EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[FoodSourceDirect]

Thank you, Chad. I have a clearer understanding now on how to proceed. Time and coding skills are not on my side. (I am a newbie.) So these directions will serve me well. I had run the Auto Install script for ZC 1.5.1 on my web-host and then manually updated to ZC 1.5.3. Do I delete all the files in my store folder and then start over? Or is there a ZC auto install script for ZC 1.5.3 that I can run that will overwrite the current installation?

[mc12345678]

Thank you, Chad. I have a clearer understanding now on how to proceed. Time and coding skills are not on my side. (I am a newbie.) So these directions will serve me well. I had run the Auto Install script for ZC 1.5.1 on my web-host and then manually updated to ZC 1.5.3. Do I delete all the files in my store folder and then start over? Or is there a ZC auto install script for ZC 1.5.3 that I can run that will overwrite the current installation?

So there are as you have identified a number of ways to go about it, but if you look at the upgrade section of the documentation, there should be an indication of the files that have been changed/added/deleted based on the version from which have upgraded. Effectively, if the new files overwrite the old files, then only need to delete the "extraneous" files and verify that overridden files are/have been upgraded as well.

I have to say, I was obviously in the weeds of things when I wrote last... Categories... Sheesh, too much into writing some new code and thinking abstractly rather than specifically. :)

But as for some form of "autoinstaller" or autoupgrader, there are too many potential differences to effectively develop something like that at this time. Maybe if the core code becomes uneditable or fully overridden through the use of notifiers and observers, but until then it is my opinion that there are just too many possible differences that could exist in a file or set of files. There is the database upgrade that is performed through zc_install, but not an equivalent file editor.

[mc12345678]

Thank you, Chad. I have a clearer understanding now on how to proceed. Time and coding skills are not on my side. (I am a newbie.) So these directions will serve me well. I had run the Auto Install script for ZC 1.5.1 on my web-host and then manually updated to ZC 1.5.3. Do I delete all the files in my store folder and then start over? Or is there a ZC auto install script for ZC 1.5.3 that I can run that will overwrite the current installation?

Btw, to more succintly answer the question of upgrading, I believe there are instructions in the documentation provided in the install, but there also is this faq: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?...pgrade-my-site

[chadderuski]

Thank you, Chad. I have a clearer understanding now on how to proceed. Time and coding skills are not on my side. (I am a newbie.) So these directions will serve me well. I had run the Auto Install script for ZC 1.5.1 on my web-host and then manually updated to ZC 1.5.3. Do I delete all the files in my store folder and then start over? Or is there a ZC auto install script for ZC 1.5.3 that I can run that will overwrite the current installation?

Over and over again in the forums you will see where people installed zencart using their host's provided cpanel script. Sometimes they work well, others not. It depends on the type of hosting you have and what they allow you to do and the quality of their install package... and if it's up to date. Sometimes you need to install patches after installing.

The PREFERRED method is to download the latest zencart from this site, then upload and run the installer that way. But to do this, you need to be able to create your database in your site's CPANEL.

Once you've installed ZC a few times, it will be second nature. And you'll always want to test plug-ins and modifications to a backup of your site before modifying your LIVE site.

[FoodSourceDirect]

Hi MC:

Just re-installed in root with no demo data. Reading up on stuff now. And oh. This time EP installed on first try....

Thanks for the feedback and guidance...

A.J.

[FoodSourceDirect]

I just completed a fresh install in the root after downloading ZC 1.5.3 from the ZC site...no demo data. Re-installed EP 4.0.. and BackUP MySQL...

I appreciate the guidance...

A.J.

[FoodSourceDirect]

Well I managed to figure out how to install the theme. Still have to do a lot of tweaking. But I have also spent significant time going over my product data looking at formatting, errors, missing data, etc. Today I am going to import jest a few products using the full-EPxxx file after I manually enter one or two products.

Following are some questions I have about formatting and field names:
My images are in the “fsd” folder under images on the server root:
public_html/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg


Is this the correct format for the image import field FOR ZC 1.5.3?
Example:
/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg


I have three images for each product. Can I mass import all three at the same time for each product? If yes, How do I write the link? Is it?
/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg,/images/fsd/18959_SO_Spicy_Taco.jpg,/images/fsd/18959.jpg
The three images:
18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg Medium
18959_SO_Spicy_Taco.jpg Large
18959.jpg Small


What are these?:
v_metatags_products_name_status
v_metatags_title_status
v_metatags_model_status
v_metatags_price_status
v_metatags_title_tagline_status

I need to know how meta title, keywords and descriptions should be formatted in ZC.1.5.3
v_metatags_title_1
Meta Title: Meta title-Sandalwood(injojobaoil)
Meta title-ChamomileGermanInJojobaOil


v_metatags_keywords_1
Meta description-PeacefulPatchouliSweetOrangeFoamBath25oz


v_metatags_description_1
same as keywords?


What is “v_products_url_1”? Is it the same thing as “url rewritten”? Following are examples. Is it formatted correctly?
Examples:
sandalwood-in-jojoba-oil
chamomile-german-in-jojoba-oil


tags
Is this the correct formatting for tags?
Chamomile, German, in, jojoba, oil

AJ

[mc12345678]

Well I managed to figure out how to install the theme. Still have to do a lot of tweaking. But I have also spent significant time going over my product data looking at formatting, errors, missing data, etc. Today I am going to import jest a few products using the full-EPxxx file after I manually enter one or two products.

