Things every New Zenner needs to know

[meadwench]

I am a professional webbie, and have written customers' shops in PHP Shop, Joomla, ClickcartPro and X-cart. I am using Zen Cart for this latest implementation for a client who is currently on Yahoo.

I'm in the admin, and have put my main page in. I figured I'd use the EZ page system to move over his non-catalog HTML pages, hey, copy, paste and turn 'em on, right?

Well, I just spent an hour digging around in the backend, and just can't see why those pages aren't showing up. I've created the page, enabled it for left column, turned on the EZ pages module for the left column.

Zen looks like a powerful program, but I never imagined it would be harder to wrangle than X-cart.

Not banging on Zen Cart, but dude, it should *not* be this difficult to turn on the EZ pages.....

::sigh:: so, its off to the rest of the forum to search for a solution to something I mistakenly imagined would be intuitive.....

[meadwench]

It only took me reading about a half-dozen threads to find all the items that needed to be set to show the EZ-pages. But, IMO, that is 5 too many. The EZ-pages are powerful, but since the admin has no mouse-over help or immediate explanation as to what the various fields mean, the procedure isn't terribly clear, especially since you have to access 3 different menu items in order to get them to display.

So - my addition to the thread:

- A step-by-step on creating, placing and managing EZ-pages

I'm off to finish moving my pages, and to fine-tune my downloaded Yahoo catalog so I can upload it into my Zen DB.....

[dbltoe]

Sometimes us "professionals" tend to leave the installation and tutorials in the shrink wrap.
Had you added the demo items to your installation, you would have had many examples of how to "manage" ZenCart including all you ever wanted to know about EZ-Pages.
Might want to check the links in your sig.

[Woodymon]

meadwrench-

So it sounds like you were able to figure out how to enable the ez-pages? So would you mind posting your step-by-step proedures?

Woody

It only took me reading about a half-dozen threads to find all the items that needed to be set to show the EZ-pages. But, IMO, that is 5 too many. The EZ-pages are powerful, but since the admin has no mouse-over help or immediate explanation as to what the various fields mean, the procedure isn't terribly clear, especially since you have to access 3 different menu items in order to get them to display.

So - my addition to the thread:

- A step-by-step on creating, placing and managing EZ-pages

I'm off to finish moving my pages, and to fine-tune my downloaded Yahoo catalog so I can upload it into my Zen DB.....

[ideasgirl]

So would you mind posting your step-by-step proedures?

I'm not meadwrench but I have the info: EZ Pages

[freya]

One thing I would like to see is how to make it so my customers don't have to download immediately when they purchase something. I have tried to search for this, but I don't know the terms used. Virtual Product downloads? Anyway, sometimes they miss the links and can't come back and download the ebooks. I know this is probably fairly simple to correct, but I can't find the information anywhere.

Thanks,
Marci

[dbltoe]

Marci,
Check out the attributes controller. At the bottom is where you determine the filename of the download, the max downloads, and the expiration.
Makes it simple for someone to select PDF, DOC, ZIP, etc and you control it.

[freya]

Thanks, DB. I've done all of that, but even if my customers do not download their ebooks, they cannot access the downloads later. I end up having to email them the ebooks because, quite bluntly, I have no clue on how to go about changing this. I have it set for the default of 1 download in 7 days. Is it possible to have it so if they don't download immediately, they can come back and download within those seven days? And does Zen Cart also make what the customer has ordered available to the customer if they wish to look? I know I can see it, but I'm not sure if the customer can.

I have a major upgrade to do that requires fixing the template as well. (Still running 1.2.6) What has stopped me from upgrading is the new template and the fear of losing all of my data. I am an html coder and know css, so I know I can do this. I've created Joomla templates by using examples and seeing what needs to be done. What I'm not too sure about is what will happen to my db, how to download it in case the install doesn't happen properly, and will I be creating a new template with a new upgrade?

Yes, I know these are questions beyond this. You don't need to answer the last if you don't want to.

Thanks,
Marci

[dbltoe]

Freya,

I've found that most folks mess up the first download so I set the number to 3. It's hard to be concerned about their getting too many copies when they can copy the download as many times as they wish.

As you've most likely found in your html and css experiences, we learn through our mistakes. However, we can not go forward if we give in to the fear of making them. In the case of upgrading, you just need to know what is the most important step. The one that, if you fail to do it, you go

In the case of an upgrade, copy and protect the original database like the Secret Service guards the President. Create a NEW blank database and a NEW test directory. Install the full fileset of ZenCart to the new directory and let it populate the database and create the site through the ZC_Install. If you used a prefix for your old database, be sure to use it again in the new load. Once installed, check to see that you can get to the admin and the catalog.

Next, delete the tables in the new database and drop your copy of the old database in the new. You will have to force ZenCart back into the install mode by entering something like www.mycarthome.com/zc_install. If you have already renamed that directory, just use the its new name. The first install screen will appear - click "Continue". On the second screen, click on the "I have read and agree..." radio button, then the "Continue" button.

This next screen (System Inspection) is where most go wrong and get their "learning experience." There's all these things we can do to mess things up BEFORE we get to the "Database Upgrade" button at the bottom of the page. But, that's the one we want. Click on it and the system will check for you which levels of the cart need to be upgraded. Yours should be the last four in the list as you will be needing upgrades to 1.2.7, 1.3.0, 1.3.0.1, and 1.3.0.2.

In spite of the title of the next box and the warning paragraph, people see the "New Table Prefix" and enter what they selected during install. Can you say, "Corrupted Database?" This is ONLY USED to change a prefix IF one exists that you don't want.

Next mistake most make is with the Admin Username and Password. This is NOT the database user and password. This IS the Username and Password for the Admin portion of ZenCart that you added during installation.

Once across those hurdles, just click the "Update Database Now" button ONE TIME. A lot of folks are used to double-clicking and do it without thinking. "All I did was select the Update Database Now button, and I got a 1062 error." Most likely they double-clicked from habit.

By now you see the ants crawling across the page. And, soon, the install congratulates you on a working site without having created global thermonuclear war.

Work out the cart and admin to make sure your products are there and you can get to the items you need.

While you still have the old cart running and a copy of the old database, leave them safely where you put them and dive into the override system with both feet. Read the FAQ's, DOC's and WIKI and you'll do fine with your background. Bring the new cart up to your standards.

What I do next is copy the new to the old (of course I've made a copy of the old somewhere just seconds before). All that's left is to change the admin/includes/configure.php and includes/configure.php to reflect the new directory structure. You don't have to change the database as it's the one you made to work with the new version.

I know this has been windy. However, I felt it needed to be "all in one spot" for someone already familiar with html and css.

[Woodymon]

One thing I would like to see is how to make it so my customers don't have to download immediately when they purchase something. I have tried to search for this, but I don't know the terms used. Virtual Product downloads? Anyway, sometimes they miss the links and can't come back and download the ebooks. I know this is probably fairly simple to correct, but I can't find the information anywhere.

Besides the download link displaying on the "order success" page, the customer receives the link in the order confirmation email.

Or click "My Account" in the shop menu bar (must be logged in) and then click View Order button. If item ordered is a downloadable product (soft good) a download link will be displayed. That is, it will display up to the expiration time, which you control in admin (default is seven days and five download attempts, I think).