Complete and total newb...

And here is the proof:

I'm building a website sell Stuff. I've got a Stuff vendor lined up and he has provided me with a mile long Excel spread sheet that contains all of the retail prices for his products as well as a .zip file of images of all his Stuff. The image file names correspond to the item numbers on the spreadsheet.

So now I've got pics and prices for Stuff! Let's refer to it as TheirStuff.

So while I've been lining up a Stuff vendor I've also been building a website using Xara Web Designer 6 to attempt building my own website.

I also build my own Stuff and want to sell it on my new website. lets call my stuff ....MyStuff.

So here I am with a bunch of Stuff to sell, a domain name bought and paid for over at G-Daddy( No free plugs from me!!).

As I'm playing around with my website I realize that paypal Ecommerce widgets are neat and all but it's going to take years for me to configure that many buttons....and no buttons for coupons either!!

So I end up with a copy of Zen Cart (v1.39) after looking around for a Shopping Cart Program and very quickly realize.....I'm really lost.

I've tried reading through some of the posts on the forum and although there is some good info....I'm just too new at this.

If I'm understanding this correctly, Zen Cart has to be uploaded along with my actual website via FTP onto my hosts server....right? No, I failed at that?

So my questions are as follows:
Does Zen Cart replace the web site I've been building or does it simply add buttons for selecting and purchasing items from my site.

How do I get Zen Cart to look at the spreadsheet from my Stuff vendor?

How do I get Zen Cart to fill in the blanks (so to speak) with regards to MyStuff. Do I create a separate spreadsheet with prices for Mystuff on it?

If you haven't already figured it out....I've never built an Ecommerce website.

I know there are a few folks shaking their heads and don't even want to begin to get involved at such a basic level...but I hope that there are a few (or maybe even one) brave souls out there that can get me pointed in the right direction.

you are def in the right place!

f I'm understanding this correctly, Zen Cart has to be uploaded along with my actual website via FTP onto my hosts server....right? No, I failed at that?
eh.. no
So my questions are as follows:
Does Zen Cart replace the web site I've been building or does it simply add buttons for selecting and purchasing items from my site.
eh.. yes it replaces it
How do I get Zen Cart to look at the spreadsheet from my Stuff vendor?
by using one of the free addons like easypopulate
How do I get Zen Cart to fill in the blanks (so to speak) with regards to MyStuff. Do I create a separate spreadsheet with prices for Mystuff on it?
sort of yes.. just add it to their stuff with a dif manufacturer

Okay....

So I bought a software package I don't need as long as I'm using Zen Cart. Of well...at least didn't spend $1800 for a full Dreamweaver package. I can handle dropping $50 down the crapper.... I suppose.

Easypopulate...I'll find it and make it mine!!
Will it handle images as well or just the $$$$?

I was thinking that adding to the Stuff Vendor's spreadsheet was probably yhe way to go...just need some reassurance.

Donal,
You have earned my undying trust and friendship, enough to last through the ages. I will write a Durge in your honor and name my next pet after you. OrI can give ya link to my site when it's ready and a free 10% off coupon for Stuff or MyStuff

Next round of questions!! wOOT!!

What the hell is XAMPP (sp?) and how come I need it?

The vendor's Stuff spreadsheet has 10,00 part numbers but I'm only using 400 or so that are scattered all over the spread sheet....what do I do?

What the hell is XAMPP (sp?) and how come I need it?
Its a system that allows you to run php and mysql on your pc...
you dont!! need it
The vendor's Stuff spreadsheet has 10,00 part numbers but I'm only using 400 or so that are scattered all over the spread sheet....what do I do?
why is that a problem? as long as your numbers are different:smile:

oh and btw
"a domain name bought and paid for over at G-Daddy"

I would check g daddy on these forums if I wer u

I should clarify....
He has 10k part/item numbers of which I'll only be selling 400.

So how doe I tell Zen Cat which of the 400 out of 10,000 numbers to use? The part/item numbers I'm selling are not 5557 thru 5957, rather they are scattered throughout the complete list.

