Warning: If you are running Zen Cart, use PayPal and have not upgraded to Zen Cart 1.5.4, you need to make some changes. PayPal changed handling on for their transaction interface API to account for hackability of the SSLv3. Due to the POODLE security problem, SSLv3 is nolonger accepted by PayPal. Many people have adjusted, but, for those of your with Zen Cart that have not fixed the problem yet, be aware you have a problem.

This SSLv3 problem has been fixed in Zen Cart 1.5.4, but, many people have yet to move to that revision. If you have not upgraded, you are being rejected from PayPal transactions with a message similar to “(35) error:14094410:SSL routines:SSL3_READ_BYTES:sslv3 alert handshake failure.” If you are receiving this message, you will need to modify the all PHP files that contain a refer to SSLVERSION. Do a search for references to SSLVERSION, comment out all locations that look like this:

    CURLOPT_SSLVERSION => 3
         or 
    curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_SSLVERSION, 3);

Your resulting code at those locations would look like this:

   //  CURLOPT_SSLVERSION => 3
         or 
   //  curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_SSLVERSION, 3);

Among other locations you may find in your search, your search should find locations to change in the following files.

• includes/modules/payment/paypal/paypal_curl.php
• includes/modules/payment/linkpoint_api/class.linkpoint_api.php
• includes/modules/payment/authorizenet_echeck.php
• includes/modules/payment/authorizenet_aim.php
• extras/curltester.php

Enjoy your day …

You may find that you want to add a block to the sidebar in Zen-Cart. The content may be text, image, or other feature to extend the content on the cart. The generic concept of adding a block involves 5 steps. This article explains the steps. For simplicity, we will only add a text block.

Step 1; Create Sidebox Template

Add a new file to the server in the following directory: /includes/templates/<template-name>/sideboxes/. Name the file something relating to the contents of the sidebox. We will be adding a support phone number to call in a sidebox, so, we might name the file tpl_support_number.php. The file will include what you want to display in the box and will be assigned to the variable $content variable. Below is an example of the contents of the file.

  <?php
     /* Side Box Template  */
     $content = "For information about products or services, call (888) 555-1212" ;
  ?>

Step 2; Create Sidebox

Now, to create the actual box; add a new file to the server in the following directory: /includes/modules<template-name>/sideboxes. Name the file something relating to the contents of the sidebox. In our sample, we will call it support_number.php. The contents of this file will look like the sample below, but, modify the variables to relate to your template.

  <?php
  /**
   *  Support Number Sidebox - used to display a support message 
   *  in a sidebox.
   *
   */
   $show_message = true ;
   if ($show_message == true) {
       require(
         $template->get_template_dir('tpl_support_number.php', 
            DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,
           'sideboxes') . '/tpl_support_number.php');
       $title = BOX_HEADING_SUPPORT_NUMBER ;
       $title_link = false;
       require($template->get_template_dir($column_box_default, 
           DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common') . '/' . 
           $column_box_default);
   }
  ?>

Step 3; Add Language Variables

Modify the english.php language file in /includes/languages/ to include the definitions for any text variables you have used in either file. In this example we created a new variable called BOX_HEADING_SUPPORT_NUMBER. So, we will add the following to the english.php file.

  // welcome box text in sideboxes/welcome.php
  define('BOX_HEADING_SUPPORT_NUMBER', 'SUPPORT INFO');

Step 4; Enable Sidebox:

Activate the sidebox as follows:

• Login into Zen-Cart administration.
• Hover over Tools.
• Select “Layout Boxes Controller” from the drop down, a list of boxes will appear …  including your new box
• Double-click the name of the new box you have created, in this sample, it will say …  sideboxes//support_number.php. In the upper right of the window you will see fields that you can edit.
• Select to edit the information, an editable form will appear
• Fill in the form, by:
  • Selecting the radio button next to “on” in “Left/Right Column Status”
  • Selecting the radio button to place the box on the “left” or “right” sidebar
  • Typing the correct number is the sort order field to display the box
  • and then clicking the Update button.

The sidebox is now enabled on the site

Step 5; Verify Sidebox:

Now, visit your store in a browser and make certain the sidebox displays.