Following are some questions I have about formatting and field names:
My images are in the “fsd” folder under images on the server root:
public_html/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg


Is this the correct format for the image import field FOR ZC 1.5.3?
Example:
/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg


I have three images for each product. Can I mass import all three at the same time for each product? If yes, How do I write the link? Is it?
/images/fsd/18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg,/images/fsd/18959_SO_Spicy_Taco.jpg,/images/fsd/18959.jpg
The three images:
18959-SO-Spicy-Taco.jpg Medium
18959_SO_Spicy_Taco.jpg Large
18959.jpg Small


What are these?:
v_metatags_products_name_status
v_metatags_title_status
v_metatags_model_status
v_metatags_price_status
v_metatags_title_tagline_status

I need to know how meta title, keywords and descriptions should be formatted in ZC.1.5.3
v_metatags_title_1
Meta Title: Meta title-Sandalwood(injojobaoil)
Meta title-ChamomileGermanInJojobaOil


v_metatags_keywords_1
Meta description-PeacefulPatchouliSweetOrangeFoamBath25oz


v_metatags_description_1
same as keywords?


What is “v_products_url_1”? Is it the same thing as “url rewritten”? Following are examples. Is it formatted correctly?
Examples:
sandalwood-in-jojoba-oil
chamomile-german-in-jojoba-oil


tags
Is this the correct formatting for tags?
Chamomile, German, in, jojoba, oil

AJ

So, I tried to search for a previous post I made regarding meta data to clarify the issues/concerns about what a few of the fields are about. I think I also had a discussion about images in here somewhere that I was going to point you directly at. Sum and total though, and not to cop out of providing more direct assistance. I think much of the questions will be answered after you have entered one or more products for yourself then exported the data and reviewed it. I say this, because again EP4 is a tool to get you into the ZC database data without all of the clicks to modify/update many products. So... Regarding images for example. The rules of images are still the same here as they are in ZC, and EP4 does not put the images on the server. It only let's the database know where to look for the images. (I also meant to look at a data dump I had, but on a cell that's not the "easiest"). So, if I am not mistaken the path to your images as stored in the database should be relative to the path defined in the configure.php file for the images path. So, if they are in public_html/images/cartoons, then I think that all that is necessary in the database is cartoons/cartoon1.jpg for the image named cartoon1.jpg. But... The "correct" pth will be evident upon export of the test data. Btw, the reason I think I'm right is that a database can be transferred to another system and depending on how the configure.php files are setup then all of the data will still be available and point to the right location(s) if the associated files are in the locations identified by the configure.php references.

So, the next thing... Regarding image name(s), again, if you review the faq on how to add additional images, you'll note that the base filename is important to "finding" all of the additional images and the other thing is that the "main" or base image should be uploaded last. This later part is because after each image is loaded to the server, the path is also loaded to the database. So, with the base image loaded last, the record becomes populated with the base name and all other associated files are then located. Files that end in _MED will be used as the medium sized image, etc... Again something that would be seen on export of a product that properly displays and has additional images.

Regarding the meta information, first I would suggest looking at the meta information window of a product, at least to see the "fields" that are identified for meta information. Along the top I think it is are switches yes/no or true/false related to each of the meta attributes of a product. That is the "status" of the meta information. The other items, keywords, description, etc. Are more or less what they describe, keywords are single words or a combination of them that are expected to be associated with the product. The description is more sentence like, words that provide clarifiaction about the product that are "hidden" in the metatags. The number at the end of any field corresponds with the language designation in your cart and is a field that when multiple languages exist can be defined for each language or else will end up adopting language 1 (typically english).

As for the product_url, that is data that typically is filled in at the bottom of the product info page and when filled in provides a link with the product stating something like to find out more about this product click here with a clickable link to the address filled in.

At this time, EP4 has not been programmed to handle/address rewritten urls, not to say that it isn't possible, it just hasn't been incorporated into the code.

Hmm, think I got all the items, but if not feel free to ask again! :).

[FoodSourceDirect]

Thank you MC. This information is helpful. The motivation for asking (and you alluded to it) was for me to find ways to automate all data entry as much as possible. Also, I realize that it's going to to take me some more hours going full-blast to figure out how ZC works in terms of linking graphic images with products, categories, sub-categories and to edit my chosen theme. I have been search the forum; but, searches get me to the thread but not necessarily the specific post that has the information searched on. But, I'm making great progress. Yes, the glass is half full.... not half empty....

Successfully imported 1961 products without any errors after I increased the char length of categories from 32 64. Working on the figuring our why most of the images are not displaying. I will look at some sample data to see how the meta files are formatted. I already meta title, keywords and descriptions....

Now I need tuh figyah out di udah ting dem now. (Going to figure out the other stuff now.....

Thanks again

AJ

[stiggybaby]

My bad, I did forget to update the changelog.txt file ... I will try to get some basic testing done today.-chadd

Thanks for the EP plugin, thanks for the hard work, thanks for the testing, and thanks for the replies!!!

FYI, works great on the 1.5.1 and 1.5.3 (test and soon to be live zencart installs). Tested import and export with custom extra fields (no attributes/options, no meta tags), and everything seems to be working A-OK on 3,500+ products!