Easy to grasp central list of addon's anywhere?

[MattyUSA]

Hi

Is there an easy to grasp list of addon's for Zen Cart anywhere? Preferably in the form of:

Name:
Description:
URL:
Zen version supported:

For example:
Name: SEFU
Description: Search Engine Friendly URL's
URL: http://www.breakmyzencart.com
Zen version supported: <=v1.2.6d

Checking this forum I couldn't find a maintained sticky post with this info.

Matt

[kobra]

Never have seen a list but they are all in the download section sans the ones that are popular but have not been contributed.

[Phid]

I think at this point you have to go through them one by one and read the descriptions on the downloads page. You'll find that some of the addons become rather important to your site, some are nice enhancements, some simply don't work, and so forth. There have been a few threads discussing the "top" mods in the past....I think perhaps in the Zen Pub.

[MattyUSA]

I think at this point you have to go through them one by one and read the descriptions on the downloads page. You'll find that some of the addons become rather important to your site, some are nice enhancements, some simply don't work, and so forth. There have been a few threads discussing the "top" mods in the past....I think perhaps in the Zen Pub.

Opps I have to confess I'm a tad embarrassed since I missed them. I had assumed the download link from the forum would take me to the zen-cart download page to download zen-cart. Ahh well.


From my forum readings SEFU is hailed as good and well thought of. I couldn't see it in the downloads section. Anyone know why it might not be there? Perhaps I didn't guess the correct category for it.

If anyone knows of a post comparing SEFU and Ultimate SEO URL's I'd be interested.

Thanks.


Matt

[Phid]

While the downloads area has many add ons listed, there are also some that for one reason or another aren't posted there, and so you'll likely find links to them in individual threads. There are two SEFU add ons available, and here is one listed in the downloads section:

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...ort=20a&page=3

Find the "Ultimate SEO URLs" download.

[MattyUSA]

Thanks Phid

I found the Ultimate SEO URL's add on.

I hesitated using that since I also want to use Image Handler 2.0. Trouble is they both want to replace the same file "html_output.php"

At that point I balked and backed out of it figuring that was the reason behind the posts complaining that one broke the other on some threads. From my limited reading there are only two search engine URL's add ons:

SEFU from breakmyzencart.com

Ultimate SEO URL's from dream-scape.com and the downloads section.


My forum reading suggests that SEFU is perhaps cleaner easier and since developed by the Image Handler 2.0 author may be compatible with that.

The problem I have with both is that the Search Engine Friendly URL's functionality I consider critical functionality I'd rely on. Both addons are pretty much going undeveloped. SEFU's Tim is in university and understandably has to concentrate on that and hasn't got a 1.3.6 version available.

Ultimate SEO URL's authors website is serving a blank page and there doesn't look like any recent development done by him. It suggests to me there may not be any more development on it.

As a newcomer, both situations make me nervous relying on them.

One suggestion would be for the Zen team to pick an SEO extension and negotiate with the author to see if it can be included in the standard Zen distribution. At least then there would be development focus from the Zen team for new versions. It is a pretty important part of a new store, not to start off with an inherent url disadvantage in search engines.

I'd be tempted to suggest the same for Image Handler 2.0, and UK zones addon's and some form of XLS data import/export addon, as well, if all were willing of course. I know I'd be tickled pink if an addon I wrote was included as standard. Zen could quickly expand it's core functionality and features if it felt some of the better addons coding was supportable and could be integrated.

Thanks for the responses.

Matt

[kobra]

One suggestion would be for the Zen team to pick an SEO extension and negotiate with the author to see if it can be included in the standard Zen distribution. At least then there would be development focus from the Zen team for new versions. It is a pretty important part of a new store, not to start off with an inherent url disadvantage in search engines.

I'd be tempted to suggest the same for Image Handler 2.0, and UK zones addon's and some form of XLS data import/export addon, as well, if all were willing of course. I know I'd be tickled pink if an addon I wrote was included as standard. Zen could quickly expand it's core functionality and features if it felt some of the better addons coding was supportable and could be integrated.

Another suggestion is that you create or pick-up the maintenance of one or more of these contributions. Inclusion into the core is not impossible but even many of DrByte's remain as contributions. As you are trying to remove things that you will not use, I would suppose that you can see the basis that all the contributions are not included as many users either would not initially understand them or might not want them and be asking how to remove them.

