EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

[scubasteve]

Okay, so there was a communication issue. My question was basically what is the name of the file that you are uploading to your database? (Provided as examples even though the capitalization and length of the filename may not be correct for this plugin: Basic, Full, Advanced, Attributes, etc...)

Here are some of the filenames:
Added Products Export.csv
Specials Prices with Description Export.csv
zzCharles Products Update Export.csv
Export Description Update HTML.csv

In order to identify why the description block as reported here will not update even though a new/revised line of data is provided, it is important to know some of the other details besides those from the screen:

For example, I don't think that having the model name and description 1 fields in the attributes file will result in a change to description 1.
If however, an applicable/appropriate filename is being used, then there is probably yet some special character in the data. Might do some sort of check for characters to be allowed in the text of the field after all of the substitutions. Also, look through your CSV that is to be manipulated using a standard text editor/viewer to verify that the text is not cutoff there at/after each save. May even want to save the file with a different name as you work from step to step so that you can run a text compare to see what changes between the two.

I'm still a little unclear as to at what point in the process the text of description 1 gets truncated. Is it from the export by access where the information is treated as a memo of tens of thousands of characters, or is it upon import to Zen Cart, or is it somewhere in between (ie, change something about the file?)

The description gets truncated during the import to Zen Cart. The text files being exported are not the issue as far as containing all the description. I don't load descriptions with attributes. Only with a special price change, normal price, quantity and weight updates. I also believe I have tried it with only model and description so the only thing being updated was description.

When I dissected a couple of products the place where it truncated had no special character, it is very strange. I'm going to try again with a description only update. If that doesn't work I'll try updating all descriptions to NULL and reload them and see if that works. I'll let you know how that turns out.

[waterbender]

I don't believe you update these category fields below anymore for the product category I use v_categories_name_1 (format... Top Category^Sub Cat1^Sub Cat2). I used to load categories separately with sort orders, not sure if you can do this in EP4. I haven't tried to play around with updating sort orders on categories.

So does anyone know how to import using products_id instead of products_model?

My next questions are how to import product categories and attributes.

For product categories, the fields in advanced easy populate are shown below. What about the fields in EP4?
c_categories_index_path
c_categories_destination_path
c_categories_image
c_sort_order
c_categories_status
cd_categories_name_en
cd_categories_description_en

For attributes, the example file is confusing because it is quite different from that of advanced easy populate. Do we not use the id of option names and id of option values? Am I right that we still have to create the option name and option value before importing attributes using EP4?

Regarding your issue with product description getting truncated, it can also happen in advanced easy populate. This is usually caused by non-standard quote marks, apostrophe or any unusual symbols.

[mc12345678]

Thanks for these helpful info, mc12345678 and scubasteve.

A few more questions:
"You must upload the files prior to import and split them if necessary instead of streaming the import."
- Do you mean I have to upload the file and then click import? Where do I upload the file? Is there a limit on the number of products?

"I'm having a small issue with the long text description field but that may be unique to my situation."
- I use long description regularly. What issues are you experiencing?

Can someone show me a sample files with all the necessary field titles? These are the fields I use in advanced easy populate. Are they totally different now?
v_products_id (How do I use products_id as the unique primary index in EP4?)
v_products_model (If products_id can be the primary index, can products_model field still be used?)
v_products_type (Do I still put "Product - General" in this?)
v_products_image
v_products_name_en
v_products_description_en
v_products_url_en
v_specials_price
v_specials_date_available
v_specials_expires_date
v_products_price
v_products_weight
v_products_date_available
v_products_date_added (Is there a specific date format to follow in EP4?)
v_products_quantity
v_products_quantity_order_units
v_products_quantity_order_min
v_products_quantity_mixed
v_products_qty_box_status
v_manufacturers_name
ptc_categories_index_path (You said ^ is used instaed of ~)
ptc_categories_destination_path
ptc_categories_linked_path
v_tax_class_title
v_products_status
EOREOR (If this is no longer required, what do we use instead?)

I can only answer some (maybe several, but not all of the questions.)

To have the data captured in the database, yes the file must exist on the server. Either it is uploaded by your favorite ftp program or from within the admin panel for easy populate 4.
Essentially, the number of products is really based on your servers; however, EP4 provides a split function that will make chunks out of a large file based on the settings you have the flexibility to change.

As to the issues with the long text description that are being experienced by scubasteve, there is still some investigation about the data. Essentially as I understand the situation, Access 2007 contains much of the data to be processed in scubasteve's situation; however, once that data is exported and at some point imported into ZC, there are characteristics about the description field that are not carried over. Although the data is initially "filtered" to some extent, I'm thinking that regardless of using EP4 or not that there would be an issue if the data were just copied and pasted into a SQL editor or even directly into ZC (that something would be modified either to make it work or to prevent a change.) As said, a bit unique situation. Others use this plug-in and are able to update the description1 field without issue.

