Things every New Zenner needs to know

[worldmaker]

Not sure I am in the right location for this, but I am very new to programming and new to editing websites. ... could or will atleast help me get started in editing.

Looking forwards to hearing from someone

Thanks again

Mike
http://outdoorsuppliesandmore.com/in...&products_id=1

Mike,

1. Buy the book on Zen Cart, it's advertised all round the site here, at the top, and is invaluable for any novice to learn your way through the system.

2. Read lots of posts on the key subjects that interest you.

3. Create a second copy of your shop on the same host, if they'll allow a second database, folders, etc., so you can play around with it, learn the ropes, make mistakes, without damaging your prime site.

4. Experiment, explore, test. And test, experiment, explore.

5. THEN ask a few questions about the key features.

6. DO NOT play with importing extensions until you're confident with how the core system and the template system works.

7. READ through the entire thread on a subject before you jump in with questions - often a questions is asked and answered on the more mature threads, even if you do have to read thirty pages of threads first.

8. DON'T RUSH. It takes time to understand and explore every nuance of the system.

9. Smile. And "sunscreen, trust me on the sunscreen"

[SqueakeyCat]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa am a very big newb and don't know the slightest thing about php or anything that is more complicated than html.

am very extremely frustrated to the point of tears working on my shop

PLEASE HELP

[worldmaker]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa am a very big newb and don't know the slightest thing about php or anything that is more complicated than html.

am very extremely frustrated to the point of tears working on my shop

PLEASE HELP

Little Grasshopper,

Mastery of Zen: Read My previous post #701

[SqueakeyCat]

Little Grasshopper,

Mastery of Zen: Read My previous post #701

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand php at all. I had the staff members of where I have my site at try to help me put up a different template, than what comes with zc when you first install it...problem is, they don't even know how to add a new template....

today, I had to have them totally reset the store, because while editing it per set up instructions tutorial from one of the members/admin/owners (don't remember now, but it has 6 pages to it), i somehow wiped out the whole page, including everything I had on it originally.

so please, if you can give me a "baby's tutorial" help with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kim

squeakeycat.net/shop (the only thing i have is the original template there now...waaaaaaaaaaaaa)

[PetleyJ]

Many thanks for this thread. Learned a couple of new things buy reading this.

James

[gjh42]

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand php at all.

You don't need to understand PHP to set up Zen Cart or make basic customizations... or even install a lot of the mods. You just need to be able to follow instructions. Many people have difficulty with this. It does help a lot to know your way around your computer, and if you want to change colors, fonts, alignments, etc. you need to know some CSS.

[Johs]

Not sure if whoever needs this answer will find it here, but i've spent HOURS frustratingly trying to solve a problem and finally found a solution:

All the tutorials say to edit the /YourTemplateName/Stylesheet.css BUT also make a backup. I made a backup, I called it StylesheetBACKUP.css

Now all you pro's might be wincing, but what does the system do? It reads EVERY .css starting with the name Stylesheet, and then StylesheetXXX, etc.

Meaning that AFTER it loads my stylesheet, it THEN loads my "backup" stylesheet replacing EVERY variable, and nothing I ever edit makes any real changes. You have to rename your backup something that does NOT begin with "stylesheet".

There's no way to know, but in searching for the "how the heck do I edit anything" I found hundreds of people asking the same question, ie "I edit the stylesheet, nothing happens, what am I doing wrong" and this could be the solution to most of them.

[worldmaker]

Not sure if whoever needs this answer will find it here, but i've spent HOURS frustratingly trying to solve a problem and finally found a solution:

All the tutorials say to edit the /YourTemplateName/Stylesheet.css BUT also make a backup. I made a backup, I called it StylesheetBACKUP.css

Now all you pro's might be wincing, but what does the system do? ...

Yes, wincing...

A good discipline used by all programmes would be to rename: MyStylesheet.css to MyStylesheet.bak
This is the normal way of preventing any executable from reading any .css you don't want it to read.

This rule applies to any application using any component file, eg. My.dll becomes My.dll-BAK etc., etc....

[hunteryz]

I just use zencart for 3 weeks, the version of my is 1.3.9h i do have a lot of questions,hope can resovled from here

[DivaVocals]

I just use zencart for 3 weeks, the version of my is 1.3.9h i do have a lot of questions,hope can resovled from here

Well this thread isn't the "ask all my Zen Cart questions here" thread.. but this forum certainly is a good place to get answer.. You can start by getting to know the forums searching features to find answers to questions you may have..


From the Posting Tips:

• HAVE YOU LOOKED IN THE FAQ AREA for answers to your question? (ie: a search for your error message or what you want to edit/change, etc)
• Have you searched the FORUM for your error message or for answers to the question you're asking?

Also read the "Before You Post" and "Forum Do's and Don'ts" to be sure you provide at least the basics of information in your post. The more detail you supply, the more likely you'll get a usable answer. If you don't give enough information then you'll likely just get a reply asking for more info, or worse: no reply at all. We'd rather give excellent answers than have to ask you more questions!