How to have test and production environments?

[wick]

I am running zen 1.3.8, and have made extensive modifications to my zen cart configuration. I am preparing to go live with my site, but before I do that I'd like to have a test environment. Once I'm in production, I can't be applying add-ons that might not work correctly and making extensive coding changes of my own on the live system, I need a place where I can try out the changes before transferring them to production. I know I could install a second version of zen cart somewhere, but I would rather copy what I've already got, to get all the admin settings, code changes (both in override and in core files), images, as well as database changes that I've made. Is there any way to copy the existing site and the existing database, change some configuration files so the site knows its new directory and its new database, and be up and running as a copy? (ignoring payment processor issues)

[kobra]

Copy all files to a folder
Create a new DB for it
Edit the 2 configure.php files with the location change and the new DB details
Make a proper DB backup of your shop
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=103
Apply this backup to your New DB

And always make backups of the test shop before adding any mod so that you can return to the previous state if needed - - same for live shop

[wick]

Excellent, thanks