basics

[jagguy]

What I want to do is add php content and html/css for my own pages. I gave an example but why am I getting people say explain what is it you are trying to do? I am trying to understand what zencart can and can't do.

I have existing websites I want to fit in but if all zencart CAN do is use an existing layout with minor changes only then it is a little limited, and maybe for a person without much IT background.

Ecommerce carts like this are just php/html/css/JS that someone has created.


The 'what is it you are trying to do exactly' replies can be explained . It is simple, I am trying to develop flexible websites that don't all look the same.

q)Can you add your own php content to a new page and display in content area? how?

It is a general question to see if you zencart can ( i gave an example earlier for a php data table ).



q)Can you add a page with php/html/js? How?

[kobra]

jagguy,

I guess I wil have to "Beg Your Pardon" on you getting huffy and trying to espouse your coding acumen.

Can you add your own php content to a new page and display in content area?

If you actually understood php and these applications you would know that there are not "pages" that you edit like an html page. It is bits and pieces that are assembled into a page. So one must locate and find the pieces to edit. It is not all in one place.

The 'what is it you are trying to do exactly' replies can be explained . It is simple, I am trying to develop flexible websites that don't all look the same.

This still does not offer any explanation as to "EXACTLY" what it is that you want and is far too generic to provide any actual advice. Basic answer - Zen Cart is fully extensible. It is mostly div based and you can create/delete any div's that you want to. Just not as a "Page" as you seem to be inferring. It is divided into logic and presentation layers as previously posted to you, yet you still ask about editing a "Page"

The same answer for all of your "PAGE" questions!

[barco57]

ok I think I'm a little outta my element with this one. I'm good with the templates and the stylesheet but I haven't spent the time to study the way ZC puts together a page well enough to explain it. I would say study how something like the contact us page is created....

[jagguy]

I still can't get a basic of what zen can or can't do. If you check ecommerce sites you will rarely come across such a system, and users want a range of options and not a set layout or functionality.

I didn't want to EDIT anything with php, I just wanted to ADD a new page with php as part of it. 'What is it I want to do ' has been answered by me and no more of that please .

I understand php but not the way it has been coded on zencart. Check the php manual and you won't find anything like the logic used with this system. I hav never seen logic of this nature anywhere other than set systems like zencart and oscommerce. So I wanted to just add a webapge with some php on it.

q) eg A webpage that displays a table of information that has been retrieved from mysql using php. It doesn't matter what to do just how do you add it in with ezpages or anything else. how?



q) can you add your own webpage with php/mysql 'not why but can you'?

This is about as clear as I can get, without getting frustrated .

I don't mind zencart but I can't get enough information on what it can do exactly.

PS I reread some of the replies and I think I know the problem. People here don't really know php well.
Php isn't a system but a language. People have used php like any language to their own logic, like c++. The logic used happens to be implemented with php, but php is used a number of ways. A common way is to have php echo statements to the screen on webpages, which could inlcude html tags. This can be in 1 file all over many files using an include statement. Not small parts of text echoed to the screen spread of many files, that isn't common.

[kobra]

I don't mind zencart but I can't get enough information on what it can do exactly.

It is a php application plain and simple...it can be re-coded how ever you want(it is Open Source).
You need information? GREP the files for "echo"

PS I reread some of the replies and I think I know the problem. People here don't really know php well.

And according to you - you are so far above the rest of us that you should have no problem coding it to do exactly, what ever you want it to do.

[barco57]

Ok well I know that you can create new dynamic (php driven) pages......how? I haven't had a need too yet, but this page in the wiki might just be what your looking for http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.p...ting_new_pages. So the question can you is answered....yes. Enjoy your reading and when you get a chance to you should study the working of most php web apps (joomla, drupal, oscommerce, phpbb2, and of course zc) you will find the modular structure is very common. Zen cart isn't that unusual your just not used to seeing it that way. The reason we ask so many "tell me what you want to do" questions is that 99% of what people want to do is already built into ZC and sometimes when we finally understand what they want to do we can explain exactly how. It would have been nice for a dev to have piped up for the short and sweet answer but I think they waiting for exactly the same info we wanted or to see how long it would take before we found the right page in the wiki to send you too.

[jagguy]

I will check the references.
I can see the problem i am having with responses here. We all have a different understanding of php and what it is.
When people use php for websites it can be anything. A few popular applications have used php eg joomla,oscommerce which all seem pretty similar ( the old take something that works and just modify it).

Many php programs are just php and have no idea of a certain style used in only a few packages.

I am talking about php the web language and it looks like some people here talk about the php as a distinct logic for ecommerce as used here. Why use php as it has already been used? I don't get it , as once it is used for the program then that is it? Php is not just a modular language for ecommerce and far from it and that is the confusion.

It was my misunderstanding of peoples knowledge on it.

You do need php/mysql for dynamic websites , for flash applications that require mysql data, for form processing and many more reasons. It is common over the web and mostly not eccomerce apps.