5.9. cat
cat_root/products/cat.txt
This table contains properties of product categories. Notice the similarity to the area table, since both the area and cat tables supply data for building links to results pages.
Fields
| Field | Description |
| code | Unique key |
| sel | Space-delimited list of foreign keys into area table |
| name | Category name |
| which_page | Page class in which the category may appear |
| sort | Sorting prefix for entry (preempts standard alphanumeric sort) |
| display_type | How to label the category links (name, icon, url or image) |
| image | Image URL (if appropriate) |
| image_prop | HTML attributes for output <img> tag (if appropriate) |
| banner_image | Image name for use in target page |
| banner_text | Text for use in target page |
| link_type | Type of links in the navbar (external, internal, simple, complex) |
| url | Target for internal or external link_type |
| tab | Database table file to use with 'simple' link_type |
| page | Results page to use with 'simple' link_type |
| search | Search spec used with 'complex' link_type |
| selector | The selector used to scan the products table for products in the category |
| link_template | Overrides template used for building links |
5.9.1. code
Example Data
1 4 5
Unique key.
5.9.2. sel
Example Data
6 8 9 9
Space-delimited list of foreign key(s) into area table. The category will appear in each navbar section (defined by a row in the area table) where the key from cat.sel matches the area.code.
For example, the foundation catalog (tools) places Gift Certificates in more than one category of the left navbar.
5.9.3. name
Example Data
Breathing Protection Eye Protection Gift Certificate Picks & Hatchets Pliers Rulers Sandpaper Toolboxes
Category name for display.
5.9.4. which_page
The page class. When building links, you can select categories matching a page class. This means you could set up your catalog to show a different list of links on page 'foo.html' than on page 'bar.html'.
5.9.5. sort
Example Data
01 03
Lexographic (alphanumeric) sorting prefix. Notice use of '03' rather than '3', which would sort after '13'. You can use this to control the order of the categories in a list of links.
5.9.6. display_type
Example Data
name icon url image
What to use for the labels in the navigation bar (for example, name, icon, url or image). The links in the foundation catalog are set up with 'name' display_type.
| display type | Link shown as |
| name | Displays name only |
| icon | Displays name and specified image |
| image | Displays image only |
| url | Displays link |
5.9.7. image
Image URL for image or icon display_type.
5.9.8. image_prop
For image or icon display_type, this contains the HTML <img ...> tag attributes for the links, for example:
<img src="image" alt="name" image_prop>name
5.9.9. banner_image
Example Data
promo_image.gif
This field is not related to banner ads. It is useful if you want to pass to your results page an image that is specific for the navbar entry (perhaps to display a banner above your results).
If you are using an Interchange search for your links (i.e., 'simple' or 'complex' link_type), then this will add 'va=banner_image=banner_image' to the resulting search specification. This puts the contents of banner_image into the Values hash in your search results page. You can access it with [value banner_image] (see the value tag). You will have to modify the standard results page (or set up and specify your own) in order to display the image. For example, you might include the following in your results page:
<IMG src="[value banner_image]" alt="[value banner_text]">
5.9.10. banner_text
This field is not related to banner ads. It is useful if you want to pass to your results page some text that is specific for the navbar entry (perhaps to display a title above your results).
If you are using an Interchange search for your links (i.e., 'simple' or 'complex' link_type), then this will add 'va=banner_text=banner_text' to the resulting search specification. This puts the contents of banner_text into the Values hash in your search results page. You can access it with [value banner_text] (see the value tag). You will have to modify the standard results page (or set up and specify your own) in order to display the text.
5.9.11. link_type
Example Data
none external internal simple complex
The link type to create.
| Link type | Description |
| none | No link |
| external | External link. The HTML specified in url will go directly into the link. |
| internal | Internal link. This will be highlit if it is the current page. If you specify both a page and a form for the link, the url field should contain "page form". See the Search Engine documentation for more detail on search forms. |
| simple | Allows you to specify an Interchange search with a few values. See the bar_link subroutine in the /dist/catalog_before.cfg configuration file for more detail. |
| complex | Allows you to fully specify an Interchange search specification. See the bar_link subroutine in the /dist/catalog_before.cfg configuration file for more detail if you need to use these. |
5.9.12. url
Target URL (external link or internal page/search specification). See link_types above.
5.9.13. tab
Example Data
products
Database table file to use with 'simple' link_type (searchspec fi=tab).
5.9.14. page
Example Data
swap_results
Results page to use with 'simple' link_type (searchspec sp=page).
5.9.15. search
Example Data
fi=merchandising^Msf=featured^Mse=new fi=merchandising^Msf=featured^Mse=special^Msu=yes
Search spec used with 'complex' link_type. See the Search Engine documentation for more detail on search forms.
Note: The '^M' delimiters in the sample data represents a carriage return character (Control-M, or hexadecimal 0x0d).
5.9.16. selector
Example Data
category=Breathing Protection category=Eye Protection category=Gift Certificate category=Picks & Hatchets category=Pliers category=Rulers category=Sandpaper category=Toolboxes
The element that is used to scan the products table for products in the category. Used with 'simple' link_type.
5.9.17. link_template
Overrides the usual HTML link template for navbar entries. See the bar_link subroutine in the /dist/catalog_before.cfg configuration file if you need to modify link templates.