installation issues

Thanks for your time.

My code in the template.php page looks like this:

function _phptemplate_variables($hook, $vars = array()) {
    switch ($hook) {
  // Send a new variable, $logged_in, to page.tpl.php to tell us if the current user is logged in or out.
    case 'page':
      // get the currently logged in user
      global $user;
      // An anonymous user has a user id of zero.      
      if ($user->uid > 0) {
        // The user is logged in.
        $vars['logged_in'] = TRUE;
      }
      else {
        // The user has logged out.
        $vars['logged_in'] = FALSE;
      }

      $body_classes = array();
      // classes for body element
      // allows advanced theming based on context (home page, node of certain type, etc.)
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['is_front']) ? 'front' : 'not-front';
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['logged_in']) ? 'logged-in' : 'not-logged-in';
      if ($vars['node']->type) {
        $body_classes[] = 'ntype-'. zen_id_safe($vars['node']->type);
      }
      switch (TRUE) {
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] && $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'both-sidebars';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-left';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-right';
      		break;
      }
      // implode with spaces
      $vars['body_classes'] = implode(' ', $body_classes);
           // set the primary links
      $vars['primary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(1);
      // you may want to also override secondary_links
      $vars['secondary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(2);
      break;

It does not cause errors, but on the other hand menutrails is still a no go.
Right now when the menutrails module is turned off, an error is generated and I get this error message:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function menutrails_primary_links()

I recall reading about this in another post, it is necessary to see if the module is turned on or not and then set $vars['primary_links'] and $vars['secondary_links'] accordingly.

So, did I put it in the right place?

As I say, I am not a php coder but I am comfortable mucking around here. I have been playing with this for a few days and still have had no luck. That having been said, this is a super useful module and should be integrated into the Drupal 6.

thanks again

I am not sure what is going on any more. I put in the code (with the if) and tried it. It kills the page. Then I went back and tried it without the the 'if'. Now I am back to square 1 where the original code that I posted causes an error. All this time, the module is turned on.
I am very perplexed.

This is the code:

function _phptemplate_variables($hook, $vars = array()) {
    switch ($hook) {
  // Send a new variable, $logged_in, to page.tpl.php to tell us if the current user is logged in or out.
    case 'page':
      // get the currently logged in user
      global $user;
      // An anonymous user has a user id of zero.      
      if ($user->uid > 0) {
        // The user is logged in.
        $vars['logged_in'] = TRUE;
      }
      else {
        // The user has logged out.
        $vars['logged_in'] = FALSE;
      }

      $body_classes = array();
      // classes for body element
      // allows advanced theming based on context (home page, node of certain type, etc.)
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['is_front']) ? 'front' : 'not-front';
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['logged_in']) ? 'logged-in' : 'not-logged-in';
      if ($vars['node']->type) {
        $body_classes[] = 'ntype-'. zen_id_safe($vars['node']->type);
      }
      switch (TRUE) {
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] && $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'both-sidebars';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-left';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-right';
      		break;
      }
      // implode with spaces
      $vars['body_classes'] = implode(' ', $body_classes);
      if (module_exists('menutrails')) {
  // set the primary links
  $vars['primary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(1);
  // you may want to also override secondary_links
  $vars['secondary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(2);
}
	
break;

This is the error message:
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/.pashakin/morgie/blog./themes/zen/template.php on line 149

Is there some sort of cache issue happening or has some variable been set in the database that is causing the problem?

As I said before, when I first installed the module it seemed to work fine without having placed the snippet in the code. I did go to the menutrails admin panel and set it up so that it worked with content types. Now it does not work whatever I do and the snippet seems to cause errors. I hope that my description of the problem is adequate.

I upgraded my drupal installation to 5.2 in hopes that this would magically make it work. It did not.
Right now this code:

function _phptemplate_variables($hook, $vars = array()) {
  switch ($hook) {
    // Send a new variable, $logged_in, to page.tpl.php to tell us if the current user is logged in or out.
    case 'page':
      // get the currently logged in user
      global $user;
      
      // An anonymous user has a user id of zero.      
      if ($user->uid > 0) {
        // The user is logged in.
        $vars['logged_in'] = TRUE;
      }
      else {
        // The user has logged out.
        $vars['logged_in'] = FALSE;
      }
      
      $body_classes = array();
      // classes for body element
      // allows advanced theming based on context (home page, node of certain type, etc.)
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['is_front']) ? 'front' : 'not-front';
      $body_classes[] = ($vars['logged_in']) ? 'logged-in' : 'not-logged-in';
      if ($vars['node']->type) {
        $body_classes[] = 'ntype-'. zen_id_safe($vars['node']->type);
      }
      switch (TRUE) {
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] && $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'both-sidebars';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_left'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-left';
      		break;
      	case $vars['sidebar_right'] :
      		$body_classes[] = 'sidebar-right';
      		break;
      }
      // implode with spaces
      $vars['body_classes'] = implode(' ', $body_classes);
       // set the primary links
      $vars['primary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(1);
      // you may want to also override secondary_links
      $vars['secondary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(2);
      
      break;

causes no errors. When I turn off the module though, it crashes and I need to get rid of:

       // set the primary links
      $vars['primary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(1);
      // you may want to also override secondary_links
      $vars['secondary_links'] = menutrails_primary_links(2);

to make it work again.
Menutrails is still not happening.

I first tried to implementing this using the zen theme where I had modified the page.tpl.php file. Then I went back to the original file, no luck here either. I tried using the chameleon/marvin theme, where I could not figure out how to add the snippet (as there is no template.css file). It does not work without the snippet.

I am getting discouraged. You say that it is working for you? I would like to the contents or your zen template.php file in my installation. Could you please post it?

meant to say (as there is no template.php file)