Make sense?

No G-daddy luv here? :shocking:
But they have commercials with boobies!! Whats not to love? Links or ban!!! :blink:

Zen wont be using their list, what easypopulate does basicaly is provide you with a csv file that you can use as a template for importing items into zens database, so you would need to extract the items you are selling and paste them into the EP file in the correct place and then import that into zen, and yes it can handle the image aspect

Serious, you are cracking me up.....and I had a few of the EXACT same questions you asked - but I was too embarrassed! :blush:

But if DONAL can answer this question I will be happy: I am using Zencart and purchased a template through Algozon...I am beginning to make changes with Photoshop. Once I am complete with the aesthetics (no products yet...that will take me much longer), do I have to physically upload my site using FTP again or does it happen "magically".....I know, pretty lame huh?

Thanks.

I assume you are just editing the images in photoshop?
in that case you will need to ftp them into the "custom" template folder overwriting the ones that came with the template. just be careful that they are named the same as the original ones and are the same dimensions, you can change dimensions and names but thats getting into more detail and a tutorial.
speaking of tutorials, while I (and a lot of other people) are very happy to point you in the right direction a lot of the basic stuff is covered in the FAQs

Dont be embarresed! we have all been there... it's only easy if you know the answer

Thanks! :wink:

I can't help with your questions but I just wanted to reassure you that it will start making sense. Honest! I'm also a newbie and only been fiddling with Zen for a few months - to start with it was like Greek to me. It still is mostly Greek but there is starting to be a bit of English in there too and I've actually had some success doing the things I wanted to do (although I'm fiddling with a site that is already up and running rather than setting one up from scratch.)

This is a great resource so just keep reading. Good luck :smile:

So I I find the text doc's that relate to installing ZC on my computer and I commense ta readin' and decypherin'....

I find this little Gem:

You will then need to run the install script.

To do this you need to open a browser and type in the URL.

If you are running on a your own computer, this will be

http://localhost/{zen-cart-directory}/zc_install/
HA!! Now I'm cookin' with gas!!

So I figure that I need to replace what's inbetween the { } with the ZC location on my computer. I open a browser and enter the following into the URL bar:
http://localhost/C:\ZenCart\zen-cart...10/zc_install/

Nope, browser says I'm 'tarded.

Where did I screw up?
I tried it with the { } in place and without the { }.

I extracted the ZC file into a Directory on my C drive called ZenCart.

The path I pasted inplace of {zen-cart-directory} is correct.

I AM A ZEN MASTER!!Okay...I got lucky...

Seems that I do need XAMMP installed on my win7 pc in order to run ZenCart locally.

Downloading and installing it now. Back soon with new and improved stupid questions.

why try and run it locally?
hosting is cheap and when you get it sorted theres no moving and setting up to do!
I always build on the remote server even if i need to hide in a sub folder or something

From what I've seen on this site the general consensus is to maintain a working copy of your website on your computer as a backup and to try out changes before going live.

For a newb such as myself it makes sense.

So back to my stupid questions...

Download the latest Xampp and followed the installation instructions.

Referred to the following thread as well.
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173115
Specifically:

Vger:

The procedure should work as follows:

1. You download the latest Zen Cart and unzip it.

2. Create a folder inside XAMPP's 'htdocs' folder. For this example call it 'zencart'.

3. Take all of the folders and files that you unzipped for the latest Zen Cart version (but not the containing folder) and copy/paste them into the htdocs/zencart folder.

4. Go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin and create a new database.

5. Go to http://localhost/zencart/zc_install and you should be able to start the install proecedure.

Does it work now?

VgerHuh?

Create a new Database? Okay, I click on the link and enter "Zencart" in the field and then click on the CREATE button.....

BOOM! I now have a new Database called Zencart!!
Back over to my browser and try again.....

