Froogle Merchant Center merged into GoogleBase

Woodymon:

You can easily edit the DB to support different product types.

The last version of the mod supports:
'book'
'music'
'video'
'other'

Add your own if you like.

Woody

Woody, do I just add them to the DB then?
That simple????

I did this by going into mySQL and adding another field. You can select the product type from the admin but you're still limited to one product type for your entire feed. You can't select by product or category. If you need to do that, you'll have to edit your feed file after it's generated.

Got it,
thanks, in the configuration table.
You can add as many to the array as you like, but as you say, only one per feed :)
Manually editing mine.
Just not up to programming it myself.

Rupert:

Got it,
thanks, in the configuration table.
You can add as many to the array as you like, but as you say, only one per feed :)
Manually editing mine. Just not up to programming it myself.

If you want individual control over each product type entry for each product this is something that cannot be programmed into the mod. The programming has to occur in Zen Cart core as there is no standard product field in Zen Cart which supports different "product type" for each and every product

However the Zen Cart top-level category could be mapped to the feed product_type field. But then you would need to be certain your Zen Cart category names are exactly what you want in the feed product_type.And it gets tricky when you have many different levels of subcategories.

Or you can 'cheat' and employ the Short Description mod and use that filed as your "product_type and then in the mod itself update the code to read the short description data and that to the feed product_type.

Hoping future Zen Cart updates will support greater product_type flexibility, allowing shop-owners the ability to easily create their own custom product fields via the admin GUI.

Woody

WOW!

If you haven't loaded this mod, you're missing out in sales. My file was accepted yesterday and I've now had 6 sales from google base.

WOOT!

I need help loading this mod.

After loading it, and installing the SQL patch I see the configuration but not the Google Froogle Feeder in admin/tools.

I have unzipped the mod into the root of my store.

What am I doing wrong that I can't see the Google Froogle Feeder?

CJ Internet Sales:

I need help loading this mod.
After loading it, and installing the SQL patch I see the configuration but not the Google Froogle Feeder in admin/tools. I have unzipped the mod into the root of my store. What am I doing wrong that I can't see the Google Froogle Feeder?

Do you happen to have the Admin Profiles mod installed? If yes, then see the readme for that mod.

If not, run the uninstall.sql sql patch for the GoogleFroogle mod, then run the googlefroogle.sql patch. If you observe any errors record them and post here (obfuscating any private info including your admin directory name, etc).

Woody

First, thank you very much for responding. I understand how important this tool is to the success of E-commerce sites. I have used a similar tool with a high-dollar cart to generate huge amount of traffic and sales with the sites I manage at my day job.

I do not have the Admin Profiles mod installed.

I ran the uninstall.sql patch. The return showed 4 statements processed in the green bar at the top of the page. No errors noted.

I then ran the googlefroogle.sql patch again. The return showed 8 statements processed in the green bar at the top of the page. No errors noted.

I then checked, no Google Froogle Feeder showing in admin/tools.

I then ran the uninstall.sql patch again.

I again downloaded from Zen Cart the mod and unzipped it into the root directory of my cart. I uploaded from my local drive to make sure the files were in the root directory of my store.

Still, I see the configuration portion but not the Google Froogle Feeder link in admin/tools.

I am questioning if I have the files downloaded into the correct directory. When I say root I mean the googlefroogle files were unzipped into http://www.mystore.com/ The way I am using Zen Cart is for my entite site. Therefore, the admin files are located at http://www.mystore.com/admin/ and the include directory is at http://www.mystore.com/includes/.

Do I have the files unzipped to the correct spot?

Any other suggestions as to how to fix the problem?

CJ Internet Sales:

I do not have the Admin Profiles mod installed.
OK. For mod menu items to display when Admin Profiles is installed, a couple more steps are required. SO just checking.

CJ Internet Sales:

Still, I see the configuration portion but not the Google Froogle Feeder link in admin/tools.

This is possibly due to a problem with Zen Cart Tools > Install SQL Patches not applying the correct table prefix. Many people have similar issues with many different mods, especially when "uploading" the patch code.

CJ Internet Sales:

I am questioning if I have the files downloaded into the correct directory.

1. Avoid announcing real "admin" directory names in public. Best to change the "admin" directory name to something else as is explained in Zen Cart security docs.

2. It looks fine what you are doing in regards to directory structure.
   googlefroogle.php mod file will go directly into your 'webroot' (which in your instance is the same as your 'shoproot'). Then the other mod files into three subdirectories off of your webroot.

3. Try patching with uninstall.sql again. Then open the googlefroogle.sql in a text editor and copy and then paste into Install SQL Patches, but do NOT upload. See if that makes a difference.

If not, then patch with uninstall.sql again. Then use phpmyadmin to patch. First make note of your shop DB table prefix, and edit the googlecheckout.sql with your table prefix.

By default, during installation, the prefix is set to "zen_", but some shopowners (like me) change the prefix at installation (or do away with the prefix).

There is a recent explanation how to edit mod SQL patch to deal with the table prefix issue in the "Tabbed Products Lite" mod thread (no need to edit each and every SQL statement with the table prefix).

Woody

I simply removed the product_type field and Google UK has no complaints. My products are being found and indexed very easily.

Here is the list of Product Types Google will accept.

http://www.google.co.uk/base/uk/product_types.html

2. It looks fine what you are doing in regards to directory structure.
   googlefroogle.php mod file will go directly into your 'webroot' (which in your instance is the same as your 'shoproot'). Then the other mod files into three subdirectories off of your webroot.

