How to test in an offline environment?

Hello, I am an IT student completing my work term and I am working on a company's web store using an existing Zen Cart configuration. I have received the login info to both manage Zen Cart and the FTP server.

My question is, how do I test Zen Cart in an offline environment? My concentration is not database so I'm not sure how to pick up everything that's been already established and tinker with it in an offline environment.

I use xampp to keep an off-line version of my zen-cart. very handy to test new mod etc.

I did go ahead and download XAMPP onto my laptop already, but I don't know how to take the set up they already have and import it to XAMPP for testing purposes. By the way, their website is https://www.on-grade.ca if anyone wants to see.

I don't know how to take the set up they already have and import it to XAMPPWhat I do is
a) files
Get Beyond Compare, set up an ftp profile and download/mirror all the files to your pc.
b) database
export it with phpmyadmin on the server.
On your laptop using phpmyadmin create a database with the same name and import the sql file.
c) set up the two configure.php files as necessary for the files location on your laptop and for db access.

Essentially the reverse of this tutorial
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=99

kobra:

Essentially the reverse of this tutorial
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=99

This guide looks good, however I don't know how to find phpmyadmin on the server. What I have access to is the FTP server (which I'm accessing through windows explorer) and the Zen Cart management page. I don't see phpmyadmin anywhere.

Are you referencing the host server or your local XAMP server?

Don't use FTP via windows explorer it is highly unreliable

Get a dedicated FTP client such as filezilla

kobra:

Are you referencing the host server or your local XAMP server?

Don't use FTP via windows explorer it is highly unreliable

Get a dedicated FTP client such as filezilla

Thanks for the reply, I am referencing the host server when I say I am unable to find phpmyadmin. I have Filezilla installed on my computer (it came with XAMPP) and XAMPP Control Panel Application says it's actually running right now. However, going to start and searching for Filezilla doesn't leave me with anything to launch...

edit: I downloaded the Filezilla client off their website, but when attempt to sign into the FTP server I see the following:

Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response: 220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [privsep] [TLS] ----------
Response: 220-You are user number 2 of 50 allowed.
Response: 220-Local time is now 13:34. Server port: 21.
Response: 220-IPv6 connections are also welcome on this server.
Response: 220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Command: USER *****
Response: 331 User ***** OK. Password required
Command: PASS **********
Response: 530 Login authentication failed
Error: Critical error
Error: Could not connect to server

On XAMPP the address is http://localhost/phpmyadmin

Vger

I am referencing the host server when I say I am unable to find phpmyadmin
This will be accessible ONLY from the host provided account manager and one requires the user and pass to access
Login authentication failed
You must not be using the correct user & pass

Ah, I see. So it would seem that On-Grade did not give me the credentials to access account manager for the website, only credentials for the account manager for the Zen Cart account. Does this hypothesis seem likely?

And on Filezilla, I am sure I have the correct user and pass because I am reading them from a sheet of paper they gave me and I can sign in to the FTP server when I use windows explorer. Is there anything else that can be holding me back?

EDIT: You called it, Kobra. Wrong username being used. D'oh!

Hello again all. I am attempting to install the latest version of Zen Cart onto my test website, and I have done the following:

• Extracted the .zip file to C:\xampp\htdocs
• Renamed the file from "zen-cart-v1.3.9h-full-fileset-10262010" to "store" so I can simply type "www.example.com/store" in the web browser
• Attempted to walk through the installation process.

However, when I reach the 'Prerequisites' page of the installation, Zen Cart provides the following error message:

"CURL not compiled into PHP - notify server administrator"

How can I rectify this to complete Zen Cart's installation?

You could enable CURL in your XAMPP installation.

Or, if none of the things you're testing will require any external communication such as payment modules and shipping rate inquiries, you could ignore the CURL warning message.

If the store owner permits it, you could install ZC in a SUB-DIRECTORY of the existing site.

Then, to keep that installation private, set HTACCESS permissions via the c-Panel (Password-protect Directories). This will stop snoopers and Search Engines.

schoolboy:

If the store owner permits it, you could install ZC in a SUB-DIRECTORY of the existing site.

Then, to keep that installation private, set HTACCESS permissions via the c-Panel (Password-protect Directories). This will stop snoopers and Search Engines.

If I install ZC in a sub-directory of the existing site, would I then simply modify the new includes/configure.php and admin/includes/configure.php files with the same configuration as the live server? And that will give me an exact clone?

You would also need to copy the database so you aren't connecting to the live site's db when testing. Yes, adjust the configure.php files in your test site to reflect the correct filepath and database info. This will give you the closest possible analogue of the live site.

I can't get past the Database setup part of the installation. I have the correct database name and database user and password, but it won't connect me. I receive:

'Database does not exist
Access denied for user 'ongrade_admin'@'localhost' to database 'ongrade_zc1'

Wat do? :(

The error message "Database does not exist" cannot be any more specific - the database doesn't exist - at least not under that name. Check to make sure you are entering the correct database name.

Vger

[IMG]http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/1592/apparentlyitdoes.png[/IMG]

Looks like it exists to me. Also, I copy and pasted that error message so you can see I used the same database name in the Zen Cart setup.

Are you trying to install locally (XAMPP)? Or are you now trying to install Online?

Vger