Google Base New Fields

[Pr0ject]

Anyone know if the new oscmax matches the new Google base requirements for feeds?


Google Merchant Center Announcements: We've made changes to the Google Product Search Feed Specification and Policies. These changes will be enforced stringently beginning Sept. 22, 2011.


Any comments would be appreciated!

[Luxoria]

I took a peek into the v2.5-RC-2 fm-feed-configs/google-simple.php file and it has not been updated to reflect the newer Google feed requirements.

From what I gather it's missing availability, shipping_weight, and google_product_category. Some missing optional elements include quantity, online_only, color, and additional_image_link.



For shipping weight I added the following into the google-simple.php file...

    'shipping_weight'     =>   array('output' => 'shipping_weight',
                                                                     'type' => 'FUNCTION',
                                                                     'options' => array('STRIP_HTML', 'STRIP_CRLF')
                                                                    ), 
  

Then add the following to the functions area...

 function shipping_weight($product) {
  
  //manually add tare weight for now (temp)
  return $product['products_weight'] + 1;
  
} 
  

Note: I did not take the time to pull the tare weight from the database so I just manually entered in the value of '1'.
________________________


For quantity I use...

                                          'quantity'            =>   array('output' => 'google_quantity',
                                                                     'type' => 'FUNCTION',
                                                                     'options' => array('STRIP_HTML', 'HTML_ENTITIES', 'STRIP_CRLF')
                                                                    ), 
  

and...

 function google_quantity($product) {
  
  return $product['products_quantity'];  
  
} 
  

________________________


I also added the use of additional_image_link and MOPICS...

 'additional_image_link'       =>   array('output' => 'additional_images_link',
                                                                     'type' => 'FUNCTION',
                                                                     'options' => array('STRIP_HTML', 'STRIP_CRLF')
                                                                    ), 
  

and...

 //functions to support MO_PICS in additional_images_link function
function mopics_file_exists($file_base, $file_types = DYNAMIC_MOPICS_THUMB_IMAGE_TYPES) {
        $file_types = str_replace(' ', '', $file_types);
        $file_types = preg_split('/[,]/', $file_types);        
        foreach ($file_types as $file_type) {
            if (file_exists($file_base . '.' . $file_type)) {
                return $file_type;            }
        }        
        return false;
    }
    function mopics_match_pattern($pattern) {
        if (preg_match('/{.*}/U', $pattern, $matches)) {
            return $matches[0];
        }
        return false;    }
    function mopics_getmethod($pattern) {
        return str_replace(array('{', '}'), '', mopics_match_pattern($pattern));
    }    
    function mopics_get_imagebase($image, $pre_append = '') {
        return $pre_append . substr($image, ((DYNAMIC_MOPICS_MAINTHUMB_IN_THUMBS_DIR == 'true') ? strlen(DYNAMIC_MOPICS_THUMBS_DIR) : 0), ((DYNAMIC_MOPICS_MAINTHUMB_IN_THUMBS_DIR == 'true') ? (strrpos($image, '.') - strlen(DYNAMIC_MOPICS_THUMBS_DIR)) : strrpos($image, '.')) );
    }
 
 
function additional_images_link($product) {
    
$images = '';
 
///BEGIN MOPICS
 
    // Set the thumbnail basename; replaces "imagebase" in the user's pattern
    $image_base = mopics_get_imagebase($product['products_image'], DIR_WS_IMAGES . DYNAMIC_MOPICS_THUMBS_DIR);
    // Set the large image's basename; replaces "imagebase" in the user's pattern
    $image_base_lg = mopics_get_imagebase($product['products_image'], DIR_WS_IMAGES . DYNAMIC_MOPICS_BIGIMAGES_DIR);
    // Get the counting method for the user's pattern (1,2,3; a,b,c; A,B,C; etc)
    $i = mopics_getmethod(DYNAMIC_MOPICS_PATTERN);
        // Set the search for the str_replace pattern search/replace
    $search = array('imagebase', mopics_match_pattern(DYNAMIC_MOPICS_PATTERN));
    // Set the initial replace for the str_replace pattern search/replace
    $replace = array($image_base, $i);
    // Are there any extra thumbnails for this product?
    
