How to update the database?

[wilsonshen]

Hi,all.
Now i am running a ZC 1.38 store (www.elechouse.com/elechouse). About month ago, I set up another new ZC 1.39 store on my server (www.elechouse.com/store). At at moment i updated the database to the latest status by then. And i did many changes to the new store. However, i did not get it online in time for some reason. And I still run ZC 1.38 store until now.
A month later by now, I want to get my new ZC 1.39 store online. But i find during this month, many new customers registered and many orders were placed. So how can i update the new ZC 1.39 store's database from my old ZC 1.38 store?
I am newbie to zen cart. I hope somebody can help me. Thanks so much!

[DrByte]

You'll need to REPLACE your 1.3.9 database with your current/live 1.3.8 database, and run zc_install to upgrade it.

Yes, that will WIPE OUT anything you've set/customized in your 1.3.9 site, including any new settings you've added/changed via its admin side, and any SQL changes made by any addons you've added.
So, you'll need to redo all of those admin settings and addon-sql changes. Be sure to test it first before going live.

It sounds like you're kinda right in the middle of the official upgrade instructions: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=98 and https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=108

[wilsonshen]

Yes, that will WIPE OUT anything you've set/customized in your 1.3.9 site, including any new settings you've added/changed via its admin side, and any SQL changes made by any addons you've added.
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=98 and https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=108

Thanks for your reply
I know, modification relative to database has to be done again. However, for some modifications about language, such as weight unit change, is there any way to keep those changes.
should i completely delete the new ZC1.39 store and start fresh again?
Looking forward to your reply!

[DrByte]

Language content is in PHP files, so that's fine.

Wipe your 1.3.9 store? no! Why would you do that?
I'd make a database backup of your 1.3.9 site. Then import your 1.3.8 database into your 1.3.9 database, effectively replacing its contents, and then in the 139 run zc_install to upgrade the database. Then test test test, taking notes of all the things you need to fix, until you're confident that it's safe to do the same thing to the live (138) site.

Then put the 138 site into "website maintenance" mode (Admin->configuration->website maintenance->true)
Then take a full backup of the 138 site and the 139 site, separately.
Then upload all the 139 files from the 139 site into the 138 site, load the 139 zc_install to the 138 site, and run the database upgrade. Then use the notes you took to tweak the 138-which-is-now-139 site as needed, and you're done. Turn off website maintenance and you're live ... with only a very short bit of downtime on the live site.

It's a lot easier than it sounds.

[wilsonshen]

Hi, DrByte.
Thanks for your instruction.
I followed your steps and successfully updated the database of my new ZC1.39 store. However, i find some problems. Here is what i did:
1. as my new zc store is utf8, i made the change:define('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8') in the file installer_params.php under zc_install/includes/
2. backup the database.
3. made changes in the file configure.php under includes/ and admin/includes/
4. follow the steps to update

Everything went very well, until i find a problem:
you can see my new store www.elechouse.com/store/ The template does not work right any more. You can see the picture cover over the words.

I hope you can give me some advice.
Thanks.

[DrByte]

I'm glad you got your database problem resolved.

If you are having problems with your custom template, I suggest posting for help in the thread related to that template.

[OrcaSoul]

Language content is in PHP files, so that's fine.

Wipe your 1.3.9 store? no! Why would you do that?
I'd make a database backup of your 1.3.9 site. Then import your 1.3.8 database into your 1.3.9 database, effectively replacing its contents, and then in the 139 run zc_install to upgrade the database. Then test test test, taking notes of all the things you need to fix, until you're confident that it's safe to do the same thing to the live (138) site.

I was able to upgrade the local ZenCart to 1.39h, and got the message on the database. I copied the 1.39h zc_install into the cart. When I brought up the store - expecting to see the zc_install page - I instead get the store page, with the following message:

Warning: Installation directory exists at: C:\xampp\htdocs\MyStore\zc_install. Please remove this directory for security reasons.

I want to do this with the local copy of the store/database so that I can be sure of the steps on the live site.