EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[mc12345678]

Oh and as for the dropdown selections. Leaving the status as is only exports active products. To export all product the status needs to be changed to all. Otherwise disabled product will not be exported.

[Zean]

So, besides that the error notification needs a touch up, the issue comes down to this. It would appear that the transfer of detailed attributes from one store to another is not as robust as the remaining aspects. But one can with some manual data management make the transition.

See, the data used by EP4 on import of the detailed attribute file is directly related to the database assigned designations. This is likely to be different in one store when compared to another.

So in one store where the products_id is 10, in the other it may be 15. Then the attributes parts may also each have their own unique/different designation.

Thus when uploading the detailed attributes file, if the four pieces of information used to identify the specific attribute, then the attribute is considered not found and no update is performed. This is an update evolution not an insert (other than it will insert download file information if otherwise not pre-existing).

So, in order to do such a database to database transfer (which really it is still suggested to use the standard upgrade/store transfer process instead), the previous two files need to be used in addition to a current export of the detailed file of the current store in order to modify all of the identifying characteristics of the original detailed file in order for all of the key aspects to line up with the desired change(s). Some of this could have been made "easier" if the products_id was used as the primary key (making a "mirror" of the existing site) but still would have required modification of a few of the other attribute portions.

Doable, but currently a pain...

Are these the four pieces of information used to identify the specific attribute which you are are referring to?

v_products_attributes_id
v_products_id
v_options_id
v_options_values_id

For your convenience here's the complete list of Easy Populate 4.0.35.ZC - 04-29-2016 with attrib patch
Detailed Products Attributes (detailed multi-line) Download
Export csv column names from the Attrib-Detailed-EP file . . .

v_products_attributes_id
v_products_id
v_products_model
v_options_id
v_products_options_name
v_products_options_type
v_options_values_id
v_products_options_values_name
v_options_values_price
v_price_prefix
v_products_options_sort_order
v_product_attribute_is_free
v_products_attributes_weight
v_products_attributes_weight_prefix
v_attributes_display_only
v_attributes_default
v_attributes_discounted
v_attributes_image
v_attributes_price_base_included
v_attributes_price_onetime
v_attributes_price_factor
v_attributes_price_factor_offset
v_attributes_price_factor_onetime
v_attributes_price_factor_onetime_offset
v_attributes_qty_prices
v_attributes_qty_prices_onetime
v_attributes_price_words
v_attributes_price_words_free
v_attributes_price_letters
v_attributes_price_letters_free
v_attributes_required
v_products_attributes_filename
v_products_attributes_maxdays
v_products_attributes_maxcount

[mc12345678]

While I did not go line for line through the entire list, the four items are correct and the rest look correct.

[Zean]

So, in order to do such a database to database transfer . . .

I think there is a misunderstanding of what I'm trying to accomplish. I am trying to learn how to take a set of products/categories (including their detailed attributes info) from one store and add them to another store. So, as a first step in learning how to do this, for simplicity I tried in the above example to just go ahead and import all the products/categories including their detailed attributes and I failed.

So, maybe it is less confusing if I ask the direct question . . .

What is the procedure for getting a set of products including their detailed attributes from one store into another store?

[mc12345678]

I think there is a misunderstanding of what I'm trying to accomplish. I am trying to learn how to take a set of products/categories (including their detailed attributes info) from one store and add them to another store. So, as a first step in learning how to do this, for simplicity I tried in the above example to just go ahead and import all the products/categories including their detailed attributes and I failed.

So, maybe it is less confusing if I ask the direct question . . .

What is the procedure for getting a set of products including their detailed attributes from one store into another store?

Export the database of the old store (phpmyadmin), import the database into a new/equivalent (not older) store, upload zc_install for the version of the destination store. Access the new store using zc_install on the path, provide the admin credentials of the old store. Select database upgrade. That is the basic "upgrade" ones site instruction that is probably better described here.

If the other additional information is not desired, then would still suggest a similar process but use an intermediate "site" on which to upgrade the database, then to export the applicable product table data (multiple tables) and import to the new store (replacing existing content).

Otherwise up to the point of detailing the attributes with the extra data, EP4 at least carries over the "basics" of the product when trying to do such a move. The last step requires a bit of shuffling.

[Zean]

If the other additional information is not desired, then would still suggest a similar process but use an intermediate "site" on which to upgrade the database, then to export the applicable product table data (multiple tables) and import to the new store (replacing existing content).

