EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[jeking]

What is/was the method of verifying no attributes applied to product?

The A icon is black, not teal. Going to Attributes Controller also confirms no attributes exist.

[mc12345678]

The A icon is black, not teal. Going to Attributes Controller also confirms no attributes exist.

@jeking,
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Having difficulty reproducing the issue identified.
Here is the testing that I performed:
1. Created a new product (used ZC admin to do this for testing expediency.) gave the product the following unique Model#: ##add_attributes_EP4
2. Exported a basic attributes file.
3. Deleted all but one entry within a text editor, changed the model# of the one entry to the above Model#.
4. Imported the file.
5. Uploaded the file and had the following results:

NEW ATTRIBUTE! - Model: add_attributes_EP4, Option: Size,Values: S,M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL

Updated records: 0
New Imported records: 1
Errors Detected: 1
Warnings Detected: 0
Memory Usage: 745496
Memory Peak: 1930920
Execution Time: 0 seconds.
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6. Then tried using a model # that didn't exist in the database with all of the same information:

SKIPPED! - Model: add_attributes_EP4_2 - Not Found! Unable to apply attributes.

7. Then tried using the original file from above (no modification to the existing attributes before import) but changed the##v_products_options_type field to a value that didn't exist:

UPDATED ATTRIBUTE! - Model: add_attributes_EP4 Option: Size, Values: S,M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL‎
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8. Then added a new option value to the same entry that had a non-existent option name type:

NEW ATTRIBUTE! - Model: add_attributes_EP4, Option: Size,Values: S,M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL,XXXXL

So, I'm a smidge at a loss about what's going on. Can't be an admin/catalog database discrepancy, because EP4 uses the same database as the admin. There is a report that some of the error catching/data reporting does need some work, but the above report(s) of checking the data indicates that the assignment of attributes did not occur. Might want to look at the database directly as well, but not sure what action(s) would need to be attempted to identify the update (which sounds like the product already had attributes assigned) as being performed but it not making any change.

[jeking]

Here's the thing that stick out to me. When importing, the message is:

UPDATED! - Model: JimJim | 23997 | Todler Siz | 2T,3T,4T,4 |

The attribute name is 'Todler Size:' not 'Todler Siz'

I checked the attribute name in the db, hoping to find some odd character or spacing, but no.

I tried exporting from the retail site, adding an attribute value and importing back into the retail site. I get the same issue above of the message saying UPDATED but the attribute name being wrong.

I'm using Open Office and even opened the csv file in a text editor to confirm the file formatting is correct.

It seems as if it's reading the csv file incorrectly, but that doesn't make sense. Any way to test or troubleshoot the import process? Meaning is there a way to determine where the attribute name is getting mis-read?

[mc12345678]

How wrong are the attribute names? Always only so wide (x characters?) is there an indication in the upper right corner about mb_string or some similar function not be supported.

The basic attribute import is performed in admin/easypopulate_4_attrib.php. Now in review of that file, I see that I didn't update the queries like I did everywhere else, but I also just tried an import with Todler size: as the option name and had no truncation...##
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Some reasons that truncation can occur (come to mind anyways) are, 1) unescaped characters that get processed as some other character, but if such a character "combination" were a sql problem, then it should be reported as an error. 2) the option name field is shorter than the text length‎ though even so, the data should appear in the database even if truncated. 3) in part wondering if the truncation is merely visual with the full document(s) available but for some other reason not actually lmported.

One thing not discussed, but I suspect is correct, the filename when this issue has been occurring. Up to and including the letters ep, is it in anyway different than what was downloaded? The end of the filename can be whaterver is allowable by the storage system, but the beginning (capitalization not included) needs to match that of the filter to be applied.

[jeking]

One thing not discussed, but I suspect is correct, the filename when this issue has been occurring. Up to and including the letters ep, is it in anyway different than what was downloaded? The end of the filename can be whaterver is allowable by the storage system, but the beginning (capitalization not included) needs to match that of the filter to be applied.

Never assume...you know what they say. That was the issue, I had not followed the proper naming convention. When I do, it works! Imagine that.

Follow-up question. Is there a way to export/import an product with attributes in one file? As it stands, it's two steps and two files currently.

[mc12345678]

Never assume...you know what they say. That was the issue, I had not followed the proper naming convention. When I do, it works! Imagine that.

