Easier Tutorials

[Mike123acc]

When I figure out the basics of Zen Cart I would like to have a bash at writing a few tutorials for beginners. I think the ones that exist are, on the whole, incredibly complex and unclear. I think this software needs 10 or so straight forward tutorials that actually guide people through steps (not needing to go and buy a book.....).

Can anyone post such a thing in the Zen Cart tutorial section?

Is there someone a new tutorial could be submitted to for checking / putting on the site?

I really believe Zen Cart would be far better if the basics were covered in a clearer, more beginner focused way. I think it is clear from the huge amount of similar posts that many people have similar issues and find the tutorials don't help.

Obvioulsy I will shut up if in the end I can't write better ones..... :)

[clydejones]

When I figure out the basics of Zen Cart I would like to have a bash at writing a few tutorials for beginners. I think the ones that exist are, on the whole, incredibly complex and unclear. I think this software needs 10 or so straight forward tutorials that actually guide people through steps (not needing to go and buy a book.....).

Can anyone post such a thing in the Zen Cart tutorial section?

Is there someone a new tutorial could be submitted to for checking / putting on the site?

I really believe Zen Cart would be far better if the basics were covered in a clearer, more beginner focused way. I think it is clear from the huge amount of similar posts that many people have similar issues and find the tutorials don't help.

Obvioulsy I will shut up if in the end I can't write better ones..... :)

have you looked at What Every New Zen Cart User Needs to Know in the tutorial section?

[yellow1912]

Mike123acc: if you have time and can do so, please go ahead. Your work will help others a lot.

[Jbraz]

Easier tutorials would be a good idea. I write tutorials for PSP and have found that sometimes tutorial writers skip over explaining the very basics because they assume the student knows those things automatically.

The problems I have seen here, and this includes me too, is that many people don't know PHP or CSS and have a hard time just trying to figure out what each component or section of the page is called. For example, it took me awhile to figure out what the Breadcrumb was. Simple things like that make it hard to do a search to find what your looking for because you have no idea how to word what it is your looking for. Many things I have learned have just been from turning things on and off in a test site to see what it does. But having a visual picture with every section labeled would be a big help. That would make it much easier to know what I am looking for in my CSS.

I have gone through my CSS stylesheet and made comments on everything I have found and what it controls on the page. That has been a big help to me , at least until I can learn it all and remember it right off hand without having to look it up.

So some simple tutorials like that would be great I think. :)

[clydejones]

Easier tutorials would be a good idea. I write tutorials for PSP and have found that sometimes tutorial writers skip over explaining the very basics because they assume the student knows those things automatically.

The problems I have seen here, and this includes me too, is that many people don't know PHP or CSS and have a hard time just trying to figure out what each component or section of the page is called. For example, it took me awhile to figure out what the Breadcrumb was. Simple things like that make it hard to do a search to find what your looking for because you have no idea how to word what it is your looking for. Many things I have learned have just been from turning things on and off in a test site to see what it does. But having a visual picture with every section labeled would be a big help. That would make it much easier to know what I am looking for in my CSS.

I have gone through my CSS stylesheet and made comments on everything I have found and what it controls on the page. That has been a big help to me , at least until I can learn it all and remember it right off hand without having to look it up.

So some simple tutorials like that would be great I think. :)

That's why one of the tutorials is titled:
How do I remove the Home in the middle column next to the Categories box?

[daneh]

As a newer Zenner, I figured I would add my 2 cents. The tutorials are great, but with so much to learn, and it being in many different places, I got a little confused and frustrated myself. How about a dowload or maybe a screenshot that shows where and what each element is. I have so many drawing and notes on my desk, I forget what color it is.

For instance. I am currently trying to change my sideboxes background color. Not knowing exactly what they are called in the CSS, I find a reference to a background color, write it down as well as the line #, look online for the color to try to verify that is what I am looking for,make the change, save and then view my page. VERY time consuming, especially when it is not the correct element I needed. If there was a picture or something that showed approximately where in the CSS you need to make changes, it would save alot of time for newbies. I have downloaded the developer addin for firefox, but that in itself is a little confusing too when you don't know exactly how to use it...LOL

I know it is not Zens fault that I don't know CSS or PHP, but being pointed in the right directions visually would be a great help to newer Zenners.

You guys are awesome!!!Keep up the great work.

[yellow1912]

Learn how to use Firefox 2 add-on: Webdeveloper + Firebug

[daver1510]

Jbraz are your PSP tutorals online? I could use some basics.

[TShooters]

Daneh,

If you're using FF Web Developer, you can find the colors on the page you're working on pretty fast by being on your page-in-progress, and clicking Information/View Color Information in your
FF Web Developer toolbar.

[Jbraz]

clydejones - Yes and that's great but not everything is explained like that. For example, the breadcrumbs I mentioned, I haven't found anywhere that shows a screenshot or explination of what the breadcrumb is or where it's located on the page. And it's not just that, there are other things. For example the text in the bar at the bottom of the page. It's the EZ pages links I think but not every newbie is going to know that and sometimes spends hours just trying to figure out what it's called so they can change it.

Daver1510 - They are at http://folkarttreasures.com/freearea.htm Most of my tutorials are for practice using the tools. I never wrote any basic tutorials for PSP because there were allready lots of them out there at that time. But mine are still fun to do and teach you different ways of using the tools and are very easy to follow with lots of screen shots and explinations.


Yellow1912 - Yes I have been using Firefox with the tools and it does come in very handy sometimes but even so, it gets confusing when trying to find which file something is located in. Believe me, I try to do for myself as much as I can but I just think it would be so much easier if there were a labeled screen shot and the CSS had more explination notes in it for us newbies. :) Actually I have had several people ask me for my CSS that I have made my notes on and I have given it to them. One of my friends has also helped by going through it and labeling the things she has figured out also. So between us, we have alot of the elements in it labeled with what they change. I know it seems stupid to those who know CSS, and I'm sure someday we will look back on it and laugh ourself, but for now it is a big help. :)