[s]

I purchased the pro-pack because I believed we would be using this plugin and most of the extensions.

I installed the plug-in and attempted to use the import feature for categories. I uploaded my .csv file, mapped the two fields (name and category), then received a message that the file was imported – but no categories were imported.

I had a hierarchical structure of 35 categories. My file ends in .csv, and I made sure to put a comma after the first entry with no parent category. No categories were imported. I even attempted to upload the example given in the documentation. No luck.

After fooling around for an hour with this, I gave up and entered them all by hand – which took me another half an hour.

When I displayed the page with the category short code, no categories were displayed. Only when I added an entry was that specific category displayed.

Is this normal behavior? This doesn’t seem right.

I have the enhanced category extension installed, activated, and added the licence key. I see the order field in the category screen. Entering the order field one-by-one is horrendously slow and inefficient. It would have been faster if the .csv upload worked.

Additionally, it is unclear what differences there are between themes, cmap and market. The example images look almost identical in format. Is the only difference how the user selects a category?

Finally, I am implementing a business directory and am looking for a way to have my users pay for listings. I cannot find any information on accepting payments in the documentation. Was this an oversight on my part to expect this functionality?

[Steven Zahm]

@ s

RE: I installed the plug-in and attempted to use the import feature for categories. I uploaded my .csv file, mapped the two fields (name and category), then received a message that the file was imported – but no categories were imported… I had a hierarchical structure of 35 categories. My file ends in .csv, and I made sure to put a comma after the first entry with no parent category. No categories were imported. I even attempted to upload the example given in the documentation. No luck.

It sounds as if you were attempting to use the CSV Import for bulk importing Entries (listings) to import your hierarchical categories. If you are bulk importing a hierarchical categories, you must use Bulk Category Import tool.

If you were using the CSV Import addon… you can import entries and their categories (not the hierarchy though) too, but you need to follow the CSV requirements. Mapping the just mapping part of a name and the category is not enough. You need the full name of an individual or the organization name. Rather than try an repeat the requirements they are in the link I just gave. There are only a few requirements, but they are important.

RE: When I displayed the page with the category short code, no categories were displayed. Only when I added an entry was that specific category displayed.

I am assuming you mean the category shortcode option. Is that correct? If it is, then yes, that is the exact expected behavior as discussed in the shortcode docs. This is fairly typical behavior for such a feature.

Since you have purchased the Extension Pack, you need to turn on a setting to display the categories above the directory. Its found on the Connections : Settings admin page under the Display tab after you activate the Enhanced Categories extension.

You also have the option to use the Enhanced Categories shortcode. Though I recommend using the options on the Settings page only since that is far easier than a shortcode.

Another option available to you is to use the Category Widget that comes with the Widget Pack add on.

RE: I have the enhanced category extension installed, activated, and added the licence key. I see the order field in the category screen. Entering the order field one-by-one is horrendously slow and inefficient. It would have been faster if the .csv upload worked.

I had to check the code to confirm, the Category Import Tool actually does not support importing the category order … no one has ever asked and I did not thing of adding support. If you want this, I can look into adding support for it.

RE: Additionally, it is unclear what differences there are between themes, cmap and market. The example images look almost identical in format. Is the only difference how the user selects a category?

Yes, that and the display style. Additionally cMap is responsive theme friendly and supports the Customizer which is actually listed in its features when compared to the listed Market features.

They are in bold text in order to try to call them out. I do have a little blurb on the cMap page calling out the Customizer support.

If you have suggestion on how this could be better called out where it would have gotten you attention, please let me know. I’m also open for making tweaks.

Hope I’ve helped, let me know.

[s]

Thank you for a quick response.

I am using the Bulk Category Import tool. It simply isn’t working for me and I can’t figure out why.

I was first displaying the page with the connections shortcode – and nothing was displaying. I tried using the categories shortcode again with nothing displaying. When I created one listing in a category, that listing appeared. I want empty categories to appear, but they’re not. The documentation notes that all the options you say to turn on are set to on by default, so I’m not sure what to do.

Also, and most importantly, does the plug-in support accepting payments for customer listings?

[Steven Zahm]

@ s

Apologies for my slow replies… I am traveling this week.

re: I am using the Bulk Category Import tool. It simply isn’t working for me and I can’t figure out why.

You mentioned you tried importing one of the examples, which one? Did you trying importing it as is without opening or altering it? I just tested each again to make sure something has not broken and they all imported.

When you import, do they upload successfully? You can tell because you’ll get a mapping step. If you get the mapping step, after mapping do you see a progress bar and then a complete message?

If you get none of that, it is very possible another plugin is loading it own javascript on the Connections admin pages, breaking Connections. If you get all steps, then that is not the issue.

RE: I was first displaying the page with the connections shortcode – and nothing was displaying. I tried using the categories shortcode again with nothing displaying. When I created one listing in a category, that listing appeared. I want empty categories to appear, but they’re not.

What exact shortodes have you tried, including options. Could you also attach a screenshot of the Categories admin page and the Manage admin page.

RE: most importantly, does the plug-in support accepting payments for customer listings?

Sorry, no Connections does not accept payments for listings. I do not plan on adding such features. I recommend you use a membership plugin like Restrict Content Pro to manage membership payments and renewals. This greatly increases your ability to monetize your site where a directory is just one benefit of the user’s membership. There are other directory plugins which do integrate payments, but then you lock yourself into only being able to monetize your directory making it very difficult to expand member benefits.

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