Thread: Categories

Categories

Hi all

Just want to know if there is a way to import categories into your site instead of having to manually add each category.

Also is there a list of the most widely used categories for Classsifieds sites

Cheers

Marc

Re: Categories

How funny you should say that. I was just importing categories into my site this morning.
There is no easy way of doing it. I presumed there would be a plug in but there isn't. I had to create an sql file and run it into wordpress database through phpmyadmin.
Would you like some help with that?

Also, regarding the categories, I couldn't find a decent list of categories to copy from elsewhere so I ended up with my own.
Take a look at my site, have a look at the categories and if you like them I will give you the sql you need to run them in.

Re: Categories

Hello Ancient Geek. I am also new to this Classipress thing and am struggling to build categories. From a quick look at your site it seems that you have this sorted so was wondering what the trick is. When I click on 'Categories' all I get is a window with a shed load of silly icons which I find less than helpful. I would have thought that there would have been a facility as in WP where one just creates new pages and assigns a name to them. I see that there are loads of other classipress sites with categories so it must be possible. Help!

Re: Categories

Hello Gerald,
Hehehe, I had the same reaction when I first saw it.

Category management surprised me when I started with classipress until I realised that there isn't any! At least there is no more than Wordpress offers you, so you have to work with that.
What really surprised me was that the wordpress community haven't really addressed the issue of importing and exporting pages, posts and categories. I mean you can usually have either all or nothing. I was hoping for some kind of .csv or .txt import plugin for a list of categories but no, no-one has made one yet and my programming isn't up to writing a plugin.

However, I do know about databases and I was able to reverse engineer how the table structure works and import my categories through the database (pretty much through the back door, downstairs, tradesman's entrance, if you like). Not for the faint hearted.

That basically means (as far as I know) that the only means available with categories is to manually add them yourself in wordpress admin.
Or, if you already have a text-list of categories, perhaps I can make an sql import file for you and fergster.
(with a bit of instruction of course)
Give me an idea of what categories you are after, I may already have a list.

Re: Categories

Hello Ancient Geek

Okay - thanks for quick reply. I am trying to put together a georesources classifieds resource which lists all the suppliers and service providers for the geological and geotechnical community. So I need various categories under which people can post their ads - namely:

Consulting Geologists
Consulting Geotechnical Engineers
Consulting Engineers
Environmentalists
Hydrogeologists
Exploration Geologists
Surveyors
Blasting and Excavating
Plant Hire
Drilling Companies
Remote Sensing and Aerial Photography
Ground Engineering Companies
Mining Equipment Suppliers
Geological Equipment Suppliers
Laboratories

So there is my long list - I thought not too much to ask for - in fact I thought that it would be a doddle when I bought the plugin, but now there is a major hurdle.

Looking forward to your comments. I see a number of posts re reverse engineering the whole thing - as you say, not for the faint hearted!

Regards

G

Re: Categories

Sorry G. I was awol trying to fix some major problems on one of my other sites. Big headache.
Anyway, not too many categories there, it may have been as good to type them in but never mind. I presume they are all top level categories and none of them sub-categories.
That being so I have made a wordpress import file for you. I will have to email it to you, it's a little too clunky to paste in here. Just gimme an email address, perhaps through im and I will send it (bear in mind i am on UK time = GMT+0)

There are two tweaks you need to make but fortunately both on the same file in the same line.
As it stands classipress won't show categories on the home page if the categories have no posts in them. Also, when you have three lines of cats they overflow into the next line leaving a messy screen. Make this change to solve these two problems:

In classipress folder
Edit index.php
Change lines 11,12,13
FROM
TO
Then take my import file and I will show you how to use it.