Duplicates: is already in the database

I am not sure if anyone could help me in this area. How to do I keep having double entries in my store? Like for an example:

my item number #15062

Item name: Domain Name that is already in the database.

Then in a later date or time if I try to enter this again into the Database and it will say "This item is already in the Database."

Is there a mod for this?

I can't figure out what on earth you're talking about.

a) If I install a fresh new copy of v1.5.0 (since you said you're using v1.5.0), what exactly do I need to do to my store so that I can exactly recreate the problems you're encountering?
b) And then what exact steps must I take to see what you're seeing?

Also, please click Reply below and answer all the questions in the Posting Tips section, especially the part about your site history, upgrades, plugins, etc.

No, No, No, what I am talking about is duplicate Items I am not talking about the a fresh new store or database.

duplicate "item"?

I must be aging faster than I thought. While you're using english words I don't have a clue what you're referring to.

Can you try and help me understand the much broader context here?
When you sat down at your computer, after turning on the light in a room, and turned on the computer, what did you have to do to arrive at some place where you were seeing "duplicate item" messages in relation to your Zen Cart store? Pretend I'm totally dumb. (might not be so hard to pretend! haha!)

DrByte,

Your not dumb,,, I will try and make this more clearer.

Ok, after I enter an item/product into the database.

then later time or date I enter the same item/product sometimes I forget what I enter the database. My question is,,,, is there way when I enter the same item/product then it tells me this "item/product is already in the database" so I won't have enter it so many times by accident?

Oh.
Thanks for explaining in more detail. It's always helpful to step way back and explain the business problem behind the question. I think I know better now what problem you're wanting to solve...

You're asking to have the store read everything you've entered, compare it against everything already in the database, and intelligently know whether any of that information is already there.

What "rule" would it be able to use to know whether it's a duplicate? It's very difficult to consistently detect duplicates without having a common unique "key".
There are a thousand ways to misspell a product name or to add spaces between words or name a product differently ("Pictures of our Wedding" vs "Wedding Pictures" vs "Wedding Photos", for example), so using the product name would be a bad idea.
Most often stores will use the "product model number" as a unique key. If there was a plugin that would do the checking, would it be safe to tell it to only compare whether the MODEL NUMBER you entered is already in the database? If not, what else is your magical unique key in your business?

Oh, another important question: WHY do you find yourself entering duplicates anyway? What's the business process that makes you enter something that's already in there? Who's telling you to add it, without knowing it's already there?

Well thank you anyways. I just thought I ask.

Uh oh.

Judging from your reply I'm guessing I sounded rude? I certainly didn't mean to. I was trying to ask you enough questions to understand your business process in order to see if there was a way to come up with a plugin that would do as you were asking.

I meant them as exploratory questions, not as a statement that it can't be done. :(

Yes, I was hoping there was a plugin for something like this.

I don't know of one presently, but if I knew the rules that it would need to follow in order to "know" what constitutes a "duplicate" as far as your store's products go, it might be possible to write one. That's why I was asking all those questions, because the answers are necessary in order for such a plugin to be possible.

You could (..should) use unique model numbers: the various (non core Zen Cart) programs that can export product information and import new products use that as a reference.
If you try to import a duplicate "new" product using a model number that already exists in the database it will show you an error/tell you that.
I use Apsona, but Easypopulate does the same (questions about these products should be made in the relevant support thread).

Otherwise you'll need some code in the product data entry page to check the model number against the database.

Ideally this would happen as you enter the model number: you could adapt the Instant Search
http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1336
for this field to show the existing model numbers as you type the new number in, to show you any duplicate.

Hours of fun for all the family!