Embedding Zen-Cart

I just finished a solid foundation for a website (it can be found here) and need to embed Zen-Cart into it.

Can I just wrap it in a div inside my existing page and delete the header? Would it be better to replace the zen-cart header with the one from my site and just change the navigation list to point to the cart and back to the pages...?

Can anyone maybe give me a couple links with some easy to follow intructions. Nothing too in depth as i know php and such I am just not exactly a pro when it comes to Zen-Cart and its structure...

Thanks in advance

Zen Cart is not designed to be used as you described, so the answer to your question is no. You are much better off letting Zen Cart run the entire site.

That is a nice clean layout and template, and should be pretty easy to transfer to Zen Cart, with only simple coding tweaks for a few elements.
You would set up much of the layout in admin, then transfer style rules to the corresponding ZC elements, using the Firefox Web Developer extension to identify class/id/element names.

gjh42:

That is a nice clean layout and template, and should be pretty easy to transfer to Zen Cart, with only simple coding tweaks for a few elements.
You would set up much of the layout in admin, then transfer style rules to the corresponding ZC elements, using the Firefox Web Developer extension to identify class/id/element names.

So I replace the header with the header and navbar from my other site. Then build the other pages using ez pages and then drop my css in the base style sheet? Does this sound right? If this is the case any way anyone would want to tell me exactly how to use the admin to do what i need? Im not used to using any CMS or such so for some reason i am finding it really hard to find what is what in zencart

It sounds like you're on the right track.

Most of those things wouldn't be done from the Zen Cart admin. Much of it would be accomplished using a good text editor (like Crimson Editor or Notepad++) and an FTP client (like Filezilla). The Firefox browser with the webdeveloper add on (or Firebug) is a helpful tool.

I haven't looked at your exisiting layout, but you might want to check the free templates available for Zen Cart and use one of them as a starting point. You can seen them in action at http://(sorry, site offline)/

Setting for right column only, and the sideboxes to display in it, would be an admin function, as would various other page element settings.
The header/nav can better be duplicated and styled using dynamic Zen Cart components, which will give you functionality and flexibility you may not realize you want yet.
You could not just drop your CSS into the stylesheet, because the elements it will apply to will be different than your static page elements. You will need to transfer each style rule to the appropriate ZC element.

gjh42:

Setting for right column only, and the sideboxes to display in it, would be an admin function, as would various other page element settings.
The header/nav can better be duplicated and styled using dynamic Zen Cart components, which will give you functionality and flexibility you may not realize you want yet.
You could not just drop your CSS into the stylesheet, because the elements it will apply to will be different than your static page elements. You will need to transfer each style rule to the appropriate ZC element.

What do you you mean give functionality and flexibility that i might not know that i want as of yet? I do understand that if i just dropped the css in it wouldn't select the correct elements however if i replaced the nav structure with my own then dropped in my css it should correctly select and apply to the correct elements right?

You don't have any link to checkout, for example. Zen Cart's header nav automatically shows that when you have something in your cart, and hides it when it's irrelevant.

Your CSS could apply to the header if you replaced that with your static header, forfeiting much of the navigation possibilities inherent in the ZC header.

gjh42:

You don't have any link to checkout, for example. Zen Cart's header nav automatically shows that when you have something in your cart, and hides it when it's irrelevant.

Your CSS could apply to the header if you replaced that with your static header, forfeiting much of the navigation possibilities inherent in the ZC header.

Okay I will try that ... I don't understand why it seems so hard...
the PHP almost looks like a different language when the structures are set up like they are... It makes the learning curve pretty high I think.

PHP is a different language from HTML. It is complementary, as each can do things the other cannot.

gjh42:

PHP is a different language from HTML. It is complementary, as each can do things the other cannot.

Not what i meant... I was saying that the php used in zencart doesnt look like php haha. Im just not used to it being so busy...

The Sanguine Embedded Template is designed to allow you to embed Zen Cart into an existing HTML site or site template.. Just wanted to throw out other options available..

However, Glenn is right.. you really can build this whole site in Zen Cart..

There is a learning curve, but it's not really that difficult. You just need to take it one step at a time.

"the php used in zencart doesnt look like php haha"

Many Zen Cart files are incremental modifications of osCommerce files from six or more years ago. As such, many of them are a mess; the devs are hard at work on v2.0 which rewrites most of the codebase and uses more up-to-date coding techniques.
Meanwhile, the existing code works, and those who know how to use OOP coding will be delighted with the new version when it is ready.