EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[mc12345678]

I figured it out and I feel like a blooming idiot.....

I changed "v_categories_names_1" to "v_categories_name_1" and it works now.

Thank you mc12345678 for giving me a hand!

Jim

It happens. Glad I could help to some extent. Sorry I wasn't in a position sooner to possibly point that out. But you did find the mistake on your own, so good work. :)

[mc12345678]

Hi!

I am encountering a very frustrating problem, maybe somebody can help me sort it out?

I have a pretty big product catalog db, the 'FULL' export file can be well in excess of 10mb. Dealing with a file that big, for some reason OpenOffice gets wonky on me. So I like to delete all columns I don't plan to make changes to. As soon as I delete Product_Desc, my file becomes super manageable. However, when I go to upload my changes, EP4 decides that the missing columns should be interpreted as a desire to delete any information that might have existed.

For instance, if I upload a file that has only v_products_model and v_products_image (because I am only changing images), EP4 will go thru and delete information associated with that product (description, etc).

What gives?! Is there a way around this?

Thanks,
Mike

BTW: My site is ZC151 and using EP4.0.22 - Beta 6-10-2012

Well, I haven't used it yet, and I may have it wrong, but I was thinking that if you reduced your split number perhaps on export fewer rows per file will be provided?!

The alternative is a bit more intrusive, but to rewrite some of the code to recognize that a column (ie, description) has not been imported and to not adjust the database as a result.

It was my understanding that generall speaking that was how other fields worked (ie in full attributes, to only upload/update the desired columns); however, it would be my guess that in design/further development it was considered that the product description would always be attached to the product/most likely the field to be updated and therefore not setup to be bypassed when empty.

I can see why the ability exists to make the field go blank when the field header is imported, but I think this scenario was not necessarily an expected situation.

[Trademagic]

Been reading for hours and trying to catch up. Hate asking questions which have been answered. I have 1.5.1 store and installed 1.2.5.7d, which I guess isn't even this product. I also have no luck with sql statement but was able to load basics, just don't have the config menu items yet. Basic question, should I get on 1.2.5.7 some other support link, or should I download 4.0 on Gitwhatever? Can someone send advice, and the proper link if I should go with 4.0?

I have downloaded the empty database file, and could not download my products yet. Should I go, 4.0?

[Trademagic]

Just so nobody needs to do a long post about it, I deleted 1.2.5.7, and came onboard this thread. Installed the program, no sql, and worked immediately. I downloaded a copy of my database, and while it may be right, it is not particularly pretty, especially in excel, and I have downloaded OO for use Why no pictures, or do you only get the .jpg information? Much other stuff is there as well. Why so many 1s and 0s?

v_products_model,v_products_type,v_products_image,v_products_name_1,v_products_d escription_1,v_products_url_1,v_specials_price,v_specials_date_avail,v_specials_ expires_date,v_products_price,v_products_weight,v_product_is_call,v_products_sor t_order,v_products_quantity_order_min,v_products_quantity_order_units,v_products _priced_by_attribute,v_product_is_always_free_shipping,v_date_avail,v_date_added ,v_products_quantity,v_manufacturers_name,v_categories_name_1,v_tax_class_title, v_status,v_metatags_products_name_status,v_metatags_title_status,v_metatags_mode l_status,v_metatags_price_status,v_metatags_title_tagline_status,v_metatags_titl e_1,v_metatags_keywords_1,v_metatags_description_1

