Page 187 of 366 FirstFirst ... 87137177185186187188189197237287 ... LastLast
Results 1,861 to 1,870 of 3658
  1. #1861
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    16,789
    Plugin Contributions
    17

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Sorry for the delay in response, but needed to comb through the code just to confirm my thoughts... If the product_name_X (where X relates to the language) is not included in the imported file, then the description will not be updated. Also, it appears (though not tested) that if product short description is installed/verified by the code to be present, that the absence of data in that column (or column not existing) may result in the short description field being cleared. I haven't fully followed that path of the code to identify, but it is also one reason that it is suggested to backup the database before importing a file and checking the database/site after upload to verify no ill effects.

    So, with the regards to "management" of the data in this update... There is no reason you couldn't move columns off to the side while maintaining the sequence and content so that you can have a clear "click" region to help with updating. Then prior to update, remove the extra space and voila any concerns of missing columns is addressed.

    One of the thoughts behind this is, how easy it for the standard user to know what product is being updated if all that is present is the model #?

    On to that as well, the rules of duplicate model# or missing model # also still apply. In the case of a duplicate model number, the last version of that model #'s data will override all previous data for the same model #. In the case of blank model data, I thought that the response was that the data provided with a blank model # will replace the data of the previously provided model#. If a model # is modified and that model # does not currently exist in the database, then a new product will be created/entered with the data that is provided in that row....

    So there are a few things that are considered necessary in order to support updating, but remember that whatever is uploaded might need to be reviewed in the future, so how little do you want to include in the file to understand what went wrong if a problem occurs?

    BTW, if it has been a while since your EP4 has been installed, there have been some features that have been added (including that it is no longer necessary to include the description field upon upload) and available in the more recent version(s). To "refresh" the configuration screen to include any newly added options, would suggest documenting the current settings of the configuration->Easy Populate 4 window, clicking the uninstall link at the top right corner of the tools->Easy Populate 4 window, uploading the new files, then selecting the install link in the center of the screen of the tools->Easy Populate 4 window, then restoring any settings that were modified/reset.
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  2. #1862
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    91
    Plugin Contributions
    0

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Thanks for the detailed reply, but I think that maybe I worded what I was trying to ask poorly. Please let me try again...

    First I cannot find a readme or wiki on using EP4 for updating existing products. I thought I read something back before I installed ep4, but I cannot remember clearly nor find updating features/functions. Maybe my question(s) are already answered...

    I have a tab (shown as comma) csv file with a few thousand products (only 1 example shown, and none have options nor attributes). Imported, and store is running great. Now I want to change prices, descriptions, and my custom field on some, but not all products, and change no other fields (whether or not value or lack of value is in any of the other fields) except some of those 3 fields of prices and some descriptions (nor add, nor remove any products)....

    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_length,v_products_width,v_products_diam eter,v_products_for,v_products_style,v_products_catalog,v_products_notes,v_produ cts_weight,v_product_is_call,v_products_sort_order,v_products_quantity_order_min ,v_products_quantity_order_units,v_products_priced_by_attribute,v_product_is_alw ays_free_shipping,v_date_avail,v_date_added,v_products_quantity,v_manufacturers_ name,v_categories_name_1,v_tax_class_title,v_status

    "P200","1","P200.jpg","P200 PART","<strong>DESCRIPTION: </strong>P200 DETAILS<br>","","","","","9.5","9.9","9.9","","EXTRA FIELDS","EXTRA FIELDS","EXTRA FIELDS","","0","0","500001","1","1","0","0","","2014-01-01 01:33:58","7","P Supplies","P Supplies^SUB P","Taxable Goods","1"


    WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST/RECOMMENDED way to just make changes?

    Do I need to export all products, open in open office, make changes, save, and then upload and import entire file again?

    To make it simpler and to avoid chance of accidental changes, and MOST importantly to keep inventory accurate, my idea was to export, download, open, delete all columns except for 3 columns v_products_model, v_products_description, and v_products_notes (custom field), make my updates and changes, save, upload, and import.... thinking that ALL products and ALL fields will remain the same EXCEPT for the changes I made to SOME products for SOME of those 3 fields. But, it sounds like you recommend different/EP4 is designed different than what i am thinking for updating existing products.
    Zen Cart 1.5.3, Database Patch Level: 1.5.3
    Server OS: Linux 2.6.32, Database: MySQL 5.5.41
    HTTP Server: Apache, PHP Version: 5.4.37

  3. #1863
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    16,789
    Plugin Contributions
    17

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    I think your question was clear, so I provided the requirements that must be met. How they are met is up to the updater.

