Accessing categories and brands from CMS

[fatroy05]

Hello,

 

I am totally new to prestashop so forgive me if my question is trivial...

 

After installing prestashop and getting a general understanding of the back office we bought a template/theme.

The configuration is clear enough but i can't find a way to refer to actual data within it beside the use of a product filter, that can be ok just for specific things.

 

Should i manually modify some files(basically writing code from scratch) to get access to this data from the database?

Since the template gives me the chance to write down some html code is there a way to get some data dinamically into it?

I read a little about smarty variables and from an early understanding it could be what i need but it's not clear enought to me how the whole mechanism works(like where to put php code to fill the smart variables to be able to access form within the cms).

 

Also, is it normal for a template to not give already a simple way to access important data?(like categories or brands).

 

Am i missing something important that makes the whole thing easier?

 

 

I have some basic understanding of php and database/sql but no experience with prestashop. Prestashop version 1.7.2.2.

 

Thanks in advance for the reply.

Edited October 4, 2017 by fatroy05 (see edit history)

[fatroy05]

Propably i did not explain myself.

After installation the theme shows various contents each one attached to its hook.

 

Wneh i go to configure slider for brands(for instance) it is by default filled with some static images and links.

It does not read my brand list from the database. What the configuration does show me is just a textbox able to be filled with html code. A WYSIWYG editor. Literally the config option is by default filled with an unordered list with static images and links.

I want to know if it is possible to fetch the brand names and images to fill the slider html content code dinamically.

 

Something like {foreach $brand in $brands}

<li>

<a href={brand->link}>

<img src={brand->imgsource}/></a>

</li>

{/foreach}

 

(do not pay attention to the actual pseudo-code i wrote, its just to give an idea).

 

is it possible in any form?

Edited October 4, 2017 by fatroy05 (see edit history)

[fatroy05]

The theme don't have documentation?

Ask for the documentation/ User Guide from the author.

Documentation is totally lacking in that aspect, to the point i even think that what i want is not supported by the theme...

Is that possible? the theme had quite a high cost... 

 

I just thought(being new to prestashop) that maybe my lack of knowledge was the problem and getting these data is meant to be on charge of the theme user and not necessarily provided in some ways by the theme developer.

 

I already contacted the devs for some clarifications, hopefully will get an answer. Thanks for the reply.

Edited October 4, 2017 by fatroy05 (see edit history)