Easy Populate Linking Random Products

I'm using easy populate to import my product data as I'm handling a product inventory of about 50,000 items. The problem is that somehow products are being linked at random. I can't figure out why. Is there any way to prevent this? Or, if it is easier, is there a way I can "turn off" category linking altogether, so the products will only appear in the category that is specified in my CSV file?

As always, thanks in advance.

Hmm...it's very rare that I post something and over a 24 hour period no one responds with anything. I'm beginning to get nervous. I'll post again when I figure this out.

EP will link products only if you TELL it to do so...

How does it happen ?

The most common "error" is when you decide to change a category / sub-category that a product is in... so you make relevant changes in your spreadsheet to v_categories_name_1 and (possibly) v_categories_name_2, etc...

... and you then run the file through EP.

EP then sees that the v_products_model is already in an existing (and different ) category/sub-category so it says:

"OK... the product is already in catgegory ABC, but this current run of the spreadsheet says it must also go into category XYZ...

... and it dutifully LINKS the products for you!

How do you avoid this? well, there is only one way (if you use EP) and that is to move products to other categories MANUALLY through the admin console, then make a note of its new location so that future imports (via EP) will have the category tree correctly structured for that specific v_products_model.

Sadly, while EP remains the most efficient way to mass-upload product data, it has some drawbacks that are not easy to solve, and product moving procedures is one such drawback...

Ahhh...what you say makes a lot of sense. Because of how huge the inventory spreadsheet was, I divvied the work up between three different employees (the work being the assigning of categories and manufacturers to 50,000 different items). Some items are listed twice (one by the case, one by the box) and I'll betcha that those model numbers are occurring twice in different spreadsheets and have been categorized incorrectly...good ol' human error. I just can't help but wonder why it happened to soooo many items (several thousand). I guess the best approach would be to empty out the three product-related tables in the Zen Cart database, check the three spreadsheets for category discrepancies, particularly in the items that are listed twice, and once that's finished, re-importing the product data via EP back into the database.

I appreciate the help. Though there is work to be done in this solution, at least a solution has been presented. Thanks a lot. :clap:

EP bases everything it does on the PRODUCT MODEL number...

As you know, EP will not work unless there is a value in v_products_model field. This is the defining bit of data for EP, as it is (or OUGHT to be) the one UNIQUE reference to any given product.

When it sees that a particular model number already exists in the database and that this model number is assigned to a specific category, it will assume that a duplication of that model number in subsequent EP imports requires it to UPDATE whatever data currently exists about that product.

So if it sees that existing data points to one category, but a current import of a EP spreadsheet now references a NEW (different) category (for that model number), it assumes that the update it is about to perform must KEEP the existing category reference, and ALSO link the product to the newly specified category.

schoolboy:

EP bases everything it does on the PRODUCT MODEL number...

As you know, EP will not work unless there is a value in v_products_model field. This is the defining bit of data for EP, as it is (or OUGHT to be) the one UNIQUE reference to any given product.
Well I find myself with this exact problem. Cuz I DID NOT know that the products_model had to be unique among the whole DB. This is a problem I am unsure how to resolve. I have been designing my products list (now at 6000+) to be unique for [product_manufacturer]+[product_model]

That is bob jones photos might be numbered 5000 to 6500. and Ted smiths photos are 6000 to 7000. and for my ordering system, thats ok.

Well was ok until now. :oops:I do not want to give up ezpop as its a fantastic add on!

any one have thoughts on maybe the right SQL update query to try out? or some admin section in either the zencart main or ezpop sections?

original install was 3.9c, updated to d - using zen cherry template with IH2 and ezpop
thanks
Photoseller
I'm a php novice, a zen newbie but not so bad with SQL and databases..........

photoseller Why not just use initial's in the ref:

bob jones = bj-6000 to bj-6500
ted smiths = ts-6000 to ts-7000

You should be able to edit easily in OO or Excel and EP will still work as long as they are unique.

Scrat:

photoseller Why not just use initial's in the ref:

bob jones = bj-6000 to bj-6500
ted smiths = ts-6000 to ts-7000

You should be able to edit easily in OO or Excel and EP will still work as long as they are unique.

I agree that is an easy solution to accomodate ezpop. Unfortunately I have a fullfillment system in place 2 years now that works on the FULL NAME of the manufacture+pose number.

And I do not wish to display that info to the shopper.

For the moment I THINK I found a solution. I found that at the bottom of the page in admin/cats/prods is a GLOBAL CHANGING section. I might have orphaned a couple of dozen photos, but overall I think this section help quite a bit.

Still I will have to come up with some sort of solution if I wish to make further use of ezpop for updates and addtions.

thanks for your input.
Photoseller