Help Needed with Easy Populate 4.0.35.

[mc12345678]

I just realized something. I have got no model numbers so I am going to added them to the store by hand then see if it produce a EP spreadsheet that I can edit. So give a day or so to do this. I will reply in this post or do you want me to pm you if its worked or not.

No need to apply by hand... Use EP4 to populate the data...

Goto configuration, change the setting to use the primary key of products_id.
Export your data, you should see the products_id as one of the fields.

Now, you should also see the products_model as a field...

For every row with a unique products_id, add/make a products_model field that is unique as compared to any other.

Upload the file,
import the file.
Now all the records have a products_model.

Go back to the configuration, change the primary_key back to products_model, now you have a generic way to reference each of the products in the store and if new product has a unique products_model, then it will be okay...

It's a brain teaser I get it, but it's being creative and flexible that allows more to be done...

[LittleAngell52]

EP4 does create a proper file... It is before it gets brought into Excel or any other editor. Once modified and then saved again is the issue...

EP4 creates a plain text file that has a list of fields in the first row, each field separated by a comma. Then in the second and subsequent rows the data for each field applies... This has nothing to do with PHP.

Here is an example of a file created by EP4 on a system that had two languages and the demo product installed, though not really "translated yet" as viewed from a plain text editor and will import just fine with EP4:

"v_products_model","v_products_type","v_products_image","v_products_name_1","v_products_description_1","v_products_url_1","v_products_name_2","v_products_description_2","v_products_url_2","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_categories_name_2","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","v_metatags_title_2","v_metatags_keywords_2","v_metatags_description_2"
"MG200MMS","1","matrox/mg200mms.gif","Matrox G200 MMS","Reinforcing its position as a multi-monitor trailblazer, Matrox Graphics Inc. has once again developed the most flexible and highly advanced solution in the industry. Introducing the new Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series; the first graphics card ever to support up to four DVI digital flat panel displays on a single 8&quot; PCI board.<br /><br />With continuing demand for digital flat panels in the financial workplace, the Matrox G200 MMS is the ultimate in flexible solutions. The Matrox G200 MMS also supports the new digital video interface (DVI) created by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) designed to ease the adoption of digital flat panels. Other configurations include composite video capture ability and onboard TV tuner, making the Matrox G200 MMS the complete solution for business needs.<br /><br />Based on the award-winning MGA-G200 graphics chip, the Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series provides superior 2D/3D graphics acceleration to meet the demanding needs of business applications such as real-time stock quotes (Versus), live video feeds (Reuters & Bloombergs), multiple windows applications, word processing, spreadsheets and CAD.","www.matrox.com/mga/products/g200_mms/home.cfm","Matrox G200 MMS","Reinforcing its position as a multi-monitor trailblazer, Matrox Graphics Inc. has once again developed the most flexible and highly advanced solution in the industry. Introducing the new Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series; the first graphics card ever to support up to four DVI digital flat panel displays on a single 8&quot; PCI board.<br /><br />With continuing demand for digital flat panels in the financial workplace, the Matrox G200 MMS is the ultimate in flexible solutions. The Matrox G200 MMS also supports the new digital video interface (DVI) created by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) designed to ease the adoption of digital flat panels. Other configurations include composite video capture ability and onboard TV tuner, making the Matrox G200 MMS the complete solution for business needs.<br /><br />Based on the award-winning MGA-G200 graphics chip, the Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series provides superior 2D/3D graphics acceleration to meet the demanding needs of business applications such as real-time stock quotes (Versus), live video feeds (Reuters & Bloombergs), multiple windows applications, word processing, spreadsheets and CAD.","www.matrox.com/mga/products/g200_mms/home.cfm",,,,"299.99","23","0","0","1","1","0","0",,"2003-11-03 12:32:17","31","Matrox","Hardware^Graphics Cards","Hardware^Graphics Cards","Taxable Goods","1","0","0","0","0","0",,,,,,

If your product does not have information in the products_model field, then you will need to change the primary key to either products_id or new_blank so that when uploading the software can find a unique record to which to apply the data...

BTW, I thought that this was something that was previously in use but had been seen as an upgrade?

Nope the 1st time I have ever used it. I was waiting on it to come out on ZC 1.5.5. My old computer was only showing the Version for 1.5.4. Only by chance I was going threw admin plugins yesterday as wanted to see if it had been done yet to find out that the version for ZC 1.5.5 had been out since April. Just shows you how bad my old computer was behaving. LOL. I will try it and see if it all works and get it work as just downloaded it via the way you said and change it back to how it was. Just bear with me while I try it out. One quick question. When adding a new product is added do you but the info in each cell to match what is on line one?

[mc12345678]

Nope the 1st time I have ever used it. I was waiting on it to come out on ZC 1.5.5. My old computer was only showing the Version for 1.5.4. Only by chance I was going threw admin plugins yesterday as wanted to see if it had been done yet to find out that the version for ZC 1.5.5 had been out since April. Just shows you how bad my old computer was behaving. LOL. I will try it and see if it all works and get it work as just downloaded it via the way you said and change it back to how it was. Just bear with me while I try it out. One quick question. When adding a new product is added do you but the info in each cell to match what is on line one?

The information from above is what the CSV file looks like, as far as putting the "info in" if the field (header/column) exists, whatever is or is not entered will be put in the database on import.. If the field is not present then it will not be changed. If the field is present and the row is blank, then for that record either the field will be made blank or the "typical" default value that ZC expects.

