Easy Populate vs Easy Populate Advanced

[schoolboy]

(Misty's question...) Attributes.

Yes. The advanced version will import/export:-


Data Files - - - - - - - - - - Data Templates
Extended Store - - - - - - -Extended Store
Store - - - - - - - - - - - - - Store
Price & Qty - - - - - - - - - -Price & Qty
Product Categories - - - - -Product Categories
Google Base - - - - - - - - -N/A
Attributes - - - - - - - - - - -Attributes
Metatags - - - - - - - - - - - Metatags
Categories - - - - - - - - - - Categories

Bestfoot... please note: Easypopulate does not "upload" the actual image files. It simply inserts new (or updates existing) product data into the database. So it loads the primary image reference associated with the product, but the actual image is uploaded as a binary file using FTP.

Fundamentally, it uses key ID data to ensure that a product is either NEW, or is an EXISTING product that needs UPDATING. Principally, this key ID field is the product MODEL number.

So, if you had a range of products where the price increased by 10%, you could use easypopulate to EXPORT your product data (in this case, I would select "Price & Qty" - see table above).

Then, using MS Excel, apply new prices to all relevant products (much easier in a spreadsheet) and DELETE all remaining products in the spreadsheet (remember, you've exported your entire product dbase).

Save the spreadsheet as a tab-delimeted file, and re-import via easypopulate into your dbase. Easypopulate will recognise that the product MODEL number already exists in the database, and will overwrite the old price with the new price. It then reports what it has done (product line by product line) and flags any errors.

As far as DELETING products is concerned, you would use the STATUS field to do this; I think the selectors are "0" = inactive product, "1" = active product and "9" = delete product. (Please check this first!)

Believe me, this mod does what it says on the box! It's well worth the few $ if you have a large store with complex product parameters. It has saved me hundreds of hours over the years which must equate to a couple of thousand pounds in time alone!

[schoolboy]

BTW...

I would advise that you set up a TEST shop first, try all the features of EP in the test environment, then when you know how it works, use it in your live store.

(As always, do a backup of your shop before modifying the dbase - and as EP modifies the dbase, a prior backup is simple common sense.)