How do I backup my site/template before I customize it?

[Vger]

You would use your FTP program to download files to your local computer so you can edit them

Thank you. I am sure all of the things you mentioned are great ideas except I have no idea of what you are explaining

I still need to know where I can find /languages/english/html_includes/your_template

If you ...
(1) don't know how to use FTP, and ...
(2) don't understand what stevesh said, and ...
(3) don't know where to find the template files when the location of them has been given to you, then ...
(4) I suggest you leave things well alone.

I'm sorry but you can't just start playing around with a Zen Cart site when you have absolutely no idea what you are doing - especially if it is an existing "live" website. That's just a recipe for disaster, and it'll probably end with you screwing the whole site up.

My advice is to make a start by installing an offline web server (Intranet) on your PC and installing Zen Cart on that. XAMPP has a very good 1-click installer (http://www.apachefriends.org/en), and this will install everything you need to be able then to install Zen Cart on your PC. You can learn using that and if you make a mess of things (and we've all done that when starting out) then it doesn't matter - you can always keep a copy of the files before editing them and restore then, or just re-install Zen Cart and start again.

Vger

[ccgstu5]

Thanks. Sounds like good advice. I have downloaded what you told me to and put it in the applications file. Now how do I get a zen cart in it to work on?

Also, why won't anyone tell me how to get to:

/languages/english/html_includes/your_template

[stevesh]

Also, why won't anyone tell me how to get to:

/languages/english/html_includes/your_template

Because that isn't really a Zencart question. All your files can be accessed using an FTP program. Filezilla is a good, free one.

[Vger]

I have downloaded what you told me to and put it in the applications file. Now how do I get a zen cart in it to work on?

Are you saying that you downloaded and installed XAMPP - and that it is working?

If so the the next thing to do is to download and unzip Zen Cart 1.3.9h from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/zenc...0.zip/download

When you have unzipped it then create a folder called 'zen' (or whatever you want to call it) inside the XAMPP 'htdocs' folder. Put all of the folders and files which you find inside the folder of the unzipped Zen Cart (admin, cache, docs etc.) into the folder you created inside the htdocs folder.

Then go to http://localhost and use the Security link to set up a MySQL User Name and Password, and then go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin and create a database.

Then you can go to http://localhost/zen/zc_install and install Zen Cart.

Vger

[ccgstu5]

XAMPP is downloaded and put in applications folder. When I click on it it opens a window giving me a choice of apache or ftp. Which one do I choose?

[Vger]

The file you should have downloaded is the "Installer" version, which has the following name:
xampp-win32-1.7.4-VC6-installer.exe

It sounds like you downloaded the Binary version, which you have to manually install.

Vger

[ccgstu5]

I imagine you are right. I have a Mac OS 10.4.11 and it was the only one I found for it. It is a beta file and not a good choice for me, but it was all I found.

[Vger]

My advice is to use (buy if necessary) a PC and load XAMPP onto that. I have used XAMPP on a Mac, but it's not an experience I'd recommend. You can even get PCs which are perfectly usable as an offline web server being given away on FreeCycle these days.

Vger

[billc108]

The file you should have downloaded is the "Installer" version, which has the following name:
xampp-win32-1.7.4-VC6-installer.exe

Um.... No. This is for Mac, right? So the .exe extension is a dead giveway that you're talking about the wrong file. .Exe's won't work on a Mac unless you're running Windows on it, in which case just follow the Windows instructions.

Do a search for MAMP (that's Mac Apache Mysql PHP) and read the instructions. Personally, I prefer using MacPorts.

But if you have a Mac, you probably already have Apache and PHP installed by Apple. Just turn on System Prefs => Sharing => Web Sharing. The files you'll serve go in Users => your user name =>Sites. I'm not sure if MySQL is pre-installed, as I don't use that myself, but it shouldn't be too hard to find out.