Today I am happy to announce the release of CataBlog 1.3. This new version has quite a few enhancements and some very new ways of handling old features. Of the new features, two that will standout the most are the new template editor and the limit parameter for the ShortCode.
Template Editor
CataBlog now has a new Admin page dedicated to CataBlog Templates. If you didn't notice, the new section is right under CataBlog's 'Add New' page. Here you may make your own template files to use with the ShortCode template parameter or edit the system templates, known as 'views' in CataBlog. There are three views:
DefaultThis template will be used when you do not specify a template parameter in your ShortCodes.SingleThis template will be used when you enable the 'Public' option and view a CataBlog permalink.StoreThis template will be used to render the Buy Now Button.
All template files are stored in your WordPress uploads folder: wp-content/uploads/catablog/templates/ and may be edited directly on the server as well. If, for whatever reason, you need to restore just the default template files, simply delete the templates directory inside the catablog uploads directory.
Please Note: The PayPal Email token has been removed from CataBlog. Now, you must manually enter your PayPal account's email address into the store view template.
Pagination
CataBlog 1.3 also features The ability to control how many catalog items are rendered with the limit ShortCode parameter. This feature automatically creates some simple navigation controls under your catalog. Simply set how many catalog items you would like to display per page as the limit parameter. There is also another new ShortCode parameter, navigation, which lets you control wether the simple navigation is displayed or not. Simply set it to 'no' or 'disable' to hide the navigation.
examples:
[catablog limit="9"] [catablog limit="5" navigation="no"] [catablog limit="20" navigation="yes"]
Other new features allow for disabling of flash upload, an updated look for the tabs interface and fixing of numerous PHP warnings. I'm looking forward to feedback and comments for this update and hoping the new template system is easier to understand and use then in the past.
Brilliant. The catablog limit additions are perfect for my site. Now I don’t have to mess around with labels every time I add a new issue listing to the site. Makes everything SO much easier! Thanks a lot!
Wauw! Pagination looks very good and easy!
I look forward to the rest of the new features to explore.
I have just downloaded 1.3 and all of my thumbnails on each page have moved into a vertical line, with the comments showing. Before they were arranged in a neat horizontal line with the comments only showing if you clicked on the thumbnail (and the image opens).
Not sure what to do so any assistance would be helpful.
Examine your template code in the new template editor, it may have been messed up during the upgrade. If you template code looks fine then please examine the CSS classes of your catalog using a tool such as Firebug to see if you need to adjust any CSS classes.
Thanks Zach – its sorted!
Really like Catablog, its an excellent plugin.
Thanks, please consider promoting and support CataBlog by rating it and confirming it works with your version of WordPress at http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/catablog/
Also any sharing or likes of the Facebook page is appreciated http://www.facebook.com/catablog
Zach,
I also am having the same issues as Cath. I was using the gallery template, after the update my whole catalog went into single mode.
I had a few errors when updating catablog on two different sites. See screen shot here: http://www.spectacleshop.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Screen-Shot-2012-01-24-at-1.26.42-PM.png
Any help would be greatly appreciated. My clients business depends on his catalog.
P.S. THANK YOU for pagination!!
Figured it out! We now have to paste the [catablog template="gallery"] shortcode to the page we’d like to have a gallery, which is actually a great feature! Now we can have different views for certain categories.
Did you figure anything out about the PHP warnings fired by CataBlog? I think these warnings are a sign that upgrading from an older version of CataBlog is not preserving custom templates. I’ll have to look into this and add a quick patch, but this will not affect you in the future as you have successfully upgraded to the new template system.
hi zach love the new pagination today im almost neardly done with my work, i have a lil bit problem, how can i sort the items in ascending and descending? thanks for ur plugin really like it
Set the order ShortCode parameter to ‘asc’ or ‘desc’.
example:
&91;catablog order="desc"&93;Hi,
I have the same problem with all my galleries now showing in a single column. Using the shortcode [catablog template="gallery"] doesn’t work for me because then ALL the pics in ALL the galleries are shown in the old format. How do I get Catablog to show just the galleries I list in my shortcode in the original format?
Angela,
Please look at the CataBlog Template Admin Panel. The default view is the template that is used when you do not specify a template with your CataBlog ShortCode. If the default view is empty then CataBlog will not be able to render your catalog. Try the steps outlined above to reset your template code by deleting the catablog template folder on your server. Good luck.
My default view is NOT empty. The catalog renders correctly with the addition of the shortcode – but with every picture in every category, meaning I lose my sub-categories. Do I have to create special templates for each gallery?
Sorry, I don’t understand – and I don’t see anything above that helps. Are you saying I should delete the catablog template folder on the server? Then what? Re-install the plug-in?
Have you tried using both the template and the category parameters at the same time with the ShortCode?
example:
[catablog template="gallery" category="shoes"]If that doesn’t solve your problem could you please give me a link or screenshot with an example of your problem. Thanks again for you interest in CataBlog.
Hi again. Thanks for your help. I tried what you suggested and nothing would show at all in the Charles Brandt Gallery. Here’s what it looks like since the update (without any changes): http://tidechange.ca/comox-valley-focus/charles-brandt-gallery . This one is a single catablog category, not several.
Here’s a link showing what the format should be (using the template shortcode only). This one is wrong, because it shows ALL the categories (including the one above), instead of the correct ones with their headers: http://tidechange.ca/media-library
And the stuff runs off the bottom of the page, so the galleries aren’t complete.
Did you try using both parameters in the ShortCode at once? both template and category. Also please switch your editor over to HTML to make sure your ShortCode doesn’t have any HTML tags in it.
