EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

ideasgirl:

Hi, this was a bit over a year ago.

Has been there any "Dual Pricing" development with EP4 since the Group Pricing per Item is an abandoned project today?

Not specifically. If "Dual Pricing" only adds fields to the products database, then you can use the "User defined products fields" on the Configuration -> Easy Populate 4 page to add them.

At some point I will probably do some clean-up of the custom products fields in favor of user defined. It will clean up the code some.

-chadd

Hi guys-

ZC v1.5.1
Easy Populate 4.0.22 - Beta 6-10-2012

Could someone look at this csv file please?
Attachment #11899

It doesn't upload the products and their associated information (pricing, etc).

Thanks so much folks. You're extremely appreciated.

ChadAustin:

Hi guys-

ZC v1.5.1
Easy Populate 4.0.22 - Beta 6-10-2012

Could someone look at this csv file please?
Attachment #11899

It doesn't upload the products and their associated information (pricing, etc).

Thanks so much folks. You're extremely appreciated.

Chad,

I tested your file, and it DOES upload and import correctly for me. HOWEVER, your product status is "0", so these products will not show in the store's front end, but DO show in the admin.

Also, you cannot use offsite image links with zencart (at least not easily). This has been discussed recently in other threads.

Another point: Are you sure you have products name and products model correct? Your products models look like names, and your product names look like UPC numbers....

-chadd

Thanks for the quick reply Chadd,

So which column in the CSV file relates to Product Status?

I have Image handler 4 installed, I just haven't started working with it yet. But thanks for that information... I think I had read about that in this massive thread somewhere :)

Yes, you may be correct about the product names and such... ideally, I may have to modify some variables and templates, as I want the result to look something like this screenshot of an older version of Zen Cart

Once I can get the CSV file and Image Handler 4 working in tandem together, I will work with the templates.

Can "EasyPopulate 4.0" move a set of existing products from one category to another?

ChadAustin:

Thanks for the quick reply Chadd,

So which column in the CSV file relates to Product Status?

That would be v_status

I have found out about the following in v_status
1 = Product is active and visible
0 = Product is inactive and hidden (such as when product is out of stock)
9 = Delete product

What is the command to move??

Kevin205:

Can "EasyPopulate 4.0" move a set of existing products from one category to another?

Hi Kevin,

No. But there is a work around that I don't suggest except for new installs. You can list the product TWICE. The first time in it's existing category, with v_status = 9 (request a delete product), and then again in the target category with v_status = 1 for normal active.

So what happens is the product is first deleted and then re-added to the store. Note that this breaks the product_id, and that may affect things like your sitemap, feeds, etc.

chadderuski:

Hi Kevin,

No. But there is a work around that I don't suggest except for new installs. You can list the product TWICE. The first time in it's existing category, with v_status = -9 (request a delete product), and then again in the target category with v_status = 1 for normal active..

Thanks for the reply.

Is it 9 or -9 to delete?

What is the difference if you delete products from admin one by one vs. deleting using v_status = 9?

This would be a pretty useful tool. (Not that it already isn't)

I can only imagine there will be instances that you add 100s of products by mistake to a category. And then you have to delete them from one category and add them to the correct one!

It's 9 ... I edited the post to fix it... too early :p

Deleting should be no different.

chadderuski:

Hi Kevin,

No. But there is a work around that I don't suggest except for new installs. You can list the product TWICE. The first time in it's existing category, with v_status = 9 (request a delete product), and then again in the target category with v_status = 1 for normal active.

So what happens is the product is first deleted and then re-added to the store. Note that this breaks the product_id, and that may affect things like your sitemap, feeds, etc.

I know, I am trying to inject coffee to myself also.

Since you mentioned you do not recommend except for new installs. You can list the product TWICE

If you are deleting products from table first (v_status = 9), and then adding new products to a different category via (v_status = 1). Whys is it that the product ID is broken? Why should it? Product ID should be deleted in the tables. ** Aren't they?**

Please excuse me if I asking dumb questions like that.

ps. By product IDs i meant v_products_model.

Kevin205:

This would be a pretty useful tool. (Not that it already isn't)

I can only imagine there will be instances that you add 100s of products by mistake to a category. And then you have to delete them from one category and add them to the correct one!

This is ONE of the many potential screw-up that can occur, and the reason I always ALWAYS recommend doing a database backup with Dr. Byte's Backup MySQL tool before doing any import.

I've been using EP for 8 years, and even with MY coded version, I still do a DB backup before an import.

Kevin205:

I know, I am trying to inject coffee to myself also.

Since you mentioned you do not recommend except for new installs. You can list the product TWICE

If you are deleting products from table first (v_status = 9), and then adding new products to a different category via (v_status = 1). Whys is it that the product ID is broken? Why should it? Product ID should be deleted in the tables. ** Aren't they?**

Please excuse me if I asking dumb questions like that.

ps. By product IDs i meant v_products_model.

when you browse your store, look at your URL. It is made up of category ID's and your product's ID, NOT the model. So if you feed google, bing, or some other place, you will throw a wrench in your bot's indexing ...

Hope that makes sense.

OK now I understand. My #1 rule is to always make backups.

What my concern is when you populate the database with 100s of records and in a month or two after adding hundreds more, then if the category name has to be changed for any reason whatsoever, manufacturer definitions, management decision to change location and or mistakes or any other reason, then this is something that has to get done and backups will not help. The product tree has to be changed. Search engine bots, SEO and etc. could be re-established.

As long as the action of deleting a series of products with v_status = 9 (request a delete product), and then adding the same series of products in the target category via v_status = 1, does not interfere with database integrity. I would not care about bots or indexing.

Do you think the above action might damage the database integrity itself?

Kevin205:

OK now I understand. My #1 rule is to always make backups.

What my concern is when you populate the database with 100s of records and in a month or two after adding hundreds more, then if the category name has to be changed for any reason whatsoever, manufacturer definitions, management decision to change location and or mistakes or any other reason, then this is something that has to get done and backups will not help. The product tree has to be changed. Search engine bots, SEO and etc. could be re-established.

As long as the action of deleting a series of products with v_status = 9 (request a delete product), and then adding the same series of products in the target category via v_status = 1, does not interfere with database integrity. I would not care about bots or indexing.

Do you think the above action might damage the database integrity itself?

I see no reason for the databases to suffer. Although you may want to optimize your databases if you delete hundreds of item, etc. as these are not physically deleted from the database (only marked as deleted) until you do so.

So how would you physically delete them?

Kevin205:

So how would you physically delete them?

From zencart admin: Tools > Store Manager > Optimize Databases

I can download "Full" and turn right around and import it back. But if I open with Calc and save file unedited I get this error msg.

No model field in record. This line was not imported

chadderuski:

From zencart admin: Tools > Store Manager > Optimize Databases

Chad - Thank you for all the help.