Product Type Book (by moku)

[quailbooks]

Hi Skydealer and all

... and this 'auto-advise' of new posts by email has decided not to work, yet again!...

You're so right. I'm surprised when I get emails informing me that the thread has been updated 24 hours after the event. Is that normal?

[skydealer]

You're so right. I'm surprised when I get emails informing me that the thread has been updated 24 hours after the event. Is that normal?

It shouldn't be. This forum uses an up-to-date version of VBulletin which is an expensive and pretty good forum software. I run this on my flight simulator tech forum (real flight sims... not the game. It's my "bill paying" job, the bookstore is a passion/2nd job).

If this has been a chronic problem with this site the admin may have to adjust the VB email options in the admin area. The command "
Number of Emails to Send Per Batch" probably just needs to be increased.

I wanted to echo meeven's comments as well. Sorry to hear about your dad and I hadn't realized that you were the one who had taken over things from Moku. I hope we didn't step on any toes here... I was just wanting to input some wish-list things.

[johnniew]

Hi. My first time here. I'm trying to install this mod but I'm stuck when it comes to the MySQL database. I have phpmyadmin but apart from creating back-up files, I'm a total novice. Is there a step-by-step walk-through on how to add the MySQL requests using phpmyadmin?
I'd be grateful. Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere - I did look! Thanks

[hareslade]

Hi
A general comment...

regarding taking over from Moku, its a shame he pulled out because he is a great designer... I 'took over' only by default, this is an open thread and anybody is welcome to do work on the contrib. No toes to crush :)

The ideas about bulk book upload would really make a better contribution, but whatever method is used there needs to be a lot of internal product checks at the server end to avoid upsetting the zencart database.

As I probably said already, I tried the popular contrib that does this for standard products, I found it was very secretive, gave no feedback about any errors. Certainly the excel-style Comma Separated Values (CSV) are an obvious starting point, but whatever is at the 'web' end needs to be far more intelligent than the contribs I've used. If corrupted or only part-updated, the zencart database will just show crazy entries on a live website!

[if various people do consistently work on the book contrib, 'we' could set up better ways of progressing. The V3 contrib is on my Hareslade site in beta, merely because it takes ages to identify bugs, and once on the Zencart download site its not so easy to update (in my view!) . Its not because I'm a control freak!]

The 'version 3 beta' is the current offering, see the top area at
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=482
it tries to meet requirements for multilanguage sites for book products, and that is the one to consider as the most advanced, for 1.3.7 carts. It also works in single language.

The Moku version halted at Zencart version 1.3.5 I think, and its inevitable that eventually it will not work correctly on current zencart versions. My 'single language' version 2 at the above page also works for 1.3.7, but personally I won't update that for future zencart versions.

----------

Regarding the 'new' users of the contrib without prior experience, 'we' don't normally touch the existing database directly by using phpmyadmin. [In fact, the sql patches in a contribution normally have no ' table prefix' so phpmyadmin cannot use them unless you manually add the prefix that you selected, for each table mentioned in sql.]

All contribs should supply an 'sql file' textual file which is to be applied in zencart admin, under tools 'sql patch'

Because sql instructions (which can add or delete database tables or fields etc.) sometimes fail, -(even just because you might be running the latest mysql version, and the contrib. was made before that version) - its best to ***always*** install the 'database backup/restore' contribution, which I think is still available.

With that backup contrib. you can save the existing zencart database before applying an 'sql patch'. And believe me, sometimes the sql patch will only half complete, so you just must have the original database to restore, or you end up having to install the cart again, to get a useable clean database.

However, for those who know how to use phpmyadmin, its easier because you can go in and correct/change the database as required, if you know what to do.

