Easy Populate 1.2.5.4 support

[wizer]

Interesting SB. I tried Apsona relatively recently and was underwhelmed. Perhaps I'll try it again.

After recently adding 3000 products to my store, I know what a task this is. I'd love to know the processes you took and the formulae. Any chance of an explanation?

[schoolboy]

Interesting SB. I tried Apsona relatively recently and was underwhelmed. Perhaps I'll try it again.

After recently adding 3000 products to my store, I know what a task this is. I'd love to know the processes you took and the formulae. Any chance of an explanation?

Well... each person's needs are unique, largely because the data one works with tends to be uniquely compiled in a spreadsheet.

So I cannot give a "one-size-fits-all" tutorial on this.

The key to our solving the issue was to FIRST understand how APSONA handles data imports... and then to work BACKWARDS, getting OUR spreadsheets to comply with Apsona's format.

We watched all Apsona's video tutorials, and quite quickly determined how their system operates.

Then it was a case of getting our data into the same formats.

This does require a fairly good knowledge of Excel formulae, and how to create "pivot" tables to show the data's internal relationships.

Our supplier's spreadsheet listed EVERY product, replicated for each possible option value;

eg:

51400 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 2000mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51401 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1800mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51402 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1600mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51403 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1400mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51404 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 2000mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51405 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1800mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51406 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1600mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51407 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1400mmX1000mmX900mm - - Bevelled Edge
51408 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 2000mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51409 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1800mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51410 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1600mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51411 - - Diningroom Table - - Beech - - 1400mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51412 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 2000mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51413 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1800mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51414 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1600mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge
51415 - - Diningroom Table - - Oak - - 1400mmX1000mmX900mm - - Round Edge


(and it went on for a total of about 100,000 lines, across 20 datasheets)

So, using PIVOTS, we could establish just how many attributes needed to be set up (Pivoting will achieve this).

Then, we created a set of DUPLICATE sheets. One set was used to build the product info. The other was used to build the attribute info.

Ironically, while there is no mechanism in ZC to list attributes by product CODE, the fact that the supplier had given each product variation a code actually helped us - as it ensured that after we SPLIT the work (attribute sheets / product sheets), we still had a unique identifier in both sheets.

Later, we will have to lose the suppliers codes - but they were very helpful to start with.

[wizer]

Very good work. Thanks for explaining. Will definitely have a look (after I fix this bloody paypal issue)

[Phaylon]

I am having a strange issue...

First of all, easy populate works. It gets products up to the cart and downloads them fine as well. The problem comes when trying to Search my products in the admin section. I get no results of the products uploaded by easy pop. There are other products in the store and queries all seem to work with them. It just seems easy populated products are invisible to it.

Known issue? I have searched the forums and this thread as well with no luck.

Thanks!

[srose6]

using zencart 1.3.9d

ok i got easy populate to install, and am able to generate the files. but when trying to populate the file i get a 500 Internal Server Error.

any ideas?

-Stephen

[chadderuski]

Hiya Schoolboy!

I think my EP 4 would have done what you needed. The basic attribute import lets you associate an attribute by product code one per line. So as long has you know your product codes, you can build the attributes at import, and even apply multiple attribute (like size and color) at import.

Perhaps the only caveat is that you'd need to name your attribute options, i.e. "Color" ...

-cj

[chadderuski]

I am having a strange issue...

First of all, easy populate works. It gets products up to the cart and downloads them fine as well. The problem comes when trying to Search my products in the admin section. I get no results of the products uploaded by easy pop. There are other products in the store and queries all seem to work with them. It just seems easy populated products are invisible to it.

Known issue? I have searched the forums and this thread as well with no luck.

Thanks!

Under Tools -> Store Manager
Try running Reset ALL Products Master Categories ID and Update ALL Products Price Sorter.

[Phaylon]

Under Tools -> Store Manager
Try running Reset ALL Products Master Categories ID and Update ALL Products Price Sorter.

And that solved the problem! Thanks for your help chadderuski!

[SPH]

Hiya Schoolboy!

I think my EP 4 would have done what you needed. The basic attribute import lets you associate an attribute by product code one per line. So as long has you know your product codes, you can build the attributes at import, and even apply multiple attribute (like size and color) at import.

Perhaps the only caveat is that you'd need to name your attribute options, i.e. "Color" ...

-cj

Hi,

I just tested your EP4. It looks very good but for one glitch which I'm having with another EP.

We now need to use the meta tag function. The full upload with metatags goes good. However, when we upload our color/attribute sheet it wipes out the metatags, leaving a blank metatitle in View Source.

Same problem with the EP with group pricing and metatags we also recently tested.

Any idea why an attribute upload would wipeout the custom meta uploads?

Only solution so far that might work: use your EP4 for full/meta uploads. Then use our old and extremely reliable EP from OSC for the colors/attributes...which looks like it may work, but unweildly. My initial test with attributes/colors did not wipeout the metas. The fact that your EP4 is independent from other installed EP's may allow two EP's to function, using different sheets.

Thanks.

sph
Test Sites
www.prom-mart.com
www.wedding-mart.com

[SPH]

Also re-visiting Apsona after testing a year ago. Maybe it's an/the answer, but for some reason I still don't understand its import/export enough to get it to function properly.

sph