importing data base error and general question about zen

Hello. I'm finally getting around to upgrading from 1.57c to 1.58a and created test site and importing current data base into a test database, have done this before through the years without issue but this year an issue. Says SQL error "#1050 - Table 'address_book' already exists"
Lots of problems this time around, not the usual clear sailing. the PHP was upped on the site by the hosting company and had to move it back down for zc install to recreate the 1.57c test site so that i can upgrade to a test version...but have to move it back up for processing, then move it back down to use the zc_install. I think all these issues is that the hosting company is regulating everything to go to php 8 but the cart is not working optimally on 8 but 7.4.

Also, can someone better explain to me, or send me a link on how zen cart works.. as a company. I mean, are there volunteers? How do these people get paid, etc. Who are these people updating code on here, running tests, answering questions? Volunteers or paid? is it just goodwill?Been using this for years and years...figure i might as well ask.

Thanks
Attachment 20506

See the Zen Cart docs regarding upgrading: https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/upgrading/. It looks like you were trying to do a database-only upgrade, but via phpMyAdmin.

Performing the upgrade in that manner is discouraged, for the issues you've identified.

We're all unpaid volunteers on the forum, keeping the code updated via its GitHub repository: https://github.com/zencart/zencart.

> How do these people get paid, etc. Who are these people updating code on here, running tests, answering questions?

The people who do most of the coding are also running businesses supporting and doing custom coding for Zen Cart installations.

In addition to the notes above about the many unpaid volunteers who generously offer support and help write code, there are still very real costs associated with getting Zen Cart into your hands for free.
When you donate to Zen Cart (see https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/about_us/donate/ or sponsor via Github), you help cover the costs of hosting services and developer resources that allow us to keep offering the Zen Cart application for free. There are several servers that we have to run in order to host this forum, manage submission and download of plugins, do quality-control, send email notifications, etc, and several 3rd party services we engage to provide layers of protection to deter hackers and spammers, and so on.
Every donation you make to Zen Cart, whether as a monthly contribution, or a single one-time donation, helps us keep the code free.

It's why i asked. I don't take things free without doing something. I don't know if it's appropriate to ask this question for not, so i'll ask it and you're free to ignore it. I'm aware the prices fluctuate year to year and surprises always come up but generally speaking, what does it cost to keep this project going for a year? All expenses included. Say for 2023?

I created a subfolder, installed the Zen i currently use on our live site, 1.57C. then through php admin i imported a copy of the live database into the test data base. that's where it failed. I'm basically recreated the current site in a test folder to attempt the upgrade to 1.58 so i can get the PHP issue out of my hair!

> through php admin i imported a copy of the live database into the test data base.

You can import a copy of your current live database, but the db you import into must be empty - no tables, nothing.
It looked like you were trying to import an existing database into a database that already had tables.

Here are some notes that may help. These are the steps I take.

1. I create the database in PHPMyAdmin.
2. Use zc_install to create the tables.
3. Import the unzipped old database file using the command line or if you use Laragon on Windows instead of Xamp try HeidiSQL. ( I gave up importing with PHPMyadmin a long time ago as it is slow and problematic.) See below for the export settings required.
4. Run zc_install again to upgrade the database structure.

I export the databases using PHPMyadmin with the following settings:
Custom:
select all tables
save output to a file
filename template @DATABASE@_%Y-%m-%d_%T
file character set utf-8
compression gzipped
display comments
enclose export in a transaction
add drop table
auto increment value
add create procedure
add create trigger
enclose table and column names with backquotes
syntax to use = both
dump binary columns in hexadecimal
dump timestamp columns in UTC

These settings allow me to overwrite the tables on import each time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by muah

It's why i asked. I don't take things free without doing something. I don't know if it's appropriate to ask this question for not, so i'll ask it and you're free to ignore it. I'm aware the prices fluctuate year to year and surprises always come up but generally speaking, what does it cost to keep this project going for a year? All expenses included. Say for 2023?

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That being said, the site is not as helpful as it was years ago...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by muah

That being said, the site is not as helpful as it was years ago...

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I'm going to ask if you can be a bit more specific here as you just got answers from three of the top contributors and directions to the docs which are MILES ahead of just a couple of years ago much less the original docs/wiki.

What specifically is it that would better help you?