Good
Bad
http://tidechange.ca/comox-valley-focus/charles-brandt-gallery
This page looks like a single category listed in the default view. Am I to understand that you want it in the gallery view? just add a template atttribute to the CataBlog ShortCode, if you are unsure how to do this please read the Shortcode API.
http://tidechange.ca/media-library
This page is displaying in the gallery view for the first ShortCode, but it seems you only set the template attribute for the first CataBlog ShortCode. You will need to set the template attribute to gallery for every ShortCode. You may also change the CataBlog Default View to the code from the CataBlog Gallery Template so all your ShortCodes are rendered like galleries.
Good luck…
Thanks! I had the gallery shortcode before, instead of after, the category. Works now. However, as you pointed out, I had to add the gallery shortcode to every category under html view. No big deal now that I know to do this. I may change my default as you suggest.
As an aside, after adding the shortcode, although the galleries now looked as they should as far layout and content, my category headings were partially hidden under the thumbnails above (previous category). Only way to fix this is to move the , to the end of the catablog code line. WP apparently won’t allow or as para spacers.
I haven’t checked if you are already doing this, but did you try putting your category titles into header tags?
never mind my last comment, add a bottom margin to the catablog-catalog class in your theme’s style.css file.
.catablog-catalog { margin-bottom: 6px; }Thanks for the updates, Zach,
Just one question. Is it possible to have a linked URL from a thumbnail open in a new window?
Yes, you may add
target="_blank"to any anchor tags in your template. You may also set the target option in the CataBlog Options, but this will only affect the title link unless you use the %LINK-TARGET% tokens in your CataBlog Template appropriately.I had the same errors as Roy both on windows and linux, but then everything seems to work fine, except that I had the template messed up. Catablog should read what template was set as default before and use that rather than setting a new one. If I hadn’t read this page before I would be in panic (well, not quite, I have a mirror on a local machine and do the testing here before 🙂 but still…).
For pagination, I have no real use for it right now, but I gave it a quick try.
I imagine it would be nice to have the option to set it globally for the whole site. The simple navigation is…well, a bit too simple (read not that visible) but what is quite a bit confusing is that when you click on “next” the page goes back to the top (checked with both Opera and Firefox). I suppose that an ajax thingy with two big arrows on the sides that slides pictures without affecting the page would be a killer feature. I also fail to see the point of navigation=”no”, am I missing something?
CataBlog does read the default template that is saved in the CataBlog Options data and uses that for the new default view in version 1.3. This process is not full proof though, and works better when someone is upgrading from a recent version of CataBlog. I only mentioned the warning in the article incase CataBlog can’t write the files at all or you loose your current template for some other reason. Still, is the template code that hard to recreate or fix?
As far as pagination goes, an AJAX slider would be killer. But, a feature like this would be hard to build so it works with all the WordPress themes out there. I am working on it, the new version of CataBlog wraps a div around each catalog, a step in the right direction for a feature like this. I am worried though because I already have enough problems giving theme integration support, I don’t think I can handle more. As far as the visual appearance of the simple navigation, use CSS to override how it is displayed. With the CataBlog Navigation CSS classes you can enlarge the font, add icons, hide parts, whatever you want.
Good luck.
Oh and a scenario where someone might want to hide the navigation…
Perhaps someone might want to show 9 random photos from a catalog of 50 photos, but not let the user actually page through all 50 photos. Will be more useful once the CataBlog Sidebar Widget is finished, where you could use hidden navigation to place random featured catalog items. 😉
Another thing I noticed yesterday, when using my netbook, which has a Linux operating system (Ubuntu) and the Firefox browser. The category titles (the ones I added) still get partially hidden by the icons above them in the previous category. I thought something had gone wrong until I looked on my desktop. Windows/Firefox shows them correctly.
You should check which fonts your WordPress theme uses and make sure those fonts are available on your Linux machine. I am sorry to say that I don’t think this problem directly relates to a bug in CataBlog. This problem may be solved by editing your theme’s CSS classes, specifically for whatever HTML element you are using for your category titles.
Ok, thanks Zach! It’s not a big deal – unless someone complains. I’ll look into the font issue. I think we’re using whatever the default font is in WP – or our theme. Haven’t noticed a problem with anything else.
Where are the new templates saved? When I upgraded catablog, the old templates got deleted and I had to restore them from a backup.
Or is that just me?
Thanks!
I am sorry about the confusion with the new template system. I am also sorry that you had to restore your old backups, it was not my intention to make people loose their custom templates. But, after your upgrade I don’t see this problem happening again.
You may use the Admin interface to edit and create new template files by logging into the WordPress Admin and looking under CataBlog for the Templates Panel. The new template files are saved in your CataBlog uploads folder.
Good luck!
Thanks!
Love this plugin!
I’ve been customizing it to work in my site, and want to add a “view all” option in the navigation but having trouble with that. Any help?
Hi Zach,
I loved your plugin and it saved me a lot of time while building a catalog for a client. I have a little problem with the pagination in the frontend. I have set the limit of products to be displayed on a page and it is working correctly and showing the Pagination on top and bottom of the catalog, but the problem is that when I click on a Page number or the Next button nothing happens, it stays on the current page. I am missing something in the settings? An early reply will be appreciated as my client’s website is dependent on this catalog.
Thank you.
Have you tried turning on pretty permalinks in the WordPress settings. I thing you need to use them currently. Sorry for the bug.
I love the Catablog plug-in! There is just one feature request I would like to make. Is it possible to make the Catablog widget a slider widget that displays thumbnails? I think it would be really cool. I am trying to accomplish that in one of the sites I am creating but I just don’t know how to begin :).
I’m sure you can do it if you look into jQuery and other javascript libraries. CataBlog will give you an easy way to build the default html to be used in your slider widget. Good luck