Follow-up question. Is there a way to export/import an product with attributes in one file? As it stands, it's two steps and two files currently.

Well, it got me thinking, thought perhaps after the last issue that was discussed in the instructions and overlooked would have prompted reading the instructions.

Yes it is possible, but is it truly desireable?
Small example, table 1 has two fields. One is the primary key, the other is the data. Table 2 also has two fields, one field is the primary key, the other is a data field but that field represents rows of data. So:
T1:
f1, f2
1, x
2, y
3, z
4, w

T2:
F1, F2
1, a,b,c
2, d,e,f
3, a,b,c
4, g,h,i

Now the resulting table (spreadsheet) for combining the two:
F1(f1), f2,F2split
1, x, a
1, x, b
1, x, c
2, y, d
2, y, e
2, y, f
3, z, a
3, z, b
3, z, c
4, w, g
4, w, h
4, w, i

Now, which one of these scenarios is easier to address, understand, and not necessarily make a mistake? Also, to accomplish the same functionality as existing, every upload of the attributes would require all attributes to be included every time in their entirety otherwise the absence of an attribute row would cause deletion of that attribute. Further, on each row every piece of data would have to be compared against the applicable table(s) for existence then update or add the additional data applicable. Sure alternatively can bring information into memory and do a comparison from that perspective instead of a sql statement for each evolution with the applicable data eventually applied with an appropriate sql statement.

This particular approach becomes resource and time intensive. If you have looked back a few pages you'll see that there is an add-on to EP4 to support the product type bookx. That code takes an approach like this. The individual that worked hard to put it together. Thing is, as anticipated because of taking this "do it all at once" approach the processing is slow. At one point the thought was expressed that it is somehow ZCs fault, but it has nothing to do with ZC as one can see in review of the EP4 code EP4 more directly interfaces with mySql than it does with ZC and ZC doesn't "control" mySql, just interfaces with it.

The approach that chadderuski took in development of EP4 more closely matches the original database tables and is why such large bulk changes can be made so quickly. There is a "trade-off" of using this approach. For onsey, twosey updates, it may not be worth the effort to split the input to such simple tables and it may be more worth doing the update within ZC. But in mass quantities, EP4 is a huge savings.... just sayin'

[hamagawa]

The first time when I access .../easypopulate_4.php, it show this.


Then I edit easypopulate_4.php and remove line 100.


And the pages is working now.



What wrong actually? Any solution to solve this other than I remove line 100?
Thank you.

[mc12345678]

The first image didn't provide any useful information to diagnose the problem, but having removed the require for the language file and seeing the results of removing the language's load line, it would appear that you're missing the language file in the admin/languages/YOUR_LANGUAGE/ directory...

Also, the code could be written to check for the existence of the language file and if not found default to the English language like other aspects of ZC. I'll add that to the list of changes for the next change.

[AZComp]

I am trying to import a file I exported just to test and which I click import I just get a blank page. I have tried searching this thread but I was unabel to find a similar problem.


Install of Zen Cart and easy populate are both freshly installed yesterday

Contents of the file are as such
for some reason I cannot attach the file so sorry this is the only way I can figure how to display it.

v_products_model	v_products_type	v_products_image	v_products_name_1	v_products_description_1	v_products_url_1	v_specials_price	v_specials_date_avail	v_specials_expires_date	v_products_price	v_products_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_always_free_shipping	v_date_avail	v_date_added	v_products_quantity	v_manufacturers_name	v_categories_name_1	v_tax_class_title	v_status	v_metatags_products_name_status	v_metatags_title_status	v_metatags_model_status	v_metatags_price_status	v_metatags_title_tagline_status	v_metatags_title_1	v_metatags_keywords_1	v_metatags_description_1
RM1-1043-000B	1		RM1-1043-000B	HP LaserJet 4345mfp Fuser Assembly					0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0		4/22/2016 16:18	50		Printers & Printer Parts	--none--	1	0	0	0	0	0

Thank you in advance!

[mc12345678]

From where did you obtain the EP4 fileset?

Is the information above copied from the file itself (.csv file) or from your data sheet editor?

A blank screen should result in an error log being generated in the logs directory. Feel free to post the contents, but also be sure to obscure your admin folder name (replace with admin).