----------

So for new users........in the book contrib on my hareslade site, you'll find inside a folder called 1_BOOK_MAIN_FILES, a folder 'catalogue' contains the files to upload into zencart, plus a folder RUN_THIS_FULL_INSTALL_SQL_PATCH_FOR_DATABASE
containing file ADMIN_PATCH_SQL_EXTENDED_BOOK_TYPE_V3.txt
which is the sql patch. Apply the sql patch in zencart admin using the admin menu page 'sql patch'. But backup the database first!

There are other folders in the pack, these (begining 2_ to 7_ ) are other bits you could use subsequently - after using folder 1_BOOK_MAIN_FILES

My apologies if the readme files in the pack are not always easily understandable, its difficult to put suitable texts when I know the actual contrib inside out, where others do not!
-----------------

[quailbooks]

Hi,

Sorry that I didn't respond yesterday, but I teach a class at the college and had to get ready for that Wednesday and Thursday.

My comments are interspersed:

Hi
The ideas about bulk book upload would really make a better contribution, but whatever method is used there needs to be a lot of internal product checks at the server end to avoid upsetting the zencart database.

As I probably said already, I tried the popular contrib that does this for standard products, I found it was very secretive, gave no feedback about any errors. Certainly the excel-style Comma Separated Values (CSV) are an obvious starting point, but whatever is at the 'web' end needs to be far more intelligent than the contribs I've used. If corrupted or only part-updated, the zencart database will just show crazy entries on a live website!

I agree as I've tried to use it also with very little success and didn't feel like paying to try the commercial version.

BTW, I looked at the MySQL documentation and found out why it is that stored procedures are not used in Zen Cart. Simple answer is that MySQL didn't support them fully until V5.0.1. Until the Zen Cart development team makes the decision to restrict development to MySQL 5.0 and above then I'll have to use the Zen standard for the upload module.

You had an excellent suggestion in the PM about storing the CVS data and processing with an error report. That's the way most uploads seem to work. Delimiters aren't really a problem as a selection of checkboxes for delimiter type (tab, comma, semicolon, etc.) seems to be the standard.

If you want to work on the book product while I do the upload module it would work for me.

if various people do consistently work on the book contrib, 'we' could set up better ways of progressing. The V3 contrib is on my Hareslade site in beta, merely because it takes ages to identify bugs, and once on the Zencart download site its not so easy to update (in my view!) . Its not because I'm a control freak!

Not a bad idea! Some sort of cooperative area on the web? A restricted forum for developers with a file exchange area probably is best. That's something to think about.

The 'version 3 beta' is the current offering, see the top area at
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=482
it tries to meet requirements for multilanguage sites for book products, and that is the one to consider as the most advanced, for 1.3.7 carts. It also works in single language.

Yes, I've downloaded it and I'll make a fresh install this weekend. I'll be interested in what the changes have been.

On that subject, perhaps you'd like to keep an idea or wish list of items --maybe you already do-- of identified features that users would like. I'd suggest putting them in as named items instead of the generic terms you've used in the past. It would make the product more standardized and since users can turn features on/off through product layout they can customize there.

I'll start with some ideas:

1. Multi-volume sets needs a bool flag and volume # of volumes #
2. Model number identifier from dropdown (ie: ISBN10, ISBN13, LCCN, whatever) as most older books don't use ISBN and ISBN has changed from a 10 digit to 13 digit number this year.
3. Book Club Edition boolean flag and maybe a text identifier of what club --I'm not sure about the last.
4. Some method of setting the default value of a dropdown selection. IE: for the model number identifier above. I'm not sure how this would work, but will think about it.

Because sql instructions (which can add or delete database tables or fields etc.) sometimes fail, -(even just because you might be running the latest mysql version, and the contrib. was made before that version) - its best to ***always*** install the 'database backup/restore' contribution, which I think is still available.

With that backup contrib. you can save the existing zencart database before applying an 'sql patch'. And believe me, sometimes the sql patch will only half complete, so you just must have the original database to restore, or you end up having to install the cart again, to get a useable clean database.

However, for those who know how to use phpmyadmin, its easier because you can go in and correct/change the database as required, if you know what to do.

