VM Search module - no results on a VM Categories page

[rexel99]

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 » 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 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

[PRO]

category filter turned on?

[rexel99]

category filter turned on?

In the module settings.? Search Filter Category = No. (tried yes but no visible change)
Thanks...

[PRO]

what version of vmart are you using? & your joomla is out of date

[rexel99]

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Yes, both are a little out of date but upgrading these are a  pain as they introduce more issues and display problems that need to be fixed and thats always an issue for production systems.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?

[Maxim Pishnyak]

You should UPGRADE always if it's possible (when upgrade is available here).
And ofc you should upgrade NOT on LIVE web site.

[rexel99]

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.

[Maxim Pishnyak]

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.

[rexel99]

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.

[Maxim Pishnyak]

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.

[rexel99]

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.

[PRO]

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.

[rexel99]

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.

[rexel99]

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

[PRO]

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