EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[kabko]

This file just happened to exist in the directory that is/was referenced. EP4 does not create a file until the admin chooses either a clickable export link or uses the dropdowns at the top of the screen.

Also, part of what jeking was referencing was that the filename of an import file plays a part in how the program operates. Please see the instructions addressing filenames. The filename provided in the zip was newimport2.csv. On import this file would be treated as if it contained information to fully describe a product accessing it's products table, the categories table(s), and metatag information. There are a few files that must begin with a particular series of characters in order to process them for their intended function. For example, the full import/export doesn't address attributes of a product, and the attributes file(s) don't necessarily have useful information for the full products part so they don't usually get processed as part of the full product information. The only "special" part of the filename is whatever exists(ed) when an export was performed to include the characters from the first letter up to and including ep...

May I ask you : Could you please upload a sample csv file, so I can see what am I doing wrong? Just a file with 1-2 products, please.
Thank you very much.

[mc12345678]

I have quite a lot of categories to add and using the admin/catalog/Categories / Products is taking a lot of time. So I was hoping to use category with metadata to speed up the process. So with what you have said this is not possible?

So couple of things here... Remember, this tool allows you to add things in bulk.. So... There are a lot of ways to use it to your advantage even if there are some "features" not directly implemented. Categories get generated when a product is associated with a category, the product doesn't need to be an active product, it could be a "dummy" product that is used to generate all new categories will be linked to all categories (initially) and perhaps periodically you delete the main product from the store once in a while to be reuploaded the next time you need to just generate a category...

The next thing is that if you already know what category name you are going to create you can make a "line" to represent that category's data, and then once your dummy product is uploaded to create the category you can also download your list of categories and copy/paste that category's information to the correct category_id. But as written, the code does not (yet?) support just creating a category and all of it's data from an upload. Doesn't seem like it would be too much of a stretch to implement on ones own from the existing code, it just doesn't have that at the moment. Further while this tool was primarily developed to support upload of multiple product to existing areas in support of mass "mailers", it could be further used/developed to do more.

[wheat]

EVEN if you think you are doing this, I have had the "no model field" issue for no apparent reason.

So: bookmarked this message:
https://www.zen-cart.com/showthread....ield-in-record

solves the problem every time - I have learned to use Save As and follow these instructions

Hope this helps you

Wheat

[mc12345678]

EVEN if you think you are doing this, I have had the "no model field" issue for no apparent reason.

So: bookmarked this message:
https://www.zen-cart.com/showthread....ield-in-record

solves the problem every time - I have learned to use Save As and follow these instructions

Hope this helps you

Wheat

Good information to address such usage. If I understand correctly about the recent situation, when product has been exported, and the file then immediately imported, the no model_id response is still received at that store.

I visually reviewed the file and didn't see any issues with the formatting but also didn't have a chance yet to try importing it to a test store to see the result.

Because of the lack of detail from the code to identify what the primary key is (issue to be addressed), would want to know the settings in the configuration panel for EP4. Although there are several settings, if products_id or blank_new was selected with the current/recent file then the error seen would be consistent.

Alternatively I am wondering if the various language/encoding settings of the site/database could be the issue.

[kabko]

Good information to address such usage. If I understand correctly about the recent situation, when product has been exported, and the file then immediately imported, the no model_id response is still received at that store.

I visually reviewed the file and didn't see any issues with the formatting but also didn't have a chance yet to try importing it to a test store to see the result.

Because of the lack of detail from the code to identify what the primary key is (issue to be addressed), would want to know the settings in the configuration panel for EP4. Although there are several settings, if products_id or blank_new was selected with the current/recent file then the error seen would be consistent.

Alternatively I am wondering if the various language/encoding settings of the site/database could be the issue.

Hi.

Well, don´t ask me how or why I have done that change (somehow, dont know how), but yes, the problem was in configuration of EP4. It was changed to product_id, and when I changed it to products_model everything is working OK :)
Thank you all for your help, much appreciated. :)

[mc12345678]

Hi.

Well, don´t ask me how or why I have done that change (somehow, dont know how), but yes, the problem was in configuration of EP4. It was changed to product_id, and when I changed it to products_model everything is working OK :)
Thank you all for your help, much appreciated. :)

Whew. Thank you for that update. Default install should have had it as products_model. That said and as I pointed out, the error message should show the correct primary key and not default to products_model. Further in retrospect I thought I remember at one point at least heavily considering adding the products_id field in the export in such a setup, though can't recall a good reason to not automatically include it in such a download.

I know I was concerned about the possibility of it being the primary key *and* as a user defined field (already addressed I thought) and that by it being a user defined field it would place it at the far right instead of adjacent to the products_model. But regardless I see that it can be included to make life "easier". :) one more thing to add to the next update. :) (actually two more things.)

