Integrating ZenCart with a custom database

I have a custom database of some 2.5k+ products that is currently completely separate from ZenCart. I need to use ZenCart with the merchant service to allow customers to pay with credit cards online.

So I need to figure out how to integrate the ZenCart database with my custom database, or at least get ZenCart to simply pull data from mine.

I do not want to:

1. Duplicate the records in my database so both ZenCart and the original have the products.
2. Use only the ZenCart database.

The db specs for my database:
Table: products
pid -- int(11)
productNumber -- tinytext
type -- int(11)
brand -- tinytext
color -- tinytext
category -- tinytext
description -- text
price -- double(10,2)
(pid is primary key)

I looked through the API and didn't find much.

Any ideas?

I do not want to:

1. Duplicate the records in my database so both ZenCart and the original have the products.
2. Use only the ZenCart database.To do this would require a complete re-write of the code to talk to a different DB Structure

Would it be possible to use only a payment module in zencart? In other words, send the price of an item to zencart and have it process that amount?

Your table does looks more like an excel file and not like a DB schema. If this is the only table in your database i dont think you should use the Zencart database, export all you data to a CSV file and import it with EZ Populate to Zencart.

However, if you wish to try your modification, you would have to modify all SQL statements that access the zencart database to change it to your structure.

Here is an excerpt from database_tables.php that are concerned with product tables. However there are more tables for orders and customers and and and...

define('TABLE_PRODUCTS', DB_PREFIX . 'products');
define('TABLE_PRODUCT_TYPES', DB_PREFIX . 'product_types');
define('TABLE_PRODUCT_TYPE_LAYOUT', DB_PREFIX . 'product_type_layout');
define('TABLE_PRODUCT_TYPES_TO_CATEGORY', DB_PREFIX . 'product_types_to_category');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_ATTRIBUTES', DB_PREFIX . 'products_attributes');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_ATTRIBUTES_DOWNLOAD', DB_PREFIX . 'products_attributes_download');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION', DB_PREFIX . 'products_description');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_DISCOUNT_QUANTITY', DB_PREFIX . 'products_discount_quantity');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_NOTIFICATIONS', DB_PREFIX . 'products_notifications');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_OPTIONS', DB_PREFIX . 'products_options');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_OPTIONS_VALUES', DB_PREFIX . 'products_options_values');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_OPTIONS_VALUES_TO_PRODUCTS_OPTIONS', DB_PREFIX . 'products_options_values_to_products_options');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_OPTIONS_TYPES', DB_PREFIX . 'products_options_types');
define('TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES', DB_PREFIX . 'products_to_categories');

Look for all files that use these tables and modify the statements to suit your needs. You definitely have to expand your current database if this is the only table that you currently have in your database.

Zen Cart is a shopping cart, not a checkout module.

Would it be possible to use only a payment module in zencart? In other words, send the price of an item to zencart and have it process that amount?
ZenCart is not designed to be used in pieces as you have described.