Easy Populate 1.2.5.4 support

[Scrat]

hyperlite635 - Check your file format, I would think you are missing a field in your .txt file and it is picking yup the next field.

Best way to trouble shoot - download a complete file and compare the two files.

[chadderuski]

hyperlite635 -

Don't forget you also need EOREOR at the end of every record including the first line header.

Also, when uploading your data be sure to NOT leave important fields blank like the manufacturer, or image. What will sometimes happen is the data from the previous non blank record will be assigned to that blank item (and all blank fields following! - this bugged me up till I figured out what was happening!)

AND, you can remove columns that you do not need to update. Try just updating Models, Categories and Prices.

<sigh> AND also note that you cannot move/del items/categories in the ADMIN area and upload data without getting linked products. Gotta be careful there!

AND AND.... be very careful what you put in the description field. Try to keep it simple! Watch out for quotes and apostrophes... this has driven many an EPer nuts!

Oh yeah, that temp directory must have read/write permissions... 777 safest!


good luck!

[Scrat]

If anyone is needing this the install.sql file for the database for MySql 5

# MySql 5 Config 
# Install Easy Populate Configuration v1.2.5.4
INSERT INTO `configuration_group` VALUES (NULL, 'Easy Populate', 'Config options for Easy Populate', '1', '1');

UPDATE `configuration_group` SET sort_order = last_insert_id() WHERE configuration_group_id = last_insert_id();

INSERT INTO `configuration` VALUES (NULL, 'Uploads Directory', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_TEMP_DIR', 'temp/', 'Name of directory for your uploads (default: temp/).', last_insert_id(), '0', NULL, now(), NULL, NULL),
(NULL, 'Upload File Date Format', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_FILE_DATE_FORMAT', 'm-d-y', 'Choose order of date values that corresponds to your uploads file, usually generated by MS Excel. Raw dates in your uploads file (Eg 2005-09-26 09:00:00) are not affected, and will upload as they are.', last_insert_id(), '1', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("m-d-y", "d-m-y", "y-m-d"),'),
(NULL, 'Default Raw Time', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_DEFAULT_RAW_TIME', '09:00:00', 'If no time value stipulated in upload file, use this value. Useful for ensuring specials begin after a specific time of the day (default: 09:00:00)', last_insert_id(), '2', NULL, now(), NULL, NULL),
(NULL, 'Split File On # Records', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_SPLIT_MAX', '300', 'Default number of records for split-file uploads. Used to avoid timeouts on large uploads (default: 300).', last_insert_id(), '3', NULL, now(), NULL, NULL),
(NULL, 'Maximum Category Depth', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_MAX_CATEGORY_LEVELS', '7', 'Maximum depth of categories required for your store. Is the number of category columns in downloaded file (default: 7).', last_insert_id(), '4', NULL, now(), NULL, NULL),
(NULL, 'Upload/Download Prices Include Tax', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_PRICE_INC_TAX', 'false', 'Choose to include or exclude tax, depending on how you manage prices outside of Zen Cart.', last_insert_id(), '5', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("true", "false"),'),
(NULL, 'Make Zero Qty Products Inactive', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_ZERO_QTY_INACTIVE', 'false', 'When uploading, make the status Inactive for products with zero qty (default: false).', last_insert_id(), '6', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("true", "false"),'),
(NULL, 'Smart Tags Replacement of Newlines', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_SMART_TAGS', 'true', 'Allows your description fields in your uploads file to have carriage returns and/or new-lines converted to HTML line-breaks on uploading, thus preserving some rudimentary formatting (default: true).', last_insert_id(), '7', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("true", "false"),'),
(NULL, 'Advanced Smart Tags', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_ADV_SMART_TAGS', 'false', 'Allow the use of complex regular expressions to format descriptions, making headings bold, add bullets, etc. Configuration is in ADMIN/easypopulate.php (default: false).', last_insert_id(), '8', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("true", "false"),'),
(NULL, 'Debug Logging', 'EASYPOPULATE_CONFIG_DEBUG_LOGGING', 'true', 'Allow Easy Populate to generate an error log on errors only (default: true)', last_insert_id(), '9', NULL, now(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_option(array("true", "false"),'); 

Enjoy !

[awev]

Hello folks,
I will see about creating an EP FAQ in the future, but not now, I have to get my sites up and going first.

First, to answer a couple questions that keep popping up.

