ad I will still have the same issue?
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 10, 2013, 12:00:16 PM
You should UPGRADE always if it's possible (when upgrade is available here).
And ofc you should upgrade NOT on LIVE web site.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 10, 2013, 22:34:33 PM
Yes, I do know about upgrading and I do look at the revision specs to see if there are important reasons to do so. Sometimes the changes are not significant or apply to the services used within a site and often they cause more issues than resolve. In this case it also takes more time and effort than the client is willing or able to pay (a manual VM upgrade/install no less). I would prefer to avoid the lectures on upgrading and keep on the topic of the problem posted. A great community and open source service used as much as this should be able to locate and identify a cause to this issue (and sorry to complain) but so often we see threads filled up with the 'please reboot' and then 'do upgrades' and that solves nothing..
Have others seen my problem before, was it corrected some way, do I avoid this search plugin and use another?
Any help directed at the problem would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 11, 2013, 23:52:40 PM
Quote from: rexel99 on November 10, 2013, 22:34:33 PM
I do look at the revision specs to see if there are important reasons to do so. ... I would prefer to avoid the lectures on upgrading and keep on the topic of the problem posted...
You can't see what bugs were resolved in specs and 'lectures' and revisions (surprise) just inform you that you're using insecure version. But, hell, I'm sick to tell each time that upgrade is necessity for security reasons.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 12, 2013, 00:55:13 AM
Understood.
I also understand there are important or other reasons to make the upgrades, I would like to do so but often this maintenance gets to be too much to do so regularly, or as often as one would like or expect. It's a pity that the changes that get rolled out are not well documented or listed, we have to assume that each revision is better and move into each blindly and hopeful of the benefits.

The Joomla and extension upgrades have been done now and I am looking at the VM updates. This is a problem as there is no easy upgrade path and I am seeing that Akeeba backup has a compatibility issue with the process of deploying the latest update. Not a great situation to be faced with as a part-time web manager trying to help my client with a problem. I still dont know if this will help or just be a time-consuming exercise.

I would still like some advice however on the issue at hand, that the VM Search module is working except on pages that are linked as a menu item to a VM category, I was hoping there was some others that had similar experiences or considered resolutions.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 12, 2013, 18:21:41 PM
Quote from: rexel99 on November 12, 2013, 00:55:13 AM
1. It's a pity that the changes that get rolled out are not well documented or listed, we have to assume that each revision is better and move into each blindly and hopeful of the benefits.

2. This is a problem as there is no easy upgrade path and I am seeing that Akeeba backup has a compatibility issue with the process of deploying the latest update.
1. You could test future revision BEFORE it will be released. Just connect to publicly accessible SVN of VM Team. So you have freedom to not assume, but preciously check how better it will be. And no blind ofc.

For 2. Use standard Joomla installation routine.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 12, 2013, 21:40:06 PM
Quote from: Maxim Pishnyak on November 12, 2013, 18:21:41 PM
1. You could test future revision BEFORE it will be released. Just connect to publicly accessible SVN of VM Team. So you have freedom to not assume, but preciously check how better it will be. And no blind ofc.
For 2. Use standard Joomla installation routine.
1. Yes, Thanks. I am aware of SVN and was a full time web site tester. Doing this now for 5 or so sites I have taken responsibility for (via friends etc) with no budget, time and resources is my problem. These also include Wordpress, Drupal and Joomla/VM setups so it's a lot to keep track of and do as I am not a developer either, good with testing though.

2. To confirm this point. Simply use the Joomla Extension Manager and install the latest release version over the top of existing version? This will upgrade 2.0.18a to 2.0.24 and keep settings/products intact? This will be ok with Akeeba etc too? I have been trying to confirm this process...

Sorry, above is off topic but your help and guidance would be appreciated.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: PRO on November 13, 2013, 01:31:00 AM
Quote from: rexel99 on November 12, 2013, 21:40:06 PM


2. To confirm this point. Simply use the Joomla Extension Manager and install the latest release version over the top of existing version? This will upgrade 2.0.18a to 2.0.24 and keep settings/products intact? This will be ok with Akeeba etc too? I have been trying to confirm this process...