Currently, the mandatory field is product_model, but if it were changed to the product id, then some other work would need to be done to properly address using it the product id, as the primary field. Yes if changed the product model would still be usable as a field. In fact any field that is already in the database would still be usable, but the code may need some updates to handle the specific field(s).

[Kevin205]

Is there a way to add a "User Defined Products Field", to the Detailed Products Attributes (detailed multi-line) export?

Do not care about importing it. Only as a reference on Detailed Products Attributes export!

[mc12345678]

Here are some of the filenames:
Added Products Export.csv
Specials Prices with Description Export.csv
zzCharles Products Update Export.csv
Export Description Update HTML.csv



The description gets truncated during the import to Zen Cart. The text files being exported are not the issue as far as containing all the description. I don't load descriptions with attributes. Only with a special price change, normal price, quantity and weight updates. I also believe I have tried it with only model and description so the only thing being updated was description.

When I dissected a couple of products the place where it truncated had no special character, it is very strange. I'm going to try again with a description only update. If that doesn't work I'll try updating all descriptions to NULL and reload them and see if that works. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Okay, so EP4 is based heavily on using the right "product" at th right time, with the right information. Off the top of my head, I can't remember if it will properly handle just any old filename, but if you are wanting to updated information that wold be provided in a full export, then the start of the filename needs to closely match the same. Basic filename. (Typically anything up to and including EP4, also the capitalization is important as well.)

When stating that there was no special character, does that mean didn't "see" a special character or was that by bit/byte inspection to verify that each character was an expected alpha-numeric character or end-of-line, etc...? State that becauuse, just because don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

[mc12345678]

So does anyone know how to import using products_id instead of products_model?

My next questions are how to import product categories and attributes.

For product categories, the fields in advanced easy populate are shown below. What about the fields in EP4?
c_categories_index_path
c_categories_destination_path
c_categories_image
c_sort_order
c_categories_status
cd_categories_name_en
cd_categories_description_en

For attributes, the example file is confusing because it is quite different from that of advanced easy populate. Do we not use the id of option names and id of option values? Am I right that we still have to create the option name and option value before importing attributes using EP4?

Regarding your issue with product description getting truncated, it can also happen in advanced easy populate. This is usually caused by non-standard quote marks, apostrophe or any unusual symbols.

Code change to deal with product_id.

Regarding categories and the like, ZC was built on a basic process, so yes need to have option names and values in place before assigning attributes. Yes, do not have to use the database number (category id or other designated number) to add and associate items, but do need to be sure spelling and capitalization are equivalent. From much of what I've recently been seeing, people would prefer to have the product-id and maybe keep with the option description to do the linking.

Anyways, it really is best to simply export a file of the desired type to see the structure. It is much easier to see than to describe and yes the instructions are lacking, but if you can look/get past that I would say that for the most part it is rather intuitive with little specific database knowledge. Can't remember where I saw it recently, but cases where language is referenced I thought the number corresponded to the number of the language in one of the database tables. It does not necessarily mean English, German, or Dutch for example, but that area is spposedly one that is being worked on to make it more multi-language friendly.

But, basically, yes multiple files can get uuploaded to build to a final database; however, once some backgrond data is in place, fewer fields need updating and therefore fewer files get updating.

[mc12345678]

Is there a way to add a "User Defined Products Field", to the Detailed Products Attributes (detailed multi-line) export?

Do not care about importing it. Only as a reference on Detailed Products Attributes export!

Sorry Kevin, been trying to be sure to give some feedback to those things I was able, so as not to cause something to slip through the cracks. Lots of good conversations and questions:

So as for yours, would follow the export code and in particular the detailed report section. I think there are three rows/data areas that need updating to incorporate the desire data in the export. Essentially has to be captured in the data stream (array variable) and has to be pulled via the SQL which I think takes the other two entries. The code is pretty straight forward if you go down the rabbit hole.

[Kevin205]

Sorry Kevin, been trying to be sure to give some feedback to those things I was able, so as not to cause something to slip through the cracks. Lots of good conversations and questions:

So as for yours, would follow the export code and in particular the detailed report section. I think there are three rows/data areas that need updating to incorporate the desire data in the export. Essentially has to be captured in the data stream (array variable) and has to be pulled via the SQL which I think takes the other two entries. The code is pretty straight forward if you go down the rabbit hole.

Is easypopulate_4_export.php handling the export? Would other files get involved to achieve this task?

Thank you for helping.

[waterbender]

It looks like I can adapt most things except product_id. Some guy said that we can add products_id as a custom field under User Defined Products Fields. Once I done that, will I be able to use products_id as the primary index instead of products_model? Or do I still mess with codes?

[mc12345678]

Is easypopulate_4_export.php handling the export? Would other files get involved to achieve this task?

Thank you for helping.

Yeah the export file actually does the export, the main file (like without export or import) is a sort of "controller" to pull the files together. There are a few odds and ends that may be handled by the other files, but the meat of the exporrt is in the export file.