Integrate Zen into Joomla

[puggy]

It is not that I am looking for immediate satisfaction ( well yes I am ). What I would like to know is if connectage is real and how is it progressing? I have seen sites that open up and promise on thing but then the site just dies with no reason. I would like a bridge between zen and joomla right now but I am willing to wait if this is actually going to happen. I finally got my website to how I want it too look but it is missing one thing, a way for people who use the site to also use the store with out having to create a second account. So far I have successfully bridged my forums, gallery and chat room on my site so they all have one log in. The last piece of the puzzle is Zen Cart.

I have looked at different bridges for both apps to see how they compare and my head started to hurt I don't know if it is possible but there should be a bridge for a common app ( example gallery2) in both and use that app as a bridge.

[greyman56]

Originally Posted by puggy

So far I have successfully bridged my forums, gallery and chat room on my site so they all have one log in. The last piece of the puzzle is Zen Cart.

I have started looking at the Freeway program and it's Joomla integration. It looks like it is implemented in a nicely structured way. This may be easily adaptable to a ZenCart integration.

I spoke to the head of the company that supports Freeway (he is here in Australia not that far from where I am) and it seems that the changes they have made from it's osCommerce roots are mainly in the admin section, product inventory and attributes, product types, and templates. Shipping also got a bit of a makeover due to products having sizes as well as weights among other things.

If the integration looks promising for a Zen Cart version after we have tested it, I will report any findings back here.

Originally Posted by puggy

I don't know if it is possible but there should be a bridge for a common app ( example gallery2) in both and use that app as a bridge.

Not necessarily.

[rued]

Originally Posted by greyman56

Why do you hint that Freeway is less stable?.

That is just what you add to my text ... ;)

But the Zen Cart project is more stable and mature, no doubt about that. Also it seems sometimes that things is made in a rush on Freeway, and maybe released to early - when there should have been some beta testing first. But i's not necessary bad, sometimes we need to wait to long over here (improved attributes control, one page checkout etc.). ;)

I love Freeway for what it is, and need to use it for those who need better attribute control etc.. It's a simple fact today ...

[puggy]

Originally Posted by greyman56

I have started looking at the Freeway program and it's Joomla integration. It looks like it is implemented in a nicely structured way. This may be easily adaptable to a ZenCart integration.

I had nothing but issues with getting freeway running on my site when I tried it a few weeks back. Kept getting a SQL error Invalid token when I tried to log in to the main part of my site. Luckly I was able to get into the Admin part with no issues and remove it. I also had this with some other Mods and Plug-ins.

[DivaVocals]

Originally Posted by puggy

It is not that I am looking for immediate satisfaction ( well yes I am ). What I would like to know is if connectage is real and how is it progressing? I have seen sites that open up and promise on thing but then the site just dies with no reason. I would like a bridge between zen and joomla right now but I am willing to wait if this is actually going to happen. I finally got my website to how I want it too look but it is missing one thing, a way for people who use the site to also use the store with out having to create a second account. So far I have successfully bridged my forums, gallery and chat room on my site so they all have one log in. The last piece of the puzzle is Zen Cart.

I have looked at different bridges for both apps to see how they compare and my head started to hurt I don't know if it is possible but there should be a bridge for a common app ( example gallery2) in both and use that app as a bridge.

I understand what you are saying.. My point was that if you have an immediate need for this bridge that you should not wait for the Connectage project to fulfill that need.. I wouldn't align any project I was working on with the Connectage solution until it is ACTUALLY released. (versus basing this on some "possible" release date) As was eluded to earlier in this thread, this is a side project for Borat and his team.. I have always taken it to be that when they are done, they will tell us, and until then we should be looking for alternate solutions to this problem.. I am willing to wait for whenever that is, and if it doesn't happen, that's okay too.. If I get a project which requires a more immediate need, then I'll invest in a developer resource to build it.. In other words, I am not putting all my eggs in the Connectage basket.. That project is one of many that started down this road only to die a quiet death..

[puggy]

Well I am thinking of reinstalling Virtual Mart for the time being and using this .e-commerce-solution.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=19&category_ id=4&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

[DivaVocals]

Good luck with VirtueMart.. The product import utility has worked funky if at all for a VERY long time.. There are TONS of threads on their "support" forum on the many issues folks have with this utility, and most posts get no response to a defiant response by the project leader that the tool does in fact work.. Now that said.. perhaps the new version of VM has addressed this (and the many other) issue(s).. I personally will NOT be doing another VM cart until the product and/or the support improves to the level it SHOULD be at.. I don't see either happening anytime soon.. I did one VM cart, and it was a NIGHTMARE to setup and get configured right.. and even then I had a year long issue with PayPal that I finally resolved on my own with NO HELP from the project team.. I posted my solution on the forum since I wasn't the only one having the SAME problem.. (most of our posts on the issue went unanswered by the project team)

[gossamerLL]

Kim,
Did everyone give you the answer you needed on why we want a bridge to/from Zen Cart to Joomla? or a Joomla/Zen-Cart component?

I LOVE Zen Cart (yes, templating it is a pain, but that is a small price to pay for its functionality), but Joomla is far more advanced when it comes to Content Management. It has more extensions, more user management, and user content management features. For example, I have set clients up so they can edit their content without ever going in through the Administration panel.

It would be nice to see the Zen Cart developers, not get all huffy about this and understand why the two open source solutions CAN and SHOULD coexist. The Joomla shopping carts are very poor solutions. Not at all at the level of Zen Cart. That is why we all want to use Zen with Joomla! That is high praise to the Zen development team!

Oh, and I looked at OpenCart and Magento and neither is a current threat to Zen Cart.

Zen Cart rocks, but so does Joomla. Wouldn't it be nice if they worked together?

Linda

[Kim]

Hi Linda!

Long time no see.

We have no objection to anyone doing whatever they want to with Zen Cart, but if someone is going to make it a "module" of Joomla, they need to create a new project that is independent of this project. We have no plans to do it ourselves and in more than 5 years have not seen anyone do anything except wish that we would do it.

The one problem with bridges is most other programs do not use the same password encryption and session management we do and if you were to change ZC's it would be less secure.

[gossamerLL]

Hi Kim,
Yes it's been awhile. Been working on my zen-cart clients and my own site. ;-)

Yes, I totally agree this would be a separate project.
I just wanted to know if you saw why we all want this? Zen is great, but it is hard to add external features. The extension system in Joomla makes it so easy to add/remove some of these things without messing up the core.

With Zen we have overrides, but this seems somewhat messy sometimes when trying to implement new features or when it comes time to upgrade the cart.

Joomla is sadly lacking a good e-commerce solution like zen. The two closest, don't even come close.

Best to you and the other zen developers! Keep up the good work.
Linda