How do you export product URL's?

[jokkah]

I am setting up my products into a Google Merchant template XLS file and one column requires the URL's to the products. I have not found a way to do this in Zen Cart. I have tried 'Excel Populate' but that 1) Does not export all categories at once, and 2) I tested exporting one, and the 'URL' column does not get populated

I also have Easy Populate 4 but that does not do URL's from what I can tell.

The plugins I am seeing to feed Google Merchant have had errors and errors for 1.5.3 and no fixes are in progress from reading the latest forum posts on the support threads.

Does anyone know how I can export URL's? Better yet, a working Google Merchant Center feeder for 1.5.3?

Thank you!

[mc12345678]

Effectively what would work would be to export the result of using a combination of zen_href_link and the desired/necessary server name to begin the link. Otherwise, the address can be put together using other available data thatmay be in a spreadsheet, products_id, and category information in conjunction with the product type information or applicable main_page that goes with what is being presented. Unless you are trying to do this through a uri rewriter, which adds a little more to the complexity.

EP4 does not at this time export the uri, but that could be modified to suit. What uris are you after? Sounds like definitely products, but the categories specific uri as well?

I thought there was a google feed type plugin that might require a little updating otherwise that would suit.

[jokkah]

Hmm, I am not sure if I grasp what you have suggested. Do you mean putting all this together from the database tables themselves?

I can easily just append the server name to a combination of data in other columns, but what about the URL's that use subcategories? An example would be servername:///index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=312_322&products_id=611 (ones with underscore to separate category to subcategory)

I was thinking of just using an Excel formula to build all the product URL's, (servername + category + products_id) but ran into a snag when I realized a lot of the products are in subcategories such as the example above

[mc12345678]

Technically all that is needed for those is the last category. The product type is still important if you are using any product type other than the default product type 1 (product_info) but yes, could just use the data from myphpadmin to create the uri. Afterall that's all that really happens anyways, it's just done through functions and procedures to give a consistent method.

Try going to that product omitting the 312_ and open a browser next to it, with the uri above. What's the difference between the two other than the uri?

[jokkah]

Technically all that is needed for those is the last category. The product type is still important if you are using any product type other than the default product type 1 (product_info) but yes, could just use the data from myphpadmin to create the uri. Afterall that's all that really happens anyways, it's just done through functions and procedures to give a consistent method.

Try going to that product omitting the 312_ and open a browser next to it, with the uri above. What's the difference between the two other than the uri?

Ah. I see.

Well, removing the 312_ goes to the product, but the breadcrumb is omitted. Also, on the left side of the page where the categories are listed, it doesn't drill down in a 'tree' format to see the category all the way to sub or sub-sub category. I suppose this is ok for Google Merchant because you can still purchase the product from that page?

[mc12345678]

Would generally agree, but may cause some confusion to a visitor... Almost done with a mod to EP4 to incorporate/add the uri to the full products export, and will duplicate something similar for categories. Looking at this being switchable from the EP4 configuration menu so that it is something that can be turned off (faster processing) if not desired to include. Doing this instead of creating a new export option as it seems somewhat more appropriate.