Q. What versions of Easy Populate (EP) are currently available?
A. The stable free version is 1.2.5.4, the buggy free version is 2.75, and the paid version is Easy Populate Advance (EPA) 3.03 - as of this writing on 7/28/07

Q. Can I have EP add product categories for me?
A. The non-commercial versions can, the paid version can not.

Q. Can EP upload special fields?
A. All three can, just that with EPs you have to edit the file, while it seems as if EPA has the support built in.

Q. I have uploaded 15 products, yet only 2 show up. The file looks something similar to this:

book | book.jpg | First book | ... |EOREOR
book | book.jpg | Second book | ... | EOREOR
...
dvd | dvd.jpg | 1st dvd | ... | EOREOR
dvd | dvd.jpg | 2nd dvd | ... | EOREOR

Why am I only seeing two items?
A. Each row must have a unique product model (i.e., item number), and the end of record EOREOR must be on the end of each row. If you change it from book to book_1, book_2, etc, then EP will insert the items. Failure to do so will have EP insert the first item, book, and then each additional occurrence of book updates the first, same thing with dvd in this example.

Q. After uploading I find only a few records uploaded correctly, and there are a few others with a number of records all in the last field. What happened?
A. Did you remember to place EOREOR on the end of each row/record?

Tip: You may want to turn off "Text delimited with quotes" in both your spreadsheet (i.e., Excel and Open Office Calc) and the database you are using. May I suggest the tide "~" symbol if you must use something as a text delimiter (i.e, you have a few commas , single or double quotes, in your description, and want to preserve them). The tide symbol can be stripped off and out as needed. If, for example, you import a great amount of data using the LOAD DATA INFILE command in MySQL you can use the option FIELDS OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '~' to remove it.

Tip: See the above post for an updated sql script for installing on systems that use MySQL version 5.x

About me: I have used, and modified, version 2.75 in the past. I have downloaded, but not installed, version 1.2.5.4 If people are interested I can download a copy of 2.75 from my site (computer crashed so I don't have a local copy), and post it here. I have been playing with computers for over two decades. I understand some coding, and can do a bad, yet working, hack if I have to, just don't ask me to re-work Zen Cart for your needs . I will take a fresh look at both EP versions and see what I can do to make them more user friendly, or at least create instructions on how you can do it yourself (a DIY guild if you will). Again, this may not be for a while as I have my daytime job and then my two web sites to worry about.

[Scrat]

awev - I would be very interested in a DIY guide to add additional fields eg sort order in Attributes.
I am thinking of a idea to use a Python script to manage the .txt file as I have far too many attributes to use Excel or OO but this is still very early days, and I am currently working on another program for B2B for my work.

[empower]

Q. Can I have EP add product categories for me?
A. The non-commercial versions can, the paid version can not.

That's awkward. Shouldn't the paid version offer MORE features? Is there a workaround or better solution for this on the paid version?

Q. Can EP upload special fields?
A. All three can, just that with EPs you have to edit the file, while it seems as if EPA has the support built in.

Which files are necessary to edit when you want to do this?


As for a DIY -- maybe we can just have a Wiki or something so everyone can contribute.

[Scrat]

Zen Cart already has a wiki :-

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

But I would agree

As for a DIY -- maybe we can just have a Wiki or something so everyone can contribute.

[empower]

Zen Cart already has a wiki :-

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

But I would agree

I was actually talking about one specific to EP. Don't think there is one (a good one) out there yet?

I know there's this one:
http://www.modhole.com/modhole/index...N_position=5:5

But it doesn't seem to be very helpful

[awev]

Just a quick reply, as I am headed out the door to work, and the land of restricted intranet, not internet.

As to why leave out the add products ability in the paid version I do not know, as I am not the developer, yet I have a feeling it has something to do with GPL, so he most likely had to rewrite the code for the program if he is to compile it into a binary form for copyright protection.

As to the wiki, I'll take a look in the next couple days.

The file to be edited would be /Your Store/admin/easypopulate.php and it is mainly a matter of adding definitions and pairing up v.___ = p.___ Careful, there is more to it than just that, yet that is how you get started.

[admcompa]

Hi,

If somebody can come up with a way of making EP work with the MAP Price contribution that would be great. I am will to pay somebody if the price is right to make My ep so I can upload my MAP Prices required by my manufacturers. Thanks

Doug