I've already run into the problem of the SQL not reading the file completely, reporting errors that don't exist, etc. from the tool. So I fully support the idea of running backups --often!

My apologies if the readme files in the pack are not always easily understandable, its difficult to put suitable texts when I know the actual contrib inside out, where others do not!
-----------------

Not a problem at all. You should see some of the code that I've had to deal with in the past and what they considered documentation. Yours look absolutely wonderful in comparison.

In Summary:

I'm going to concentrate on the uploader and leave the book product development to Paul. In parallel, I'm also using the book product as a starting point for a movie product type (type 9 for now) that supports the various movie formats. The two are so similar that the project is trivial.

[fcegarra]

Hello,

I want to find how I can create a link to display the produtcs selected by manufacturers, colors and other attributes for exemple. I have knowledge in MySQL and PHP but I can't figure out how to do it.


I don't know which file(s) I need to edit to do it. I would like a link called for exemple "the red ones" on my header where users click on it and see all the red products displayed in the main page..

i hope I could understand everything and help me!
Is it possible to do it with product type book??

Thanks a lot

F.

[hareslade]

fcegarra
(nearly) anything can be done if one spends enough time on it!

The book type can already search for authors, genre etc, which is essentially similar.. those files that create the 3 or 4 sidebox dropdowns lists for searches, could perhaps be copied and altered for searching different fields

-------------
quailbooks
by all means get into uploaders, I'm sure we'll be pleased to test it for you..

I'm unsure which things to suggest regarding easing development interactions,
I can host a forum on hareslade.com, or perhaps someone else wants to...

(If I do it, it'll have to be a PhpBB forum... )

Wiki on zencart I think is more for the contribs in the downloads list?

Somewhere I also have free software that handles projects, but that would necessarily be limited to the ''main developers'', as it needs more careful use.
Files can be uploaded/downloaded with it..

Any other suggestions from those who've already done this sort of loose knit developers thing in a small way?

[fcegarra]

Thanks Hareslade for your help!!

I am still stuck and I don't know how do to it! It seems easy when you think about it, it is to show every single "red" products for exemple in the same list or every single products with the same price..
Do you know which file I could altered to do what I want?

thanks a lot for your help

[berrybatens]

Hello,
I am using the misc_8, misc_9 and misc_10 fields from product type book to display ISBN10, ISBN13 and NUR. How can I add these fields to the search engine (SQL code?)?

Thanx for helping out

Berry...

[hareslade]

fcegarra
'fraid you might have to learn some php/sql programming skills, but as I said working with the filters is (to me) quite complex.

berrybatens
same sort of answer really... the 'extra' data fields are in separate tables, you would have to look at the search sql's in the sql product filters, and get brain ache like I do..

See below, ** for some further comments on the above

Actually why I'm posting is to say, I found this guy Nicholas who I've just emailed, because he's updated Easy Populate so it perhaps works properly for ordinary product uploads. However, he does charge for the module.

Anyone wanting to upload book products might do well to sign on with his forum thread (as ctcentralinfo did) about book at
http://www.zencartbuilder.com/forums...highlight=book and show some interest.

I reckon one way or another 'we' might find it easier to go for Easy Populate regarding bulk book product upload manipulation? It sounds like Nicholas's module has ironed out a lot of the old strife with older versions.

-------------
** As i remember it, the basic search function normally shows all valid products, but an extra filter, usually in '/includes/index_filters' adds a small bit of sql to cut down what's shown, often depending on product type..

Unfortunately the 'small' bit of sql gets quite big sometimes, with many options, and its difficult to see at first how it all works anyway because its all done in pieces..!

Sometimes its easier to see what happens in a 'sidebox' search code, rather than in the 'main' searches code.

You might do better looking at the book files for sidebox searches e.g style or subject. Maybe you could see how to create an equivalent different sidebox, for a different search field. I'm guessing..