There is a mod "ezpopulate" that can perform some of the import functions, you might have a look.

[swguy]

One suggestion would be for the Zen team to pick an SEO extension and negotiate with the author to see if it can be included in the standard Zen distribution. At least then there would be development focus from the Zen team for new versions. It is a pretty important part of a new store, not to start off with an inherent url disadvantage in search engines.

I strongly believe that this is simply no longer true. Certainly it was true at one time in the past, but this seems to be less and less of a problem, as SEs grow more sophisticated. I can find lots of instances of Google indexing my dynamic links that I set up using the fabulous Google Sitemap contribution by Andrew Berezin.

Zen could quickly expand it's core functionality and features if it felt some of the better addons coding was supportable and could be integrated.

This does happen from time to time - ez pages, 404 not found handling were both contributions at one time. But as Kobra suggested, if you love a mod that you feel is not getting care and feeding, go for it and pick it up yourself. Many posters on this forum have done that, and Dr. Byte (bless his heart) does that even though he has his own responsibilities to the product's core.

Scott

[MattyUSA]

Hi Chaps

I had begun to think about what was involved in an Search Engine URL's mod. I will doubtless investigate further when I donate some time to it.

I have already submitted my first contribution in the remove scripts and am just waiting for it to be approved or not.

I strongly believe that this is simply no longer true. Certainly it was true at one time in the past, but this seems to be less and less of a problem, as SEs grow more sophisticated. I can find lots of instances of Google indexing my dynamic links that I set up using the fabulous Google Sitemap contribution by Andrew Berezin.

We'll have to disagree slightly. I agree it is not that the Search Engines (SE's) can't index dynamic pages, they can. Simply that seem to choose not too without additional factors at play (such as links in, or sitemap).

I believe they inherently mark them at a disadvantage against same/similar content without dynamic url's. Googles own advice suggests not using variable ID= in dynamic urls strings.

A similar debate can be had over PDF and WORD documents. I see lots of content from PDF files and Word documents in SE's. Does that mean I don't have to worry with a nice static appearing site anymore. Simply an index page and lots of PDF documents would carry the same importance to SE's right? The fact it'd be awful to use to real people is something to ignore for the sake of argument.

Finally not ALL SE's like/can handle dynamic url's. Whilst the major players do, many smaller ones don't dedicate the resources to them.

Books have been written for both sides of this debate and I don't want to start another one off in this thread. The fact that is for me and many others it is perceived as a critical requirement. The fact it isn't a Zen Cart feature is a strike against Zen Cart when comparing against other carts. I like Zen cart and will try to figure out a way to give it this feature but until then I won't use it. The 3 people I suggested it too so far have all rejected it on the dynamic pages basis. One is paying for a prostores store now.

[qoute]As you are trying to remove things that you will not use, I would suppose that you can see the basis that all the contributions are not included as many users either would not initially understand them or might not want them and be asking how to remove them.[/quote]

I can see that. That is a fair point.
One distinction to make is that, I was tried to remove files and folders installed when they shouldn't have been since they were unrelated to functionality but to the example store and specific to the example store and its example products.

I wouldn't remove a mod,feature or functionality if I can turn it off or otherwise disable it from admin. I suspect the majority of others are the same. They won't mess with a working solution if it can be configured to work the way they need. I don't remove the radio from the car simply because I don't like music when driving. I only remove the radio from the car when I can't shut it off and don't like music when driving.

Perhaps the better questions are:
What is considered for inclusion in Zen Cart?
What factors influence this?

Demand from users, perhaps? Well consider this at least one vote for feature expansion of Zen cart to include search engine friendly urls to accommodate the popular (and hopefully accurate) believe it aids search engine placement and weighting.

Any others feel the same need then please post your desire somewhere.

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53778
Was the wish list suggestion, Phid's single and honest response then Kim's closure.

I do appreciate the responses and points of view presented. Still this thread is jumping topic a tad. Where would be the best place to start it over on this Search Engine Topic, perhaps with a poll?

Matt

[Merlinpa1969]

thats been done before,
and unfortunatly there are strong opinions for both sides,
and as such usually winds up getting nasty,