    So there is issue of making changes, making unintentional changes and there is the issue of potentially undesired addition of products.

    Product is added when a model number is provided that doesn't already exist. (Don't change a model number, don't add a product with a new model number if no product is to be added.) Not exactly a product addition, but by changing a category/sub-category assigned to a product will provide a linked version of the product. Download of a linked product will look like there are two products with the same model number... Change of the first without change of the second (with both still in the upload file) will result in the product having the last version of the changed/non-changed data. See below.

    A product is updated (whether any change is made or not) if a row exists with a model number that exists in the database. It also gets updated to the last row of data that has the same model number as one that already exists (don't duplicate model numbers in the store, won't update the model numbered product with the last row of data found.) Further, if a model number is blank after a model numbered product, then I thought that the previous model numbered product would get updated with that data. (Don't have a blank model number, but also see the previous about adding a model number.)

    Then there is the minimum columns for which EP4 expects in order to update the desired column(s). Currently the code requires the product name column in order to process the product description. There are a few other similar minimum requirements, but those were not asked about nor would they impact the column(s) described as needing to be updated. So to update the description of a product, the products name must be one of the columns included.

    So, of the few thousand products to be updated, all but the rows to be updated could be removed from the file being uploaded. Therefore the list of items to be touched would be reduced to just those to be edited. (Filter on the data by category, model number starting with, description contains, etc... And keep/remove the resulting rows placing them on some other sheet/csv file.)

    Then as for column reduction/ease of editing, either all of the columns end up remainging "adjacent" to the original data, but visually separated during editing so as to minimize accidentally clicking in a field, or all columns except for the minimum to achieve the desired upload as required by the code are removed.

    Regardless, it is not a download, change, update one field only one time and blindly upload process... There are some criteria that have to be met in order to meet the desired: no additions, no inadvertent changes, make the desired changes requirements...

    If you have no linked products, all products have a model number and every model number is unique, no product quantities change between the download and reupload, and you only change the description field, then yes could download, open in open office, save in the format to be read, and upload the new file, then it could be that simple... (Hint, probably going to want to remove the quantity field/column in the upload file unless the inventory is also part of the upload update.)

    On the issue of instructions, there are generic instructions in the wiki on using Easy Populate in general. None of those instructions get into the details of which columns must remain/can be deleted. It is not anticipated that such detailed instructions will exist (ZC periodically adds/modifies table field names, and this way it is not up to the instructions to pin-point a field, but how it interfaces with the store) and is why it is suggested to 1) try the desired changes on a test store to validate results especially when starting out with developing the process that works for a specific store, and 2) to backup the store's database before uploading/updating with EP4.
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  4. #1864
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    91
    Plugin Contributions
    0

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Thank you for such a complete answer. I went back and read it a second time to help it sink in good...

    I do have 1 last (hopefully last) question about importing and exporting, and it is in regards to certain characters in the v_products_model, v_products_name_1, and v_products_description_1.

    I sell parts (thousands of different ones), and I'm finally getting around to adding product lines that use decimals and fractions in the v_products_model, and I will also need to use the part numbers in the v_products_name_1 and v_products_description_1 columns too.

    I do NOT use attributes, nor options, nor linked products, nor will I ever (if that matters), and ONLY use English.

    Can the period/decimal point be used in these fields (v_products_model = "A10.7" for example), and can ¼, ½, and ¾ be used (v_products_model = "B10½" for example)? And if so, what is recommended, the characters directly (¼, ½, and ¾), or the html "&frac14" "&frac12" and "&frac34" ?

    Thank you again
    Zen Cart 1.5.3, Database Patch Level: 1.5.3
    Server OS: Linux 2.6.32, Database: MySQL 5.5.41
    HTTP Server: Apache, PHP Version: 5.4.37

  5. #1865
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    16,789
    Plugin Contributions
    17

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Although I have read at least once that periods may need to be escaped (\ put in front of the character to escape) I have not seen issue with using a period in the text fields without such an escape. (Notice also the direction of the slash, it is what is often called a backslash and located near the backspace key of a "typical" keyboard US version anyways.) If you go and start using quotes and single quotes, then you will more than likely need to escape those.