RR01-0104,"1","castturnbuckle.png","""Classic"" Cast Turnbuckle","<b>Our extremely Sail-Friendly 316 Stainless Steel Closed Turnbuckle design</b> promises full weather and salt protection in a fully rounded near-mirror finish. Our Classic Model"" features a hand-polished silky smooth shell, and we carry it in many sizes, through relatively massive proportion. <p>You may choose from 4 1/2"" on our smallest units to over 38"" on the largest. Our <b>Classic Turnbuckles</b>, like all of our stainless products, are covered by our 10-Year Guarantee, that they will always look and perform to your <em>total satisfaction</em>.","","","","","0","0.45","0","1","1","1","1","0","","2013-08-07 01:28:51","1000","Reasonable Rigging","Turnbuckles","Taxable Goods 00000","1","0","0","0","0","0","","",""
RR01-B0106,"1","4wayturnbuckle.png","4 Way Forever"" Turnbuckle","The 4 Way Forever"" Turnbuckle allows your rigging to flex and adjust in all 4 directions. Though standing rigging does not require excessive movement, this design insures minimum stress to your fittings and cable, and insures the longest possible life for your investment. <p>These pieces are <b>an elegant and heavy duty design</b>. We can custom order them dramatically bigger in size than we have posted, so if you have a 130 footer, and really want to get your groove on, <b>we can hook you up!</b> </p><p>We believe this is one of the finest and cleanest turnbuckles on the market, and have trouble telling you low points on either this or the A0106 unit, so please review both. </p><p>If we were to characterize them for your comparison, the B0106 model is slightly slimmer and slightly less stylized than the A0106, which is slightly heavier duty, and a tad more stylish. </p><p>We realize this is not how rigging is often characterized, but the personalization of the products is important to allow you to make not only a raw strength statement, but to accurately capture the style sense of your new rigging.</p>","","","","","0","0","0","3","1","1","1","0","","2013-08-09 10:46:40","975","Reasonable Rigging","Turnbuckles","Taxable Goods 00000","1","0","0","0","0","0","","",""
RR02-0105,"1","danforthssanc.png","Danforth SS Anchor","<b>The Danforth SS Anchor</b> is a classic model, upgraded to the maximum look possible for boaters with a strongly developed sense of personal or boating style! <p>We offer these anchors often at <em>hundreds less than our competitors</em>. <p><b>You'll Love our Rigging for as Long as you Love your Boat!</b>","","","","","0","32","0","5","1","1","1","0","","2013-08-11 14:40:51","100","","Anchors^Stainless Steel Anchors","Taxable Goods 00000","1","0","0","0","0","0","","",""

[mc12345678]

Been reading for hours and trying to catch up. Hate asking questions which have been answered. I have 1.5.1 store and installed 1.2.5.7d, which I guess isn't even this product. I also have no luck with sql statement but was able to load basics, just don't have the config menu items yet. Basic question, should I get on 1.2.5.7 some other support link, or should I download 4.0 on Gitwhatever? Can someone send advice, and the proper link if I should go with 4.0?

I have downloaded the empty database file, and could not download my products yet. Should I go, 4.0?

Just so nobody needs to do a long post about it, I deleted 1.2.5.7, and came onboard this thread. Installed the program, no sql, and worked immediately. I downloaded a copy of my database, and while it may be right, it is not particularly pretty, especially in excel, and I have downloaded OO for use Why no pictures, or do you only get the .jpg information? Much other stuff is there as well. Why so many 1s and 0s?

So, you are correct 1.2.5.7 is a different product having it's own forum in which to ask questions (which I suggest if you are going to continue using that product). This particular version, while quoted as version 4, is not a linear upgrade from 1.2.5.7, but a variation of EP. That said there are probably differences in the way the data is populated/managed between the two "versions". EP4 requires each product to have a unique model number designation. As for the difficulty of running the SQL statements, what do your various error logs say?
I thought there were a few suggestions posted in this forum related to the SQL, but it's been a long time since I have installed it. To that end, the download location is provided in post 1 of this forum (select arrow at top or bottom of page that says "first" and will be taken straight there), until an official ZC version is provided.
Was there uninstall SQL to 1.2.5.7? Could it be interfering with installation of this version?

So related to your other questions and I know that you are still learning about some of the details of ZC, what you are seeing/working with is the raw data that is used to present information in the store. So, showing things like pictures and sometimes the word true instead of 1 are all things handled by ZC code based on the data provided. So a majority of the ones and zeros in the column. Are because they relate to statements such as, is on sale or display or don't display meta tags, etc.

Be sure that you make a backup of everthing before you use this, I know that you wouldn't want to have to rebuild either the code of the store or the database again.

[Trademagic]

I think it is working. I got the file, and it looked actually fine in my post above, except I question why the 1st example had so many quotes around the word Classic first few words. Is this because I used quotes in the actual filename? That could be dangerous, I guess, and I will change this to avoid confusion. What about the pictures? Does the file only need the image location, or am I looking for pictures here in the file. Also, if I use IH4, should I upload all pictures separately, or does the program do this in an integrated way?

To learn this best way possible, what should I read, the wiki?