I think that this may be my problem. You mention putting the other files in 3 subdirectories off of the root. I did not see this in the instructions.

What files go into what 3 subdirectories?

I wonder if removing the shipping field will work. I keep getting errors that my shipping has errors and I have it setup just like they say to.

I'll have to try that.

Thanks!!!

JP

Yep, removing the shipping field worked, but I did have a problem.

Using notepad ++ I took out the shipping header then I copied the contents of the shipping field and did a find and replace with nothing in the replace field.

The only problem was that I forgot to include the field separator in the find and replace.

So after I uploaded it and saw the error that I had more fields than headers, I had to go back in and do a find for two separators, I just clicked on view, show all items, and then copied the two separators where shipping used to be. Then I did a find with those two separators and replaced with one.

Now it worked and I got my 206 products waiting to be searchable.

[/CENTER]

hod damn!!!

More issues with Google Base Feeder

Issues:

1. Wrong prices
2. Include additional required attributes

Solution:

1. My Zen Cart's default currency is Canadian dollars and Google Base only supports USD. The discrepency in prices occurs when my zen cart runs a cron job to update the currency exchange rates. I'm hoping rearranging my cron jobs so that the exchange rates are updated before all feeds are submitted will combat this issue.

2. Has anyone else had this problem?

CJ Internet Sales:

I think that this may be my problem. You mention putting the other files in 3 subdirectories off of the root. I did not see this in the instructions.

What files go into what 3 subdirectories?
Just like the mod is packaged ;-)

Webroot (e.g. /public_html/)
|
|-> googlefroogle.php <- upload file
|-> /includes/ <- upload files to /includes
|-> /admin/ <- upload files to /admin
|-> /feed/ <-upload dir & set perms

But this has nothing to do with the admin menu problem. That is an SQL issue.

Woody

NamSingh:

I simply removed the product_type field and Google UK has no complaints. My products are being found and indexed very easily.

Here is the list of Product Types Google will accept.

http://www.google.co.uk/base/uk/product_types.html

Here is corresponding U.S. list:

http://www.google.com/base/product_types.html

Note that the heading states:

Here are "some" "examples" of product types that can be submitted to Google Base.

Meaning that this is just a subset of product_types accepted and is not a definitive list.

Note "other" is not included on the list. But I have not had any issues with "other" in the product_type field (as others have reported).

Also I have edited my feed file before uploading and included custom product_types not on listed the URL's above, and Google accepted my feed.

I observe Google gives much better results when you do apply a specific relevant Product_Type for each product.

Woody

I truly appreciate your patience. I usually am not this dense.

Following Woody's instructions I can now see the Google Froogle Feeder link in admin/tools.

I confirmed that the feed directory is in the root and has full permissions.

When I click the Google Froogle Feeder link a new window opens but nothing is displayed. They URL in the address bar is http://mystore.com/googlefroogle.php?feed=yes&upload=no. I manually close the window.

I check the feed directory and the original 2 files are all that are there but not the upload file.

I have set the parameters in the configuration file to match my Google Base Account. I also created a specific text file name for the feed output.

Any ideas on how to proceed?

CJ Internet Sales:

I confirmed that the feed directory is in the root and has full permissions.

When I click the Google Froogle Feeder link a new window opens but nothing is displayed. They URL in the address bar is http://mystore.com/googlefroogle.php?feed=yes&upload=no. I manually close the window.

I check the feed directory and the original 2 files are all that are there but not the upload file.

Any ideas on how to proceed?

1. What are the permissions on the feed file in the feed directory (not the perms on the directory itself)?

The Google Froogle page should appear in Zen Cart no matter the perms on fhe feed directory or file. Only when you attempt to generate the feed should permissions matter. And the GoogleFroogle mod will alert you to permissions issue.

2. I think you still have a SQL table prefix issue and even though you were able to get the google froogle menu item to appear in the Tools menu, the remaining entries in the SQL were not correctly written to the DB (where they need to go).

Look in the installer SQL file and check which entries were suppose to be inserted into which specific tables in your database. Then check to see if those entries were written to the correct DB table.

You may need to edit the SQL with proper prefix on each table entry in the SQL.
Best to run the uninstaller SQL again before proceeding with any SQL editing/patching.

After editing the SQL I recommend patching your DB via phpmyadmin.

Woody

Woodymon:

Here is corresponding U.S. list:

http://www.google.com/base/product_types.html

Note that the heading states:

Here are "some" "examples" of product types that can be submitted to Google Base.

>  
> Meaning that this is just a subset of product_types accepted and is not a definitive list.
>  
> Note "other" is not included on the list. But I have not had any issues with "other" in the product_type field (as others have reported).
>  
> Also I have edited my feed file before uploading and included custom product_types not on listed the URL's above, and Google accepted my feed. 
>  
> I observe Google gives much better results when you do apply a specific relevant Product_Type for each product.
>  
> Woody
 
I am no coder so I don't know how or if this could be done.
But I came up with a idea at the moment this mod puts your stores Categories under "labels" on your feed, if this could coded to put it under "product_types" we only have to change our categories to the names of porduct types that googlebase excepts.

alray10:

I am no coder so I don't know how or if this could be done.
But I came up with a idea at the moment this mod puts your stores Categories under "labels" on your feed, if this could coded to put it under "product_types" we only have to change our categories to the names of porduct types that googlebase excepts.

$output["label"] = "product_type";
// $output["product_type"] = "product_type";

Rename all cateogories (excluding sub-categories) to the Google product type.

Do you think that would work? It prints the labels/categories in the output file as the product_type.