As for "quotes", you don't need to put a quote at the beginning and end of a cell when typing the information in, but if you do plan to use a "special character" in an area of text then you *will* need to escape it. For example if you wanted the name of a product or text in a description to be like "The way it's going." then the apostrophe will require escaping like "The way it\'s going."

If you wanted to add the Matrox G200 MMS that is provided in the default ZC products install, then you could enter everything that you see in the above line 1 (copy and paste to a file that with a name that would display in the full-EP section of the screen) and import it and voila you have the MG200MMS product in your store, though it won't yet have the attributes that go with it... :)

Anyways, hope that helps a little more... Takes a smidge to get to understand it, but then it can be very helpful if it supports the intended/desired use.

[LittleAngell52]

The information from above is what the CSV file looks like, as far as putting the "info in" if the field (header/column) exists, whatever is or is not entered will be put in the database on import.. If the field is not present then it will not be changed. If the field is present and the row is blank, then for that record either the field will be made blank or the "typical" default value that ZC expects.

As for "quotes", you don't need to put a quote at the beginning and end of a cell when typing the information in, but if you do plan to use a "special character" in an area of text then you *will* need to escape it. For example if you wanted the name of a product or text in a description to be like "The way it's going." then the apostrophe will require escaping like "The way it\'s going."

If you wanted to add the Matrox G200 MMS that is provided in the default ZC products install, then you could enter everything that you see in the above line 1 (copy and paste to a file that with a name that would display in the full-EP section of the screen) and import it and voila you have the MG200MMS product in your store, though it won't yet have the attributes that go with it... :)

Anyways, hope that helps a little more... Takes a smidge to get to understand it, but then it can be very helpful if it supports the intended/desired use.

do you mean everything goes into the first cell for example A2. Earlier on I showed you what my A1 cell looked like on open office or should it be this A1 v_products_model and then in B1 v_products_type and so on. The reason I want Easy populate is that I have got over 15000 products to add to the store and doing it one by one is time consuming I have manged to get over 800 products up on the store since last December. Now I am back to this SKIPPED! - Model: PP_10001,"1","PP-Preview01.jpg","Pattern;Papers;-0;Set;"01"" - Products model exceeds max. length: 32 Is it because I used a underscore?

[mc12345678]

Column A is a field, Column B is a field. For example if you wanted to only update the products_name of a single products_model, then you could have in either A1 or B1 either of those two headings: v_products_model in one and v_products_name_1 in the other (the number 1 ties back to the installed language. Was going to change it to use the two letter code, but something else has come up so maybe if I ever get around to it.) anyways, then in row 2 is the data for that column (A2, B2)

As to the products_model issue described? The underscore should not be an issue, but perhaps the lack of quotes around the products_model is? Or perhaps the quotes within the fourth field with the "01""? Looks like missing an escape character with the quotes around the 01... that may play a factor...

Would expect to see \"01\""

[LittleAngell52]

Column A is a field, Column B is a field. For example if you wanted to only update the products_name of a single products_model, then you could have in either A1 or B1 either of those two headings: v_products_model in one and v_products_name_1 in the other (the number 1 ties back to the installed language. Was going to change it to use the two letter code, but something else has come up so maybe if I ever get around to it.) anyways, then in row 2 is the data for that column (A2, B2)

As to the products_model issue described? The underscore should not be an issue, but perhaps the lack of quotes around the products_model is? Or perhaps the quotes within the fourth field with the "01""? Looks like missing an escape character with the quotes around the 01... that may play a factor...

Would expect to see \"01\""

So would I type in "01\"" or is it what you put above

[LittleAngell52]

so for example would I type this in for the model number PP100_\"01\"" or would it be PP100_"01"" or is it "PP100_\01\"" as don't really understand what your trying to say.

[mc12345678]

So would I type in "01\"" or is it what you put above

From what I interpret the field is expected to contain when "displayed" (eventually presented to the browser) and maybe the field is truncated, maybe not, at least the start of that field when looked at in your spreadsheet should look like:

Pattern;Papers;-0;Set;\"01\"

If there is/was more then, that should follow. Take a look on the Internet on escaping characters which should identify what characters require such escapes.

[mc12345678]

so for example would I type this in for the model number PP100_\"01\"" or would it be PP100_"01 as don't really understand what your trying to say.

The model number actually looks correct, the problem is that down the line there are characters not properly escaped and so the interpreter thinks that everything leading up to the last character set ("01"") is closing the first field...

Could try this. Again, the reason exporting data is the best way to see how things need to be formatted in order to import. Edit/enter a product into the database using the normal admin method. Export the data (maybe a single category through the dropdowns), look at the plain text file from the download and see what it did with the data entered. It could be that the data seen is because of Excel, which is one reason it is not a preferred application, but if it is something that you intentionally had in there, then again, the export will guide to the expectation.

[LittleAngell52]

From what I interpret the field is expected to contain when "displayed" (eventually presented to the browser) and maybe the field is truncated, maybe not, at least the start of that field when looked at in your spreadsheet should look like:

Pattern;Papers;-0;Set;\"01\"

If there is/was more then, that should follow. Take a look on the Internet on escaping characters which should identify what characters require such escapes.

i sent you a copy of the file that EP had created and hadn't been changed. so where do I get the information from to help me correct this error.