code reduction/simplification ideas

[kodersoftware]

i would like to start a topic about streamlining the code. i feel as though there may be better ways to get the same visual effect on the page with less HTML in the background.

what spawned this idea is that sometimes I get pages that only get up to the column_right.php and then the code stops there, so it's just a partial page and there is no footer.

so i started carefully digging and trying to reduce code and simplify. my next posts detail some of my findings and what i did. NOTE: backup your files before you do ANYTHING!

All additional ideas and help is appreciated!

[kodersoftware]

the first thing i notice when i view source is my fully qualified domain name, http://www.moon-dreams.com mentionned over and over and over again. It can be especially terrible on the pages that list a bunch of products, as there is one link assigned to the picture, and then it is repeated again for the product name, and then again for the buy now button, albeit modified a bit. I went into /catalog/includes/functions/html_output.php and altered the tep_href_link function, changing

$link = HTTP_SERVER . DIR_WS_HTTP_CATALOG;

to

$link = DIR_WS_HTTP_CATALOG;

The only problem with doing just this is that there are some situations in which the entire url should be sent, like in emails, so you have to check any php code or strings that will send the url to non-relative locations. There may be other things that this is going to screw up, but I'm just finding them as I go along at this point.

Thoughts

[kodersoftware]

in all code that lists products in a category or group (not the product detail page), if you keep the default setup for displaying product info, you could also alter the code so that only one link is used between the product image and the product name. where you will alter the code will depend on your installation, but for me i went into /catalog/includes/modules/product_listing_col.php and modified the following 2 sections (the code that was there has a # sign before it and my code below the commented line)

case 'PRODUCT_LIST_NAME':
            $lc_align = '';
            if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
              #$lc_text = '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, 'manufacturers_id=' . $HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . '&products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . $listing['products_name'] . '</a>';
			  $lc_text = $listing['products_name'] . '</a>';
            } else {
              #$lc_text = ' <a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, ($cPath ? 'cPath=' . $cPath . '&' : '') . 'products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . $listing['products_name'] . '</a> ';
			  $lc_text = $listing['products_name'] . '</a> ';
            }
            break;

and

case 'PRODUCT_LIST_IMAGE':
            $lc_align = 'center';
            if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'])) {
              #$lc_text = '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, 'manufacturers_id=' . $HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . '&products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $listing['products_image'], $listing['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '</a>';
			  $lc_text = '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, 'manufacturers_id=' . $HTTP_GET_VARS['manufacturers_id'] . '&products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $listing['products_image'], $listing['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
            } else {
              #$lc_text = ' <a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, ($cPath ? 'cPath=' . $cPath . '&' : '') . 'products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $listing['products_image'], $listing['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '</a> ';
			  $lc_text = ' <a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCT_INFO, ($cPath ? 'cPath=' . $cPath . '&' : '') . 'products_id=' . $listing['products_id']) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . $listing['products_image'], $listing['products_name'], SMALL_IMAGE_WIDTH, SMALL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
            }
            break;

[kodersoftware]

another one: is ther any reason at all to use those transparent gifs inside the table cells? couldn't this:

<td><img src="/catalog/images/transprent.gif" alt="" width="1" height="10"></td>

just be

<td height="10"> </td>

?

anyone... anyone?

[kodersoftware]

another idea that would GREATLY reduce the amaount of data to transfer to the client: div's instead of tables for all the inner tables. YES, I know, sometimes tables are just easier. In some cases, I'll use tables for layout. what do ya think? right now, catalog/index.php returns a file that is 41,923 bytes - thats JUST the text. it's a complex page, but i'd like to see that get reduced to about 25,000 bytes max. my site is getting decent volume, so every kb makes a difference and will save me money.

[michael_s]

kodersoftware, this is a template/design issue mostly. Since BTS is used, it should be fairly easy for you to rebuild the code to your liking.

The product listing code that you came up with is quite elegant That is a nice one. Thanks for sharing.