Adding custom order field to emails

-- HikaShop version -- : 2.3.3
-- Joomla version -- : 2.5.27

Hi
All new to this and learning as I go.
I have created a custom text field called "activation_code" to the orders table which I want to use to enter and send a code to the customer after I have received payment in the confirmed/shipping email to the customer. I have read various topics in the board but still rather confused which system>> email to modify as I tried adding the following

<p style="border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;padding-bottom:10px;">
{VAR:ACTIVATION_CODE}
</p>
and before the line
<!--{ENDIF:ORDER_SUMMARY}-->
into the status notification email just after the section on "additional text" but the information did not show in the email.

Would someone please give me some simple instructions to how to achieve this. Thanks

I mean that I went to Display menu in Hikashop and then choose custom field from the drop down menu and then created a new custom field called activation_code of type text in the orders table.

what is the difference between LINEVAR and VAR?

so in the email preload box for the status notification email I type in {VAR:order.activiation_code} and the activation code will now appear in the email message?

Hi,

You have to use this tag in the html part of the email, not in the preload one.

The difference between var and linevar is that var display one value, there is only one value for the activation code in the order, but for the product or item custom fields, as there is possibly many products in the order we use linevar to display the value for each products.

So what do I put in the pre-load part?

I added {VAR:order.activiation_code} into the html part and nothing is showing in the email when i press the email button after going into the order and adding the activation code number

Yes.
Finally, worked it out by putting it just in front of {TXT:ORDER_END_MESSAGE} in the html. I guess it did not show before as it was inside one of the conditional IF clauses.

Now I have worked that one out, the next question is there a way using Hikashop Business to have this linked to a specific product or category of products, e.g. software products or ticket for an event?

currently the activation code field appears in every order for every product. How do I get the activation code field (or any custom field) just to be shown for one specific product or even one category of products?

That will do.
so at the end of the preload all I need to add is:

$vars['ACTIVATION_CODE'] = !empty($data->cart->activation_code);

I'm trying to add a custom field too. What am I doing wrong?

<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cost Center Number:</span> {VAR:USER.COSTCENTERNUMBER}

I want it sent to the admin so they can see the number.

I only put it in capitals because everything else was in capitals. The actually field uses lowercase.

While your solutions worked perfectly, it turns out this is not what I need, which is my fault.

I used the Purchase Order plugin to create a payment where customer's add their number to it. I changed the name of it to "Cost Center No" and all. How do I get THAT number on the admin email?