phpbb/zencart question

[PrincessGeek]

Been lurking for a while, and have searched but can't find the answer to my issue.

My client would like their users to either sign up for the store or the forum and have the registration work in both places.

IE: user creates account with store, wants to access forum, store account works in forum without having to register manually in forum.

Is this possible? If so can someone direct me to instructions on how to do it? One would assume that they would be sharing a database. And I did see where it looked like someone had done that. I'm considering trying it but leary of messing anything up. Both the store and the forums are installed and working great, they would just like them to work together!

ZenCart 1.3.5
phpbb2

Thanks

[gjh42]

Zen Cart has a built-in function to integrate with an existing phpbb installation, but it must be selected while installing ZC. I don't know how difficult it would be to reconfigure an existing store to do this.

It might be easiest to do a fresh install of ZC, link it, and import the existing customizations and database contents to it, as if you were upgrading. I believe you would need to save some db tables related to the phpbb linkage from being replaced by the old info, and probably some configuration info that would be in the new installation's configure.php.

Another method that might work would be to do a fresh install of ZC in a parallel directory, link it, and then examine its files and db for the relevant info. Once you know what it takes, you could move the tables and settings into your store with appropriate filepath changes. I don't know if there are modifications in phpbb that would need to be tweaked to point to the right store.

[misty]

Works best if you do two fresh installs of each program, starting with phpbb,
then zencart, using same database for both.
On installing zencart, you will get an option to link to phpbb.
Installing zencart via Fantastico will not work, because last option not available
to you.
Also, do not add members to phpbb, until you have installed zencart.
HTH

Addendum: Have to say that linking 2 progs together not ideal, if one
crashes or is hacked, will possibly affect the other prog.

[PrincessGeek]

Wow, great answers! Thanks! So they can use the same database. You guys gave me some things to think about. I think I will do some playing around with it on the fresh installs. See how it works.

And yes, I totally agree, that if one crashes it will mess up the other. Thats the downside.

I really do appreciate the answers.
PG

[onakat]

ok is this really the only way to accomplish linking zencart and phpbb? if it can be done at installation, you would think that it could also be accomplished post-install. any help here would be appreciated.

[barco57]

admin>configuration>my store>enable phpbb linkage? set to true and it will add the nickname field to the registration page of the store. phpBB needs to installed already. ours is in a subdirectory of the cart and use the same DB just with different prefixes for the tables.

[barco57]

in your config files you will need to set the path to your phpBB directory at this line

define('DIR_WS_PHPBB', '/');

[onakat]

thanks.

i have zencart installed in the root directory. i also have phpbb installed in the root directory. both were installed with fanstastico.

there is no nickname field on my registration page.

how do i tell phpbb or zencart to share dbs?

[barco57]

fantastico... If you were to re-install phpBB manually you will be given options when setting up. Just point it at the zen cart DB and give it a different prefix (ie. phpbb_) makes looking stuff up in the db easier. Have you started using phpbb yet, if not go to the phpbb site and download, delete your current board, and upload new phpbb into that directory. you then point your browser at the phpbb install.
To try and do it any other way would be way to much work....though it would be possible to export the current phpbb tables and then import them to the zencart db. just remember use different prefixes for the phpbb tables, but this method would require you edit the phpbb config files to point to the correct db

[barco57]

how do i tell phpbb or zencart to share dbs?

you don't really tell either one that they are sharing a db you just point both to the same DB