YES
BUT!!!

You need to run a backup with akeebah.
THEN: when installing you need to turn off "akeebah backup points"
You can click the link at the bottom of the extension install page that says "back to standard installer"

&&
You need to test the install on a dev domain, just to make sure nothing needs to be changed.

Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 13, 2013, 09:13:24 AM
Thanks again for the detail and support with the upgrade. I will see what I can do about getting it up to date (running up a dev site etc)...

I have some more details on the problem itself, if this helps narrow down the cause..

Virtuemart categories on my site are two level, (Parent/Root) and then ATV/Suspension, ATV/Dampers etc and then Road/Suspension, Road/Dampers etc...
Products are only assigned to these second level categories, nothing is listed within the primary ATV, Road (etc) categories.

The menu links are to Category Pages and then the first level VM categories, ATV, Road etc etc... And this displays a nice page and sub-categories as expected.
In these pages the Virtuemart Product Search Module (in the left menu) returns no results, this module works in any other page/content though.

If I create a menu link to a Category Page but select the second level down, such as the Suspension one (within ATV) the search then works ok and will return results when used.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 13, 2013, 23:32:27 PM
I think i have found a solution but lack the knowledge to create what I need.

Looking to do a URL rewrite to avoid the directory/folder when searches are done in these category pages.

I need help creating the .htaccess rewrite rule..

mysite.com/folder/search?query-etc-anything... becomes
mysite.com/search?query-etc-anything... Simply removes /folder

Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: PRO on November 14, 2013, 02:34:40 AM
from homepage
<form method="get" action="/component/virtuemart/search">

from category page
<form method="get" action="/tools-equipment/search">


do you have a link to virtuemart frontpage?

my search form action will be the same on all pages.

also, looks like the form url might also be overwritten already

Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: rexel99 on November 14, 2013, 06:42:55 AM
Yes thanks, i got the rules sorted (with some trial and error)..
Basically I have added 4 (for the four categories) that read as..
RewriteRule ^road/search(.*)$ /component/virtuemart/search$1 [L,R=301]

So at least for the offending menu links, the search function is redirected back to the search module and the results all work properly.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 14, 2013, 17:04:31 PM
Quote from: rexel99 on November 12, 2013, 21:40:06 PM
so it's a lot to keep track of and do as I am not a developer either, good with testing though.
I'm not sure that perfoming tests, as end-user can do, could be so hard.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: PRO on November 15, 2013, 02:38:01 AM
Quote from: rexel99 on November 14, 2013, 06:42:55 AM
Yes thanks, i got the rules sorted (with some trial and error)..
Basically I have added 4 (for the four categories) that read as..
RewriteRule ^road/search(.*)$ /component/virtuemart/search$1 [L,R=301]

So at least for the offending menu links, the search function is redirected back to the search module and the results all work properly.

you are doing it for nothing, there is another problem deeper.

The deeper problem could also conflict with other things on your site
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 21, 2013, 21:56:48 PM
Good evening,

I'm having a few problems with the VM search module also. (J! 2.5.16 - VM 2.0.24b)

1.
While being on a categorypage, say 'men' and searching for 'nailpolish' (it's a beautysalon-website), first there were no results at all.
But I found (part of) a solution on this thread: https://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=112741.msg395942#msg395942 (https://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=112741.msg395942#msg395942)
Only the first part worked. In modules/mod_virtuemart/search/tmpl/default.php, around line 45 I put:
<input type="hidden" name="virtuemart_category_id" value="0" />
After that, the search for other products than the products on the categorypage you're visiting, are showing. But... you can only view the first page of the search results.

Yes, Joomla Sef is turned on, and that's probably the cause. The url of the first page of the results is showing something like:
http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men?keyword=nailpolish&search=true&view=category&option=com_virtuemart&virtuemart_category_id=0 (http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men?keyword=nailpolish&search=true&view=category&option=com_virtuemart&virtuemart_category_id=0)
and the url for the second page is showing something like:
http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men/search/nailpolish/results,19-18 (http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men/search/nailpolish/results,19-18)
but with a blank page and no results. With JoomlaSef turned off, everyting works all right, but off course that's not the best or most beautiful option.
I've tried with Joomla Sef turned on and VM Sef turned off, and that's also working.