    As for the use of numbers with slashes, or "generated" versions of them, I would recommend the html version, but doesn't hurt to also try and see what types of results you get. (Test site right?) May give you an opportunity to do more with it as well, could surround the character(s) with span tags. And the use CSS on the products pages to do more, etc.... Maybe some others that have gone one route or the other have some ideas/can share their experience.. :)

    Yeah that's one of the things about EP4, I kinda think of it as pumped up ZC... And while is relatively easy to use, has it's own set of rules to follow, but as you do know or will soon find out allows large/several changes at ones fingertips. :)
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  6. #1866
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1,031
    Plugin Contributions
    0

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Is there a way to export/import products with a reference to the additional images that are defined by image handler? Right now when I import it back to another zen cart, I only retain the main image.
    Live and learn... the Zen way.

  7. #1867
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    16,789
    Plugin Contributions
    17

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Quote Originally Posted by mydanilo View Post
    Is there a way to export/import products with a reference to the additional images that are defined by image handler? Right now when I import it back to another zen cart, I only retain the main image.
    The "main" image is all that is ever in the database. To get the other images, they would need to be loaded/transferred from one site to the other through ftp. Image Handler then does it's magic on the base file(s) to create the resized images for display. There is nothing further that EP4 does with the images other than populate the database with the location at which the main image is expected.to be found, whether there or not.
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  8. #1868
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1,031
    Plugin Contributions
    0

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    OK, so if these are new products to be imported and additional images are at hand I would have to name them with xy_01.jpg and next xy_02.jpg if the main image is xy.jpg. Correct? How about resizing, do I have to upload correct sizes or will IH still kick in and do the resizing for me? If IH does the resizing, I could upload all images in my largest wanted size, let's say 700x700px.

    Edit: I just tried and uploaded the extra pictures with the correct naming and they are now showing up. Thank you for the IH lesson! I should have really known that,
    Last edited by mydanilo; 3 Mar 2015 at 08:26 PM.
    Live and learn... the Zen way.

  9. #1869
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    16,789
    Plugin Contributions
    17

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    Quote Originally Posted by mydanilo View Post
    OK, so if these are new products to be imported and additional images are at hand I would have to name them with xy_01.jpg and next xy_02.jpg if the main image is xy.jpg. Correct? How about resizing, do I have to upload correct sizes or will IH still kick in and do the resizing for me? If IH does the resizing, I could upload all images in my largest wanted size, let's say 700x700px.
    Filenaming: correct
    IH resizing: truly appropriate to ask in the applicable forum for the version run, but yes it will resize as necessary.
    Largest image: that is the intent of IH, but there are limits of the software IH calls for resizing. Again applicable to address in the applicable IH forum (version 4 for ZC 1.5.x)
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  10. #1870
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1,031
    Plugin Contributions
    0

    Default Re: Using EP4 to update existing products

    I am trying to import a few items with new categories. Getting the following error:
    SKIPPED! - Model: xxxxxx - No category provided for this new product

    There is a category provided in the cvs as I exported it from another zen cart. Just does not want to take it.

    So I then tried to just export categories and import at the new one. Complaining too.
    SKIPPED! - Category ID: 62 - Not Found!
    So I thought maybe if the category does not exist yet I need to delete the Cat ID field from my import, well that did not work ether. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
    Live and learn... the Zen way.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. Hebrew Support - latest release [Support Thread]
    By eranariel in forum Addon Language Packs
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 23 Jan 2023, 08:04 AM
  2. BackUp ZC [Support Thread]
    By skipwater in forum All Other Contributions/Addons
    Replies: 285
    Last Post: 23 Dec 2020, 10:40 AM
  3. Wordpress On ZC [Support Thread]
    By hira in forum All Other Contributions/Addons
    Replies: 1858
    Last Post: 17 Jan 2014, 01:24 AM
  4. ZJ Black 2 support thread
    By Liamv in forum Addon Templates
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 15 Feb 2010, 02:53 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
disjunctive-egg
Zen-Cart, Internet Selling Services, Klamath Falls, OR