[fabienne]

Some poor devil was having the same problem I encountered with Easy Populate on their updated ZenCart 1.5.x. I tried to follow the thread from where the problem started but ran out of time, etc. So, in case someone wanted a new perspective on this, here it is:

Easy Populate was installed from the download on this site. I tried to test it out and could not get EP to download the complete products. It kept on telling me there was an error and to try again. I went to someone who is more experienced in the ways of ZenCart than I am and this is what they came up with and it worked. I hope it works for you. It seems pretty simple:

I found that even though I installed the latest version, it did not remove old stuff from the database. So, I manually deleted all references to EP in the database, then ran their SQL for the new version. There are now settings in the Configuration menu as well. I was able to download a complete CSV and the data looks good. Upon further investigation, I found the plugin I downloaded (latest on the Zen site) was not a good one. They have another on GitHub. So, I removed the other one and installed the new one. This one looks to be working properly. And, it runs a little differently. For example, it does not allow you to stream a download. You need to right click and download after you click on of the links. Here's what I did: Step 1: Backed up database (manually just to be sure). Step 2: Backed up database using Zen admin tool. Step 3: Clicked Complete Products (with Metatags). Step 4: Right clicked on the Download link (bottom of page) and downloaded file. Step 5: Modified a product description and saved CSV file as a new file. Step 6: Clicked Browse button and Upload File. Step 7: Scroll to bottom of page and click Import next to new file. Step 8: Checked product and update was there.

Hope that helps someone. I really can't answer a lot of questions about the above, it was done by someone else but I am posting it here and hope it might help someone who has the same problem.

[mc12345678]

Some poor devil was having the same problem I encountered with Easy Populate on their updated ZenCart 1.5.x. I tried to follow the thread from where the problem started but ran out of time, etc. So, in case someone wanted a new perspective on this, here it is:

Easy Populate was installed from the download on this site. I tried to test it out and could not get EP to download the complete products. It kept on telling me there was an error and to try again. I went to someone who is more experienced in the ways of ZenCart than I am and this is what they came up with and it worked. I hope it works for you. It seems pretty simple:



Hope that helps someone. I really can't answer a lot of questions about the above, it was done by someone else but I am posting it here and hope it might help someone who has the same problem.

Not entirely sure of the timeline regarding the ZC version to github version issue, but what I see about the above is how/why one transitioned from one of the other Easypopulate versions to this one. No, this one doesn't "clear" settings from other versions and in fact should be using settings different from the others just to be sure that there is no conflict. The github version is expected to always be at or ahead of the version on the ZC site as that is where it is further developed and shared.

Fabienne thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully the other issues experienced over the last year or so are no more. :)

[fabienne]

Not entirely sure of the timeline regarding the ZC version to github version issue, but what I see about the above is how/why one transitioned from one of the other Easypopulate versions to this one. No, this one doesn't "clear" settings from other versions and in fact should be using settings different from the others just to be sure that there is no conflict. The github version is expected to always be at or ahead of the version on the ZC site as that is where it is further developed and shared.

Fabienne thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully the other issues experienced over the last year or so are no more. :)

Thanks Mac12345678. Like I said, I wasn't the guy who did this, but it worked and was pretty pain free, simple, straight forward. It's just meant to be another option to try if you are having problems. The other issues....they were just old abandoned shopping instances which were imported with the other data onto a new website. When the same customer tried to check out, the old cart would register a $0 charge for the product because on my old cart there were no pricing attributes--I put them all in by hand so there was no price. We weeded out all the old abandoned shopping and never had the problem again. *

"Old Abandoned Shopping Instance"=when you put something in your cart, then you don't check out. You go away for a long time (like a year) and then return, shop more, check out with the very first item from a year ago, in your cart which never had attributes associated with it then or when you try checking out. You will get the first item costing $0 and the rest costing as they should.

[mc12345678]

Thanks Mac12345678. Like I said, I wasn't the guy who did this, but it worked and was pretty pain free, simple, straight forward. It's just meant to be another option to try if you are having problems. The other issues....they were just old abandoned shopping instances which were imported with the other data onto a new website. When the same customer tried to check out, the old cart would register a $0 charge for the product because on my old cart there were no pricing attributes--I put them all in by hand so there was no price. We weeded out all the old abandoned shopping and never had the problem again. *

"Old Abandoned Shopping Instance"=when you put something in your cart, then you don't check out. You go away for a long time (like a year) and then return, shop more, check out with the very first item from a year ago, in your cart which never had attributes associated with it then or when you try checking out. You will get the first item costing $0 and the rest costing as they should.

That's right, now I remember why I made some changes to another plugin on which I've been working to I thought it was process all product through in particular those having attributes. Goal was to be sure that product having attributes when in the cart have attributes supported by the store and that store product that have attributes are applied against product in the cart. It already has some checks in place, but there are others that can be applied. Problem is/becomes as other option name types are created, shopping cart addition/update may need modification as well. :/

Anyways, it would seem that the support of this plugin in the form of an announcement of its "success" would help others when posted where they are expressing having difficulty. :)