Thank you. I apologize for not being clearer, but please allow me to continue to try. I asked, "What is the procedure for getting a set of products including their detailed attributes from one store into another store?"

To further clarify, they are both existing stores and both have existing products. So, I do not want to "replace existing content" nor destroy any content in the 2nd store. For clarity, let's call that store, "Store 2" instead of "new store," since it is not a new store.

Definitions -
Store 1 is the store with the desirable subset of products (many of which have attributes). I think of it as the "Donor store."
Store 2 is the store that wants to sell a subset of Store 1's products. I think of it as the "Recipient store."

What is the procedure for getting the set of products including their detailed attributes from Store 1 into another Store 2?

[mc12345678]

Thank you. I apologize for not being clearer, but please allow me to continue to try. I asked, "What is the procedure for getting a set of products including their detailed attributes from one store into another store?"

To further clarify, they are both existing stores and both have existing products. So, I do not want to "replace existing content" nor destroy any content in the 2nd store. For clarity, let's call that store, "Store 2" instead of "new store," since it is not a new store.

Definitions -
Store 1 is the store with the desirable subset of products (many of which have attributes). I think of it as the "Donor store."
Store 2 is the store that wants to sell a subset of Store 1's products. I think of it as the "Recipient store."

What is the procedure for getting the set of products including their detailed attributes from Store 1 into another Store 2?

So, I'm going to stick with describing how one could do this with EP4 at the moment. Another method that comes to mind would be to "simply" export the various attributes related tables and make changes to them to match up with what is available in store 2 and then import the new/revised data. Not what I would consider a quick task.

Regarding EP4. If store 1 has a unique model # for each product and the option names are unique (only one instance of the option name in all of the option names), then the import of the first two files has populated store 2 with all of the attributes of the product from store 1. What is missing though is the detail associated with each attribute. So, to update store 2's attribute details, a file has to be generated such that each of the four primary keys match an existing entry in the attributes table. So, how to accomplish this?

Here's what I see. It is possible at this point to export the detailed attributes from both store 1 (already have) and store 2. Each of these has text versions of the option names and option values names. The model number is whatever it is and the products_attributes_id is expected to be unique to each store.

So what I would do would be to sort the data in both detailed lists on three fields in the same "order" (either ascending or descending but make it the same on both spreadsheets) such that sorted by products_model, then option_name, and then option_value_name.
Then pick the method/location desired, but the goal is to eliminate from the list for store 2 any product that is not in store 1. This would be by a comparison of products_model. For now, also eliminate from store 1 any row that doesn't have a model #. (will have to address that separately because really that product never got uploaded to store 2, but at least the list should be small.)
Then begin moving entire rows as necessary such that the row in store 1 lines up with the row of store 2 by first comparing option names then option value names. Provided nothing "new" has been done with store 2, these should line up exactly.
Then once all have been lined up, copy the primary field data from store 2 over the data of the same field for store 1. Once all four columns are copied, save the file as the csv file to be uploaded and then imported into store 2.

Obviously through this process you'll want to save a backup of the file(s) to minimize any rework. Keep in mind the filenaming convention needed by the plugin.

And with that, the new file when uploaded and imported to store 2 should have store 2 with the same attributes and details of attributes as store 1.

[Zean]

And with that, the new file when uploaded and imported to store 2 should have store 2 with the same attributes and details of attributes as store 1.

Indeed! It worked! I would like to send a little love in the form of Bitcoin. Please let me know when you have a Bitcoin account so I can send it.
Thanks!

[mc12345678]

Indeed! It worked! I would like to send a little love in the form of Bitcoin. Please let me know when you have a Bitcoin account so I can send it.
Thanks!

Will do. And FYI I started an issue on github to try to do this programmatically when a detailed import fails so completely. Error handling will be interesting. considering as the file is parsed the error(s) are generated. The thought though is that if they don't work out in the end to go back and follow the above process "internally".

[Zean]

How do we get EP4 to export, import and update the sort order for categories, products and attributes display?
EP4 is already exporting, importing and updating these items but just isn't including the various sort order fields.
Please see attached spreadsheet which organizes the problem by showing the Zen Cart database fields that should be included in EP4 export, import and updating.
This is an extension of, What is the procedure for getting the set of products including their detailed attributes from Store 1 into another Store 2?