FTP sites and logo/image uploading

[fully3]

I think i'm going round in circles looking through the forums but basically what i'd like to know is ?
1. Do i need to download an FTP client before i can upload my logo to my shopping cart and also download multiple images for products ?
2. If so , anyone recommend a good FTP client ?
3. I've looked at Ajeh's guide to adding multiple images but still lives me a little bit lost so maybe is there an idiots guide ?

Thanks in advance

[schoolboy]

How did you get your shop uploaded and installed to start with?

Did you use "fantastico"?

If your shop is functioning correctly, it would be inadvisable to use fantastico to upload additional files, etc.

Filezilla is a good (free) ftp program. I use the commercially available WSftpPro from Ipswitch.

To manage file transfers to and from your server, you must use a reliable ftp program.

[fully3]

hi school boy
we chose rentacart to host our shop so we dont have to upload our website.
i guess zencart is used both by customers creating there own shop and companies like rentacart who provide the front end and host everything.

Should i address logo's and multiple images with them rather tha zencart then ?

with regards to filezilla , once downloaded , is it easy then to create multiple images for your shop items ?

[schoolboy]

I've not heard of rentacart, so I can't comment on how they configure their services.

In my experience, zen cart needs full user management capability - where YOU are in total control of:-

• your DOMAIN (commonly managed by a HTTP feature such as C-PANEL or equivalent)

• your DATABASE (managed by C-panel, AND something like phpMyAdmin - the latter usually accessed through C-Panel)

• your folders and files (through the FTP protocol)

If your host does not provide you with these THREE fundamental management interfaces, then you should not host your site with them if you intend using zen cart (or any other sophisticated e-commerce engine).

As I say, I do not know what rentacart offers, but with many hosts, if what they offer sounds "too-good-to-be-true", it's advisable to be a little wary of them.

[fully3]

ok , i have access to cpanel area provided by renta-cart and the database within cpanel. Not sure where the php admin is . what does php stand for ? i think i have access to the files and folders and i remember uploading a picture today.

Is it a simple case of pointing the two areas to each other ?

[schoolboy]

Not sure where the php admin is . what does php stand for ?

Okay... you have a bit of learning ahead of you.

The features I described earlier are fundamental webmaster tools and my advice now is for you to find some tutorials on the internet that explain these features, and how they work.

php, to put it basically, is a scripting code that works (generally) in conjunction with a database.

It enables DYNAMIC content to be called from a variety of places - the database, an image file, a url, a piece of text, etc - and be cobbled together into a html page which is then visible in a browser (such as Internet Explorer).

Zen Cart functions on the principles of php scripting, operating in tandem with other features - mainly a database that runs off MySQL.

phpMyAdmin is a tool to MANAGE and CONFIGURE this database, and while it is unlikely that you will ever need to do detailed management, when things go wrong (and they occasionally do), it is helpful to at least understand the principles of what makes your webshop work.

If you are very new too all these concepts, buy the new book (advertised on this website) as it will give you a good grounding in zen cart. This will make understanding the more complex stuff much easier when you need to start making detailed changes to your webshop.