I enter https://localhost/xampp/htdocs/Zencart/zen-cart-v1.3.9h-full-fileset-10262010/zc_install/ and the result is this:

Object not found!
The requested URL was not found on this server. If you entered the URL manually please check your spelling and try again.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 404
localhost
2/5/2011 8:39:25 AM
Apache/2.2.17 (Win32) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8o PHP/5.3.4 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.1

Not gonna have any hair left at this rate......

as I said why bother?

your hosting company has gone to all the bother of setting all this up for you already!
go live?? it'll take weeks for anybody to realise your stuff is there and anyway you can restrict access to the remote server.
zencart is designed to install via a very handy installer on the remote server, all you need to do is create the database on your hosting account (usually a one button affair) then run the zencart installer through your browser, it will check everthing is as it should be... you enter a few details like the database name, password etc and click,,,, away you go site set up!
upload your template and fiddle away and you can see the results instantly online, why clog up your pc with all that stuff and then have to go through all the installing thing again later anyway?
as for being a newbe... doing it on your own pc is by far the hardest way to do it

Because I want to make sure what I eventually upload meets my needs. I'd rather learn and make mistakes on my PC so that I can correct errors as I find them.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkk!!

This thread may become the epic newb thread!!

So I got ZenCart loaded on my PC thanks to you good people.

Now I'm trying to get a handle on EasyPopulate.

Downloaded EP_v1.2.5.4.zip and extracted all the files.
Read the instruction file and renamed the admin file so that it was the same as my renamed Zencart admin file (The file formerly known as admin....;) )so Easypopulate's ***ADMIN ***is now NEW-MIN. (insert Seinfeld voice).

Grabbed the TEMP file and stuffed it in the directory it supposed to be in....at least I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be there.:P

So know I get to this part of the instructions:> 1) Change the name of the "admin" directory in this package to suit your zencart installation. DONE!!

2. The temp folder is configured to reside in your store directory. If you store is not in the site root (eg. /mystore/) then the temp directory must also go in this directory. Since I'm running Zencart locally, which directory do I put it in?

3. If you want to re-name the uploads (temp) folder, ensure that you configure Easy Populate to reflect this change after installation seriously?!?! I'm not renaming another file untill I get #2 and $ figured out!!:censored:

4. Upload all files in their respective directories. What files? More gibberish if you ask me!

5. Go to Admin -> Tools -> Easy Populate. If prompted to install Easy Populate, click on the link provided. Otherwise, type in your browser address bar ?langer=install after /easypopulate.php
   (eg. YOUR_ADMIN/easypopulate.php?langer=install). If you wish to remove and re-install the default
   config settings, type ?langer=remove after /easypopulate.php
   (eg. YOUR_ADMIN/easypopulate.php?langer=remove) and begin this step again.

6. Go to Admin -> Configuration -> Easy Populate, and configure the upload directory if you have
   changed it from default. Also, ensure that the correct date format is set for your upload files.

7. If this mod gives you more time with your family or friends, and/or less customer headaches, please
   consider a donation to [email protected] to ensure this module is continually supported and improved :-)]

5,6, and 7 are not relevant until I get 2 ,3 & 4 figured out.

come on, admitt it...you guy's and gals think this is funny as hell.:yes:

2: the same directory as your includes folder

3 leave alone.. since you havent renamed anything the default "temp" applies
4 all the EP files (they are assuming you are making the changes before you install EP)
so all the EP files should be put in the same directorys that they are in the package
eg files in a folder named admin(or new min) in your EP package go into the folder named admin in your zencart instillation

Donal,
You are a saint and blessed with an abundance of patience.

Tonight I'll hoist a Pint and sing Oh Danny Boy in your honor...because I don't really know any good Irish drinking songs.:cheers:

But we aren't done yet.

I've gotten as far as seeing "EasyPopulate" in the Tools pulldown, but when I click on it...

Object not found!
The requested URL was not found on this server. The link on the referring page seems to be wrong or outdated. Please inform the author of that page about the error.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 404
localhost
2/5/2011 5:15:09 PM
Apache/2.2.17 (Win32) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8o PHP/5.3.4 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.1

:oops:

em..... another prob with doing it locally nobody else can see lol

at a guess (EP can be a bit of a bugger at the best of times) a file must be in the wrong place:unsure: