ezpoulate help needed

[fishingmaniac]

Seems to be working (whodathunk?) as I can see all my product now. WoW! WayCool.

Thanks!

Now for some serious data entry! Time to try to make changes, export and upload it back (after some more reading of your wiki)

[fishingmaniac]

Well,

I got it working and it's a great time saver, if I could only get the distributors to give me the information I need in the format I need it in...but that's my headache.

1) What I never seem to find from the manufacturer is the product weight, and when I do, there's no place to put it in ezpopulate(is there?), and, without it the ups shipping module won't work(right?).

2) Where do I find my new data file to export and how do I export it to make price and description updates, and I wonder if the weights I found and entered manually created a field?

3) Do I understand correctly that there is a more advanced paid for version of e-zpopulate available? Is it worth it? How much?

Thanks

[schoolboy]

easy Populate DOES handle weight...

v_products_weight

To export your current data, go to the Easy Populate screen in your admin, and using the appropriate LINKS on that screen - either export a DOWNLOAD (which comes straight to your computer), or export the file to the TEMP folder (where you log in via FTP and then FTP it to your hard drive, after which you import it into a spreadsheet).

If you have a LOT of products, then send the file to the TEMP folder, and FTP it back to your hard drive. This helps ensure that the file will not be corrupted during the transfer.

(This exported file SHOULD have the v_products_weight column.)

[fishingmaniac]

Yes, all is good! Thank you.

For the record, is there a better, or newer/paid for version?

[schoolboy]

A "Commercial Module" was available a few years ago, but the author of the module has not been heard of for some time now.

1.2.5.4 is the most reliable version (I have found) and right now, a few forum members are working hard on improving it.

[fishingmaniac]

Thanks. I forgot about the links in the bottom of the bottom of the tools->ezpopulate screen. A check box there would make it more obvious for me. Also, FWIW, on that same page, including a brief explanation of the field names and formats and other tips as in your wiki would be very helpful to refer to...

I'm guessing you know who to forward this request to. It works great, but it could use a little minor tweaking/smoothing out/automating in the upload/download conversion processes.
I couldn't find an import button in my 2007 excel like it used to be in the old one, but the new toolbar there has a picture on the left of the data tab that says "from text" [get external data from text] that did it.

[fishingmaniac]

Automation for instance:
In filezilla when I right click edit a file it opens up in some program, and afte I edit, save and close it, filezilla asks me if I want to upload the changed file to the server.
If I could only figure out how to make that work using the file from the temp directory created on the server for ezpopulate...

[schoolboy]

Automation... Ah yes... the panacea to all challenges!

There is a simple rule about automation...

"The simplicity of a procedure is inversely proportional to the sophistication of the software driving it".

Google is a good example... Their main site is a single input field and a "submit" button...

... but look at what it achieves!

[fishingmaniac]

Hey!
Happy New Year!
I have just received a very large products spread sheet. 40,000 products, with more to come. I read to break up the upload file at 300 or ftp it with upto 8000 product. But is anyone out there using zencart to manage that many successfully? Any limits yet?
This particular list comes with UPC codes. Any solution for entering them, when available as they may not always be available, with ezpopulate or am I risking too much?

[fishingmaniac]

A little worried not knowing if when I add a bunch of new items, the new items come up live and ready to check out. (Could be scary if I screwed things up in the file before uploading, not that I could make a mistake). Hoping they come up red...?

Also I think I read that old items that are already listed will be overwritten by new items with the same [part#??]?

If I have SKUs available should I upload them into a field?