.php Files where information is stored

[PrepperCheffer]

Hey so I added some new products. I do alot of editing via .php editor then upload them via back end using filezilla.

When I add a new product (Example: Pink Sparkle Pen) Where and by what name is the .php file that keeps this info in my backend? So that if I want to edit the name from Pink Sparkle Pen to Pink Glitter Pen and then just reload up the .php page via file zilla I can?

Same thing for my optional names and option values? If I add an option name of "Add Chili" what .php file is that under and where is it located?

Same thing. I have two values under chili. "None" and "yes add Chili for" Where are these values kept in the .php page and by what name?

I looked under the main admin folder. There are .php pages called option_name.php and option_values.php but these appear to be to set up the way the option name and values add to pages work and look like. Not where the actual information itself is kept once they are made.

Hope I was clear.

It is also so that if I wanted to copy my product "information" page to add all my products to say 2 or 3 more sites under different zencarts, can't i just upload the photos and the this same product page that has all my products info versus adding each individual product to each individual zen cart?

[mc12345678]

So, I see that you're a new user. Good to get out there and start asking questions. Not entirely sure where in the docs it might best to start, though perhaps at the what every Zen Cart user should know item. The docs can be found at the link above or by going to docs.zen-cart.com.

Anyways, in short there are two major aspects that make up Zen Cart. Software and data. The software are all those .php along with many other file types that you see when you ftp into the server. The data is maintained in the database. Sometimes software can override data, sometimes data overrides software, just depends on how it all fits together. Anyways, the things you enter/edit from the admin screen gets placed in the database and then when someone visits a page related to that information it is presented through the template after it has been processed through a myriad of other pieces of software.

Mostly what you are looking for is to be able to "backup" and "restore" either parts of your data or the entire store. There are multiple ways to address just pieces and parts such as just product, just attributes, etc... the "best" way tends to come from how you plan to operate (either the one store, multiple stores or transferring information around). Would suggest looking through the various plugins, ask questions (when doing so identify your goals and be prepared for more questions). Those that post here do so because they want to for whatever reason. A huge majority want to see you be successful. *begin joking* provided you are not in direct competition with them. *end joking* There are all sorts of folk on here and continuing to be willing to learn will likely help you go far.

[PrepperCheffer]

So, I see that you're a new user. Good to get out there and start asking questions. Not entirely sure where in the docs it might best to start, though perhaps at the what every Zen Cart user should know item. The docs can be found at the link above or by going to docs.zen-cart.com.

I;m not really new to zencart. I have used and modified zencart for nearly 10 plus years. I'm just new to the forum for asking questions. I typically google "zen cart remove previous next buttons on product list page" and will find the answer and go do it.

But I have looked and looked for these answers ant can't find them so I created an account to ask. Like when I add attributes to the back end of the cart.... where are those then stored in the .php pages to modify via .php.

It sounds like you are saying these things like product images can be uploaded through ftp in the images file, and tpl_product display would be an editable .php page you can modify then upload via ftp. But things like attribute names and options or product pages where the description and price and info is held is data and not downloadable and up loadable through ftp?

[DrByte]

Products/attributes/categories/customers/orders/coupons/banners/ etc are all stored in the database, not in PHP files. The PHP files are used to perform the logic for reading/writing with the database and creating input forms in the browser for editing that data or outputting the retrieved data in a format usable by the end-user (whether that be the storeowner or a customer).

So, to be clear: NO product data is stored in .php files.

There's no "FTP upload" for product information. Use the browser via the Admin panel to do the editing of product information.

[PrepperCheffer]

So, to be clear: NO product data is stored in .php files.

There's no "FTP upload" for product information. Use the browser via the Admin panel to do the editing of product information.

Well that stinks. That means if I have 10 sites I sell the same product on I will have to add products one at a time to all 10 sites. Wish it were simpler. Wish I could add all products to one site, download that data info and upload it to the other 9 sites. Would make things a lot easier.

Ok thank you for the clarification!

[mc12345678]

Well that stinks. That means if I have 10 sites I sell the same product on I will have to add products one at a time to all 10 sites. Wish it were simpler. Wish I could add all products to one site, download that data info and upload it to the other 9 sites. Would make things a lot easier.

Ok thank you for the clarification!

Neither of us said THAT... clarification was given 1) about a process that would relate to what is finally being asked with the proper terminology and 2) about what performs operations, what a php file is and how the files interact with the data...

Again, you basically are wanting to backup and restore data from the database. Further again, how detailed or not are you wanting that backup and restore to be?

Put another way, when you last upgraded your store (please tell me that in the last 10+ years you've upgraded at least a couple of times), what process did you follow? Did you happen to upgrade by rebuild? Did you create a new database to which a copy of the old database was uploaded?

[lat9]

Well that stinks. That means if I have 10 sites I sell the same product on I will have to add products one at a time to all 10 sites. Wish it were simpler. Wish I could add all products to one site, download that data info and upload it to the other 9 sites. Would make things a lot easier.

Ok thank you for the clarification!

Once you've created the product on one site, you can use either the Database I/O Manager or EZ Populate to create a .csv file export from that store to import to another.

Note, however, that there's no guarantee that the products_id will be the same on the second and subsequent sites.

[mc12345678]

Well that stinks. That means if I have 10 sites I sell the same product on I will have to add products one at a time to all 10 sites. Wish it were simpler. Wish I could add all products to one site, download that data info and upload it to the other 9 sites. Would make things a lot easier.

Ok thank you for the clarification!

Once you've created the product on one site, you can use either the Database I/O Manager or EZ Populate to create a .csv file export from that store to import to another.

Note, however, that there's no guarantee that the products_id will be the same on the second and subsequent sites.

To that would recommend if looking for "EZ populate" (all applications thus far stated are a variant of that concept), to use Easypopulate V4.

[PrepperCheffer]

Once you've created the product on one site, you can use either the Database I/O Manager or EZ Populate to create a .csv file export from that store to import to another.

Note, however, that there's no guarantee that the products id will be the same on the second and subsequent sites.

Ok so let's say I get 200 products added to this site www.prepcheffer.com. Now I want to copy all my products and all my attribute choices to www.preppercheffer.com and www.theprepchef.com and www.chefprep.com for example. Now I can install a zen cart on all these .coms. I can modify the look to match www.prepcheffer.com by reloading up my includes folders, images folder, and template folder.

However downloading my zencart for precheffer.com and loading it up to the other zen carts only modifys the general look to match. It does not load up my attribute I made on prepcheffer.com or the products. The product images are there under the general images folder, but not those products I made.

So what you are saying is then after that I then back up the products themselves using Database I/O or EZ Populate (which may back up a portion but may not back up all of them.)

Now question where is the EX Populate? I see EZ page Configuration and GZIP Compression under Configuration and EZ Pages under tools.

Also second question... when I back up those products under EZ Populate, that will only back up like the product id, product image (once the images folder is reloaded to new zen cart) product description and price. I will STILL have to re do the attributes to match on each site manually and then populate them to an entire folder. The EX Populate won't copy the attributes correct? The attributes I'm talking about are these

http://prepcheffer.com/index.php?mai...&products_id=3

Thank You so much for your answers!

[DrByte]

1. What's the difference between each of these separate domains?
2. What's the business plan that makes "duplicate content" beneficial?
3. Why not just redirect each domain-name to the "main" domain?

(The answers to these questions affect the answers to other technical questions you're asking or issues that will arise by doing what you're talking about.)