Using FrontPage and ZenCart.

[everyth5]

I apologize if this has already been covered but I am totally lost.

I have created a website using FrontPage, but I have no shopping cart installed on it. I am not sure how shopping carts work. Do I have to integrate the shopping cart into the FrontPage website I have created, or do I have to upload the website to the Shopping Cart?

Are the two compatible? What do I have to do? If someone could steer me in the right direction to find out how to use my website and integrate it with ZenCart, I would be greatful.

Thanks in advance.

[Merlinpa1969]

If you want to keep the same theme then you will have to add your look into zen cart using the template files and the css files

[Vger]

......... and you'd be well advised not to run any PHP programme on a website with FrontPage extensions installed. It can be done - but it's not advisable.

Vger

[bobdog]

Don't walk, but RUN away from FrontPage.

A good industry standard is Macromedia DreamWeaver. Learn how to use it, and well worth the time.

Soon you'll be writing your own code. Start with small steps. Step 1. Get away from FrontPage!

[Merlinpa1969]

LOL I guess Im a cheapskate

I use textpad... LOL
and arachnophillia

[robax]

To answer your question...
Spend more time to make sure that zencart is the right cart for you... there are many many ways to catalogue and sell products on the web.

So long as your webhost supports the requirements to run Zencart, all you have to do is open your site in Frontpage, make a folder for the cart then simply drag and drop the cart files into it. Carry on the Zencart setup as per the normal instructions.

You can link to the cart from your existing pages, but there is no other real integration unless you make it so.

The benefit of using Frontpage is that you can manage and work on the zencart files much faster and easier than when using ftp or similar. The benefit of being able to work on your existing site at the same time is also there of course. Dreamweaver offers similar functionality. Notepad does not.

Rob

[Merlinpa1969]

now to the negative side of front page.

1. it bloats your folders. ( duplicate content every where )
2. It corrupts files during upload ( adds line breaks that will destroy php functions)
3. It dosnt really give you an advantage. all you see when modifying a file is Lines.
(front page dosnt parse php.)

The above are the serious reasone why not to use front page.

now for the absolue most important reason of all
its a Microshaft product that only works about 1/2 the time....

[Vger]

Some more disadvantages of using FrontPage.

1. How are you going to preview your changes in your Zen Cart website in your FrontPage web on your computer? FrontPage doesn't display dynamic php pages by default. There is an uncertified add-on called PHP Rocket, but this has very limited functionality.
2. FrontPage is incredibly slow at uploading changed files, especially image files - FTP wins every time.
3. FrontPage injects code into every .htaccess file telling itself (and the website) to ignore those files - so you lose all of the functionality that can be gained from using .htaccess. For instance, you couldn't use Ultimate SEO URL's with FrontPage. This is not a problem if it's a Windows server anyway, but if it's an Apache server with FrontPage extensions installed then you're stuffed.
4. If you update and upload any changed files and don't use FrontPage to do it then those files will be out of sync with your FrontPage Web and FrontPage will never update them ever again.
5. FrontPage writes rubbish html code. It looks like it's been written by a monkey on speed.

Vger

[everyth5]

A big thanks to everyone for their advise. Unfortunately I spent alot of time, or should I say WASTED, making my website with FrontPage. Oh well, better to learn now than later.

I tried to make my site with ZenCart but am having a heck of a time with modifications. It is difficult to follow the flow of everything when some of (MOST)the file names don't make sense to me. I have tried to follow some of the advise here about what to do first but some of it still is over my head.

Can anyone give me suggestions as to where to start??? I have alot of things already uploaded and changed but it seems that the more I do, the more of a mess I am making. Should I start over from scratch and then follow the instructions here?

[Vger]

A good place to start would be here:
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

This will give you an insight into how Zen Cart works and how to modify it.

Vger