How to parse PHP inside product description

[groggory]

I want to write a few custom PHP functions to make writing my item descriptions easier. However, when I tried doing this the PHP isn't parsing.

I made a file called: /includes/convert.php and am calling it from within the product description. I added a line near the top of /product_info.php that says:

require('includes/convert.php');

However when I view the product page the call I made just shows up as a blank spot.

Please advise.

Thank you.

Greg

convert.php

<?php
function inch($in){
     $cm=$in*2.54;
     echo "$in\" ($cm cm)";
	}
function cm($cm){
	$in=$cm/2.54;
	echo "$in\" ($cm cm)";
	}
?>

call from inside product description

<?php inch('45') ?>

[Redeye_Joe]

you make it bts compatible?

[groggory]

I thought that inside BTS you should be allowed to use PHP freely.

For example, inside your product description, it will not parse...

<?php echo "hello"; ?>

It will come up a blank page, and if you view source, you see <?php echo "hello"; ?>

[jpf]

You can't put inline PHP into the product discription. As it is read into PHP as a variable and is outputed by PHP but is NOT processed BY PHP.... Its a raw read and write. IF you see <?php ..... ?> then you know that its NOT processed by php.

[groggory]

bummer. So by the basic structure of OSCommerce, this isn't possible then. Well that just sucks now doesn't it. lol.

I was hoping I could write simple tasks with php so my descriptions would be accurate. It seems however that this just isn't going to happen and I need to write static product description pages.

So jpf...no way around this? Or should I just stop and move on to my next project. I think this is a unfixable roadblock by design.

[jpf]

Add you PHP code to the product discription PAGE..... Not the discription. Suround it with an IF statement if you don't need it for all items....

[groggory]

Originally Posted by jpf

Add you PHP code to the product discription PAGE..... Not the discription. Suround it with an IF statement if you don't need it for all items....

I don't follow. Where is the product description page? I know there is product_info.php in the root, but I'm not sure what you are referring to.

Could you please elaborate?

Thanks.