Can I use html links from an existing website with zencart?

I have an already existing website and the shopping cart system I was using provided html links that I could add to the web pages to place items in the shopping cart. Is it possible to do this with zencart? I don't want to scrap all the work I have already done creating the website, and I have found no zencart templates to meet my type of design needs. I just want to be able to add buy links with items on the already existing website.

Sorry, that's not going to work (at least without advanced coding skills). You should be able to recreate your design in Zen Cart - post a link to see what you have for advice on how it can be done.

Currently in a shabby state, but here you go https://www.hickssticks.com
One items for sale page with one remaining remnant buy link. http://www.hickssticks.com/didgeridoos-aspen-hardwood.html

I also don't want to lose the drop down main menu.

Nice looking site. Most of it would be easy to convert to Zen Cart pages; the product listing page would take the most work, but several existing mods available here would make it doable without inventing new PHP code.

The top nav should be repeatable with a CSS dropdown menu mod (try Jade True's) from Free Addons. Many of the page contents can be dropped into ez-pages almost as-is.

For the product listing, try the Flexible Product Listing mod (zip posted in the forum by me). Set for column layout style, one product per row. I think some clever arrangement of elements and CSS will allow essentially the same layout without more custom coding. You will need to allow HTML in product listing descriptions - search the forum for zen_clean_html for easy instructions.

Any other questions, just ask.

Thanks.

So buy links can not be created to paste into html web pages, but how about the other way... is it possible to paste html code into zencart web pages?

I am thinking in terms of the drop down menu. I did it with visual infinite menus and pasted the code into the web pages with the web authoring software (cool page pro which I know is antiquated but it has worked for me).

You could theoretically paste HTML code into a PHP file, but it would be static, i.e. if you added a page you would have to edit the HTML by hand to account for it. Using the Zen Cart menu mods will (at least mostly) make the menu dynamic, so when you add a page, it will automatically show in the menu. I haven't used the dropdown mod, so can't say exactly how it is set up.

Pasted-in HTML links are likely to be absolute, so if you were to move the Zen Cart installation to the root to be your website, those would all need to be changed by hand. PHP coded links in ZC will automatically adapt to the location. Given the variety of types and organization of page links in your menu, it might work best to use your HTML code and substitute PHP code for the actual links (which will be to different destinations anyway from your current menu). You can use the PHP zen_href_link() and zen_ezpage_link() functions to insert dynamic destinations into links.

Thanks. I kind of understand, but some of that is a bit over my head. Sounds like the zencart system updates the underlying common structure, including linking in all web pages while allowing you to edit specific page content. Is this correct?

If so, it would end up being easier overall than my current system. As the website is now, I have to manually change all links and repaste the menu code into each webpage every time I make a change in the menu.

That's basically correct. Once you set up the page template including header & footer, all new pages you make will use it automatically. There are ways to make individual pages do some part a bit differently if required.

Most of your text content pages can be made using the ez-page system - see the tutorials for a fuller explanation. Ez-pages have their own menu system, too, allowing you to specify on the creation page whether it should have a link directly from the menu or be accessed from another ez-page (like your about/bio/respect/etc. pages).