    $loopcount = 0;
    
    $first_into_flag = 0;
    
    // Loop until all of this product's thumbnails have been found and displayed
        while ($loopcount++ < 100) {        
            $image_ext = mopics_file_exists(str_replace($search, $replace, DYNAMIC_MOPICS_PATTERN));            
            if ($image_ext != '') {                
            // Set large image replacement for the str_replace pattern search/replace
            $replace_lg = array($image_base_lg, $i);
            // Only link to the popup if a larger image exists            
            if ($lg_image_ext = mopics_file_exists(str_replace($search, $replace_lg, DYNAMIC_MOPICS_PATTERN))) {
                // Set the lar3ge image for this loop
                $image_lg = str_replace($search, $replace_lg, DYNAMIC_MOPICS_PATTERN) . '.' . $lg_image_ext;                       
                                 
                if ($first_into_flag == 0) $images = $images . tep_href_link($image_lg);  
                if ($first_into_flag == 1) $images = $images . ',' . tep_href_link($image_lg);
                
                $first_into_flag = 1;
          
            } //if if large image exists
            
        } //end if ext                 
            // Increase current count
            $i++;
            // Update the replace for the str_replace pattern search/replace for next image in the sequence
            $replace = array($image_base, $i);        
    } //end while                
            
            
    ///END MOPICS        
            
   return $images;
} 
  

The MOPICS code works and outputs :

link,link,link,link

...however I have yet to verify if Google has properly read the links.


_________________


When it comes to availability....

  'availability'        =>   array('output' => 'google_availability',
                                                                     'type' => 'FUNCTION',
                                                                     'options' => array('STRIP_HTML', 'STRIP_CRLF')
                                                                    ), 
  

and...

 function google_availability($product) {
  
  if  ($product['products_quantity'] > 0) return 'in stock';
  
  return 'out of stock';  
 
} 
  

__________________


All my items are online only so I just use...

   'online_only'        =>   array('output' => 'yes',
                                                                     'type' => 'VALUE'
                                                                    ), 
  

______________________


The tricky part is adding support for google_product_category. If the merchant feed has only products fitting in a certain category then the code is simple, like...

   'google_product_category'        =>   array('output' => 'Home & Garden > Lighting > Night Lights',
                                                                     'type' => 'VALUE'
                                                                    ), 
  

However, if the store stocks items spread across multiple categories it will be possibly necessary to add the google_product_category information into the database when adding the product to the database (at the new product screen in admin). This mod requires core modification.

Hope this helps... you may look at my feed file if you wish, but it's geared specifically for my store, database, and coding style. Also note, the functions really need to have generic names, ie remove 'google', then have them placed into the proper location of the file 'feedmachine_loadingbay.php' so they can be used by other feed configs such as bing and thefind.

-R

[ridexbuilder]

Very good grounding for an updated google feed.
Thanks for sharing.

[pgmarshall]

Can someone link this into the bugtracker to be updated?

Thanks,

[ridexbuilder]

BTW, clever template design, Lux., I thought my eyes were going screwy for a minute.

[Luxoria]

Lol, thanks. I invested great effort and time into aligning my template with my products. =)

Oh, pgm, IDK how to link this into the bug tracker, unless you mean just make a report.

[pgmarshall]

Just report it as a bug and post the URL into the notes - so I can link back to this thread and add your excellent work to the core.

Thanks for contributing Lux.

Regards,

[ridexbuilder]

I suggest, in the first instance, we call Luxoria's modified file google-rc2a.php and use it as a basis for the 'production' one. This way the original is untouched and, for example, the

function shipping_weight($product)

can be looked at.

[goldstrikn]

So, will there be an updated generic file that can be used?

[cujo]

any update on when this will be done, getting close to googles dead line.