RNS Brand Router by Falls Tech self-updates

A WordPress plugin that creates dynamic brand displays for WooCommerce stores with both grid and slider layouts, featuring automatic GitHub updates.

[!WARNING] This plugin requires code modification prior to use due to the hard-coded permalink structure found within.

Description

RNS Brand Router is a powerful WordPress plugin designed for WooCommerce stores that need to display product brands in an organized and visually appealing way. The plugin provides two main display modes: a responsive grid layout and an animated slider carousel, both of which can be filtered by product categories via URL parameters. The plugin includes a sophisticated update system that automatically checks for updates from GitHub and integrates seamlessly with WordPress's native update system.

Features

Core Features

🎯 Dual Display Modes

• Grid Layout: Responsive brand grid with product counts
• Slider Carousel: Animated horizontal slider showcasing top brands

🔄 Dynamic Filtering

• Filter brands by product category using URL parameters (?brand_cat=category-slug)
• Automatic fallback to all brands when no category is specified

📱 Responsive Design

• Grid: 2 columns (mobile) → 4 columns (tablet) → 6 columns (desktop)
• Slider: Continuous horizontal flow with consistent 200px tiles and 20px spacing

⚡ Performance Optimized

• Only displays brands that have associated products
• Efficient database queries using product IDs
• Image validation to ensure visual consistency

🎨 Customizable Styling

• Clean, modern design with rounded corners
• Hover effects and smooth animations
• Customizable via CSS

🔄 Automatic Updates

• GitHub Integration: Automatic update checking from the official repository every 12 hours
• WordPress Native: Updates appear in the WordPress admin just like other plugins
• Manual Check: Option to manually check for updates on the plugins page
• Seamless Installation: Updates download and install through WordPress's built-in system
• Version Management: Proper version comparison and changelog display
• Auto-Update Support: Optional automatic updates with email notifications
• AJAX-Powered: Real-time update checking without page reloads

Installation

1. Download the plugin files to your WordPress plugins directory:

   /wp-content/plugins/rns-brand-router/

2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress

3. Ensure you have WooCommerce installed and active

4. Make sure your products have brand taxonomy (product_brand) assigned

5. (Optional) Configure auto-update settings in Settings > RNS Brand Router after activation

Usage

Grid Display

Use the grid shortcode to display brands in a responsive grid layout:

[rns_brand_router]

Slider Display

Use the slider shortcode to display top brands in an animated carousel:

[rns_brand_slider]

URL Filtering

Both shortcodes support category filtering via URL parameters:

https://yoursite.com/brands/?brand_cat=electronics

This will show only brands that have products in the "electronics" category.

Configuration

Brand Requirements

• Products must be assigned to the product_brand taxonomy
• Brands should have thumbnail images for optimal display
• Only published products are counted

Slider Specifications

• Displays top 40 brands by product count
• 30-second animation cycle
• Only includes brands with thumbnail images
• Randomized order for variety

Grid Specifications

• Shows all brands with products (filtered by category if specified)
• Displays product counts for each brand
• Alphabetically sorted by brand name

Customization

CSS Classes

The plugin provides several CSS classes for customization:

Grid Layout:

• .rns-brand-grid - Main grid container
• .rns-brand-box - Individual brand boxes
• .rns-brand-link-block - Clickable brand links
• .rns-brand-logo-wrapper - Logo container
• .rns-brand-title - Brand name text
• .rns-brand-count - Product count display

Slider Layout:

• .rns-brand-slider-container - Main slider container
• .rns-brand-slider - Animated slider track
• .rns-brand-slide - Individual slide items
• .rns-brand-slide-link - Clickable slide links
• .rns-brand-slide-logo-wrapper - Slide logo container

Custom Styling

You can override the default styles by adding CSS to your theme:

/* Example: Customize slider tile size */
.rns-brand-slide-link {
    width: 250px; /* Default: 200px */
}

/* Example: Change grid hover effects */
.rns-brand-box:hover {
    transform: translateY(-5px);
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
}

URL Routing

The plugin generates custom brand URLs following this pattern:

With Category Filter:

/shop/brand-{brand-slug}/prodcat-{category-slug}/

Without Category Filter:

{brand-archive-url}

Requirements

• WordPress 5.0+
• WooCommerce 3.0+
• PHP 7.4+
• Product Brand taxonomy (typically provided by WooCommerce extensions)

File Structure

rns-brand-router/
├── rns-brand-router.php         # Main plugin file
├── style.css                   # Plugin styles
├── script.js                   # JavaScript functionality (admin & frontend)
├── includes/
│   └── class-rns-updater.php   # GitHub update system
└── README.md                   # Documentation

Changelog

Version 1.3.0 (Current)

• Enhanced update system with AJAX support
• Added auto-update configuration options
• Improved admin interface for update management
• Added email notifications for automatic updates
• Enhanced error handling and user feedback
• Implemented fallback handlers for AJAX requests
• Added settings page for update preferences

Version 1.2.0

• Implemented comprehensive GitHub update system
• Added WordPress native update integration
• Enhanced version checking and caching
• Improved plugin activation/deactivation hooks

Version 1.1.0

• Added slider shortcode functionality
• Implemented image validation for brands
• Enhanced responsive design
• Added continuous horizontal flow slider
• Improved performance with optimized queries

Version 1.0.2

• Initial grid layout implementation
• URL parameter filtering
• Basic responsive design
• Product count display

Update System

RNS Brand Router includes an advanced update management system that integrates seamlessly with WordPress:

Automatic Update Checking

• The plugin automatically checks the GitHub repository for new releases every 12 hours
• Update notifications appear in the WordPress admin alongside other plugin updates
• No manual intervention required for regular update checking
• Auto-update can be enabled for hands-free maintenance (disabled by default for safety)

Manual Update Checking

• Click "Check for Updates" on the plugins page for immediate update verification
• AJAX-powered real-time checking without page reloads
• Useful for testing or when you need to check updates outside the automatic schedule

Update Configuration

• Settings Page: Configure auto-update preferences in Settings > RNS Brand Router
• Auto-Updates: Enable/disable automatic updates (disabled by default)
• Email Notifications: Receive email alerts for successful updates (enabled by default)
• Manual Override: Always available regardless of auto-update settings

Update Process

1. Detection: Plugin compares current version with latest GitHub release
2. Notification: Update appears in WordPress admin if newer version available
3. Installation: Click "update now" to download and install via WordPress
4. Completion: Plugin automatically refreshes its update cache after installation

Technical Details

• Uses GitHub Releases API for version information
• Supports both tagged releases and asset downloads
• Includes changelog parsing from release notes
• Maintains compatibility with WordPress update standards
• Caches update information to minimize API requests
• AJAX handlers for real-time update checking
• Automatic cleanup of transients and cached data
• Email notifications for automatic update events

Requirements for Updates

• WordPress site must have internet connectivity
• GitHub repository must be publicly accessible
• Plugin must have proper write permissions for automatic updates

Support

For support, feature requests, or bug reports, please visit:

• Documentation: https://docs.reiffenberger.net
• Repository: https://github.com/ReclaimerGold/rns-brand-router
• Company: Falls Tech

Author

Ryan T. M. Reiffenberger - Falls Tech

• Website: https://www.fallstech.group
• Documentation: https://docs.reiffenberger.net
• GitHub: @ReclaimerGold

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

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Built with ❤️ for WooCommerce store owners who want beautiful brand displays.