How to set up downloadable products?

Hi all... newbie here.

Spent the last 4 days trawling through these forums without success on this question....(although a 1000 other problems have been resolved thanks to you chap and chapess)

I scan old books, convert them to pdf files.
Normally i sell the CD's at family history shows etc.
I'm setting the shop now and I am struggling with setting up a product so that once the customer buys it they can automatically download the pdf file of the book.

I know it it can be done because it says so on the zen home page.

Is there an idiots guide somewhere... please help

Steve

:cry:
https://www.wetherby-scanning.co.uk

Would suggest adding pdf's into zip file/s. then you must set up download attributes
for each product.. guidelines to attributes can be found at
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=downloads&match=all&titlesonly=0
i.e. How do I add attributes to my products at above url
:smile:

Thanks for reply... however

I must be a tad dim because I still don't get it !!

zipping the pdf is not a problem.. but where does it go then ?

../myshop/downloads ??

And I have read your missive, the link and the attributes configuration page several times now and still I don't get it.

I'm missing something obvious - I'm sure I am.

Arrgghhh

Steve

:down:

but where does it go then ?
../myshop/downloads ??
Yes, zip file goes in your store download folder

Brainwave..if you install a test zencart, and on install, include the all ready made
categories/products etc option, there is a download zip file already configured in attributes for software/action/unreal tournament.
It is possible to copy that download attribute to other products.
See Ajeh's post re similar request at
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35781
HTH
:smile:

I'm trying to set up a free downloadable product, too. Previously, I just made a link to a PDF file in a document-information page, but I would like to collect statistics on downloads and handle it a bit more elegantly.

Right now, this is what I've got, but it looks like an upload, not a download:

(this is a test site)
http://www.coreknowledge.org/register/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=36&products_id=131

I had the document-info product already created. (you can see my link hack at the top of the page, but it's not elegant.)

Procedure I used:

admin > catalog > option name manager

inserted:
option name: free download
option type: file

admin > catalog > attributes controller

selected my product, hit display.

Selected option name (Free download) and option value.
The only option value that made sense was TEXT (RESERVED FOR TEXT/FILES ONLY ATTRIBUTES).

Set up the download in admin > catalog > downloads manager.

I did not see any place in admin > catalog > options values to define the text value, but I could add text in option name text attributes. I put the filename in there for now, hoping it would show in the file download browse window, but it does not, it seems to be for description purposes.

I've been reading the thread in the archive subject Attributes HOW-TO but I'm still befuddled. Any clarification is welcome.

---Diana
---signature missing-in-action

I am also baffled at how to set up a downloadable product, been trying for days now, very frustrating.

My downloads manager has no option to add anything anywhere...just an empty list. Very surprised there is no documentation about this at all.

dbrewster ... download Option Names should be Radiobuttons or Dropdown ...

You picked TEXT which is a whole different animal ... that is for user TEXT input ...

Delete the Attribute first, then go change the Option Name to Radio Button or Dropdown ...

Then make appropriate Option Values ...

Now add the Attribute with the Option Name, Option Value and download ...

Progress! Thank you Ajeh/Linda!

Hmm... does this has to be an "add to cart" kind of thing, in order to actually download a file? I originally made this as a document-information product type.

I chose droplist but also select default, it looks like a radio button. (I only have one download value for now.)

http://www.coreknowledge.org/register/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=36&products_id=131

By the time you look at this, I may have remade it as a document-product product type so it can be added to cart.

THANK YOU m'dear.

Yes, the options/values/attributes thing is probably the hardest administration feature to understand in ZC. There used to be an FAQ for it, wasn't there? It's desperately needed (but I'm not the person to write it, ha!) Something that also includes

1. An overview of the logic
2. An explanation of admin screen features for options/values/attributes, one screen at a time
3. And a few step-by-step procedures "for dummies," to do the two or three most commonly requested setups.

That would rock, and save a lot of energy all around.

---Diana
---signature missing-in-action

Exceeded my 5 minute time limit for editing my message! :huh:

IT WORKS!:

http://www.coreknowledge.org/register/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&products_id=141

Thanks a ton.

Just want to mark this one and com back later..

Asp

Thanks for the update ... and glad you got things all glued and pasted together now ... :cool:

I've worked it out. I had to look at OScommerce but hey !

OK for the record... My answer to my question....

problem : I have a product called book1.pdf which I want to sell on the internet via zencart. It is a pdf file of a book.

Here how I did it.

1. zip the pdf file. Its now called book1.zip

2. put book1.zip into ../myshop/download

3. using a ftp prog (I use filezilla) I connect to my website, right click ../myshop/download and set the attributes to 775

4. I create a product in the store via the admin menu/cateories& products
   I call my product "book1" and I tell the world how brilliant it is.

5. I then go to the products attributes menu.

6. stop counting the steps... it doesn't matter

I create a Product Option called (for example) downloadable
I move to the right of the page to Option values, select downloadable and give it and option value of (for example) 'Download: zipped pdf file'

I then go to the bottom of the page : product attributes.

select the product name (book1) set the option name to downloadable
set the option value to 'download:zipped pdf file'
I then put the file name in the filename box (book1.zip)

once saved I tested it by creating a payment method of check/money order and set the order status of this method to processing. Now when I do a test purchase of book 1 and choose check/money order I get the option to download the file straight away. Job done.

The live shop will need to ensure that the customer payment dowesn't get updated to processing untilll the money is the bank or the books can be downloaded for free !

This is my idiots guide... It works for me... please don't ask me to explain it.. it just works.

Thanks to all for pointing me in the right direction.

give me a week and then check out the store

www.wetherby-scanning.co.uk\ebooks

steve the happy bunny:smile:

I've worked it out/IT WORKS!:
Well done scannerman and dbrewster.. great to
hear you both got your downloads sorted
:thumbsup:

How do I get to the product attributes menu?

I have followed your steps but when I scroll down the bottom of the screen it does not give me a place to list the url for the file. It just says downloads are disabled.

Ok, I got it where Downloads are enabled. However when I try to set the attribute to allow the downloads I get the following error.

Attribute Option and Option Value Do NOT Match - Attribute was not added - : TEXT

Set the Option Name type to either Radio Button or Dropdown and mark the default ...

You have set it to TEXT and it is not a TEXT attribute ...

Option Name:
Download

Option Value:
Zip File
Word Document
etc.

scannerman...did you get it worked out so that people can't download the file until payment is confirmed? I'd like to offer a zip file "free with purchase" so I'm having a similar problem.

Payment Orders Status control this ...

If you set the Orders Status to Pending, then the file is not available until it is released by you in the Admin via Orders when you change the Order Status to Processing or Delivered ...