2.
The default VM searchbox that I've set to show on all pages is working a little bit, see problem #1. above.
But the searchbox on the browse-view-page isn't working at all when turning JoomlaSef on. When turning JoomlaSef off, this also works and shows you the results.

Please, can anyone help me with this and/or give me a clue about how to adjust this?  I guess this has to do with the htaccess-file, but what to put where in order to get both searchboxes working correctly?
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 22, 2013, 10:34:00 AM
Quote from: Lockerbie on November 21, 2013, 21:56:48 PM
Yes, Joomla Sef is turned on, and that's probably the cause. The url of the first page of the results is showing something like:
http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men?keyword=nailpolish&search=true&view=category&option=com_virtuemart&virtuemart_category_id=0 (http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men?keyword=nailpolish&search=true&view=category&option=com_virtuemart&virtuemart_category_id=0)
and the url for the second page is showing something like:
http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men/search/nailpolish/results,19-18 (http://www.websiteaddress.com/maincategory/men/search/nailpolish/results,19-18)
but with a blank page and no results. With JoomlaSef turned off, everyting works all right, but off course that's not the best or most beautiful option.
I've tried with Joomla Sef turned on and VM Sef turned off, and that's also working.

Wrong: with JoomlaSef turned on and VM Sef turned off, the pagination in search results isn't working either.

Besides that, the sitemap (XMap) isn't showing correct either.
I think I'll have to dive into the code/redirects/forum in order to adjust the htaccess-file...
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 23, 2013, 05:49:11 AM
URL to the page with shop and module?
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 23, 2013, 10:56:20 AM
See: -websitenameremoved-

Both JoomlaSef and VM Sef are turned offright now. And the sitemap is deactivated for the moment.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 23, 2013, 13:15:15 PM
Works, turn it on now. Could it be tested on unchanged VM and on standard template? Just to be sure.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 23, 2013, 13:24:38 PM
Okay, both JoomlaSef and VM Sef are turned on right now. But with this the pagination in search results isn't working.
See: -websitename removed-

And the searchfield on browse-view-page isn't working now either, see:
-websitename removed-
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 24, 2013, 13:50:19 PM
After enabling Joomla cache everything with search module and pagination in search results seems fine.
There's only a minor thing when using search:
when you've searched for a product name/range, say 'lipgloss', visit page 2 of the results and after that search for another, say 'nailpolish', you end up at page 2 of the new search results. Not that big of a problem, but still a little bit strange.

Unfortunate the sitemap (XMap) still isn't working correct...
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Maxim Pishnyak on November 24, 2013, 16:59:03 PM
What 3rd parties do you have? Could you test without template overrides for VM? Ofc VM should have not modified files.
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: Lockerbie on November 26, 2013, 13:23:57 PM
I found an old thread on the XMap-forum, where some people had the same problems. Someone suggested to deactivate the content-plugin, which worked for him. I've tried that, but no difference.
Only after disabling the virtuemart-plugin, the sitemap is back, in the layout of the site and complete again!
See: http://joomla.vargas.co.cr/en/forum?task=viewtopic&f=2&t=3057&sid=6cefbbc180d63d7acf3b9acbf2ec86ed
Title: Re: VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page
Post by: skyflyer on November 29, 2013, 18:09:46 PM
Hello,

I have no category items in the right side VM - Category module and can't figure out why. I have created three categories and a couple of product items in them but I can't get the default module on the right to show any of the categories I have created - I have only the head title of the module 'VM - Category'

I can't display the categories in the content area neither even though I made the menu item a vm category layout. All I get in the content is products view without the head title - just to rows of 3 products in them.

When I click on one of the products it gets my to the product detailed view and there is a button in right top position 'Back to: Books' and when I click the button it gets me back to the content and this time the Book category is there and its description on the top too

Does anyone know what could be the issue please?

I attach a screen shot.

Thanks in advance

Mario

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