Finally, do I import the OO file in the spreadsheet to change, or do I export the comma delimited quote enclosed text file itself? Thank you all for your knowledge and application of it to help others.
Marc

[mc12345678]

I think it is working. I got the file, and it looked actually fine in my post above, except I question why the 1st example had so many quotes around the word Classic first few words. Is this because I used quotes in the actual filename? That could be dangerous, I guess, and I will change this to avoid confusion. What about the pictures? Does the file only need the image location, or am I looking for pictures here in the file. Also, if I use IH4, should I upload all pictures separately, or does the program do this in an integrated way?

To learn this best way possible, what should I read, the wiki?

Finally, do I import the OO file in the spreadsheet to change, or do I export the comma delimited quote enclosed text file itself? Thank you all for your knowledge and application of it to help others.
Marc

So, the double quotes are needed as part of importing/exporting the data to provide the final result of a single set of quotes around the word. There is no reason to avoid that if the desire is to have the word(s) in quotes when viewing a product on your website. It's just part of the process of converting what is stored to what is seen and vice versa.

As for the pictures, and just about everything associated with EP4, this plugin (and I have somewhat said this before) interfaces directly with the data that is presented in the store, so yes things can go wrong and negatively effect what is shown/done on the store. (Backup before making change, review/become familiar with affects of action taken.) Unfortunately there is little documentation associated with this plugin at this time, but the author has been working on that and it is why this is not yet an official zen cart plugin. To that end, the issue with/question about the pictures is related to how Zen Cart (and other plugins such as Image Handler) deals with pictures. Zen Cart requires a base picture name and picture file(s) associated with that name. The name is the path to where the picture(s). Are stored, and the base name for all pictures associated with that product. So to learn more about the picture part, there are wiki related entries to how to have more than one picture associated with a product. At the same time, if that knowledge is not learned, then it is possible to inadvertently have more pictures shown than expected.

So yes, you will need to also upload/verify uploaded the pictures that will be displayed. My recommendation would be to first upload the file(s) then to use EP4 to have them displayed (prevents any customer from not seeing a picture when the EP4 entry is uploaded.) The entry made in EP4 should reflect the base name (path included) when uploading.

As for the question of chicken and egg, I'm not sure I understand, but the process is this for a "first" time action: backup your database; download the EP4 data as a CSV; open the file using a program that can manage a CSV file (Open Office is recommended because out of the box it can be setup to export a CSV that will be properly interpreted upon upload), make the desired changes, additions, modifications desired; export the data from the editor (recommend a filename that ends differently than before); import/upload the file to EP4; maybe backup your database again in case changes made would be overwritten if the database was restored from the last backup; and then import the new CSV file from within EP4 and check the results. If the results are good, keep doing what you're doing, if not, then restore from your most recent backup.

So hopefully that answers that last question.

[dgantonacci]

Ok... I finally need some help myself. I got everything setup. I built my CSV table. Imported... worked fine. Go to my site and all shows up. Click on ANY product and I get 404 Page Not Found from my site.

Have a look if you like... www.obesupply.com">www.obesupply.com

Anyone have an explanation or solution?

Thanks.

[mc12345678]

Ok... I finally need some help myself. I got everything setup. I built my CSV table. Imported... worked fine. Go to my site and all shows up. Click on ANY product and I get 404 Page Not Found from my site.

Have a look if you like... www.obesupply.com">www.obesupply.com

Anyone have an explanation or solution?

Thanks.

Can't specifically identify why this has happened to you. It does seem that product numbers have gotten modified in some way. I randoml attempted a product numberafter observing what you described as a 404 page not found. The page not found was assumed to be your entire site, not the Zen Cart page not found error that exists. In the main body area of the site. So, I found that: http://www.obesupply.com/index.php?m...ducts_id=18190 provided a product description, but I couldn't tell you if that product id is the one that you expected it to be and if it was at all involved with the file upload you provided.

So there is more that you could describe to try to narrow down what happened: what editor did you use, using a file compare programn how does the downloaded CSV file compare to the uploaded CSV file? What error log messages do you have if any? Did you install this app in parallel with a similar one instead of uninstalling all parts of the previous? When did this start happening (first upload?) Did the upload include all items from your store? If not, do those that were not affected work as expected? What changes were you trying to make(ie what did you change in the file before uploading)? If you downloaded a new CSV file now and did a comparison of the uploaded and newly downloaded, what's different?

Something in there should help either answer your question(s) or help us help you. :)

[favjola]

I write for first time on this forum

hello to all

I wonder if with the plugin easypopulate 4 I import products of more 'than 2 levels of categories.?

thanks