basics

[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.

[barco57]

Have no illusions.....I know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to php/mysql and dynamic websites. I was answering, sort of, your questions assuming you wanted the "new" pages to remain within the zen cart structure. you have the option of creating your pages anyway you want and linking to them from within zen cart. you can access the db to pull whatever info you need for the pages. Have fun

[jagguy]

Hi,

Funny you said that as I just came to the same conclusion. I can create webpages outside the zencart system and call them in eg create a webpage with a table listing of all items, and link each item back to zencart for purchasing.
I was tring to stay within the zencart system as i thought that is what you do, and did I get confused (and annoyed).

I was wrong as I didn't need to, and basically i couldn't understand the php workings of this system well enough to mod.

Zencart with external pages becomes an all purpose system that caters for many needs, and I am glad I stuck at it. This is the easiest and most practical way to go. Just add zencart when you need to purchase items.

I did a mock trial to see how the shopping cart reacts from external links , and it works fine, and can add items many times over. You just need the url.

Thanks for all the replies as well .

[Ryk]

When you're done, please post a link to your site so we can a ) see how far you've pushed the boundaries, and b ) perhaps understand exactly what you've been asking us!