Things every New Zenner needs to know

I'd like to see the database structure. At least a complete list of tables and fields.

Open your database using phpMyAdmin, navigate to your Zen Cart database, scroll to the bottom of the main page and click data dictionary.

There's also a fair amount of documentation for the database schema.

How to change background colors of side boxes. I am using nightfall template from the download templates given here in the forum and I edited the font style and font color, and sizes but I can't find how to change the background color of sideboxes

armie:

How to change background colors of side boxes. I am using nightfall template from the download templates given here in the forum and I edited the font style and font color, and sizes but I can't find how to change the background color of sideboxes

Find .sideBoxContent in the stylesheet.css

You should be able to change the background color there

Thanks! for the reply. I will do that and let you know the updates.

As you have used Miva Merchant I must ask you if there is a way to import a comma dilimated catalog in Zen similar to Miva, It sure would speed up the process? Also I see alot about templates and customization throughout the forum but most of which is thoroughly confusing. Is there a simple way to create a photoshop PSD file and slice it into the Zen cart I want my end users to see. Maybe even a dreamweaver type wysiwyg editor that would make creating a template easier( less code) for us php novices...

There is an add-on, Easy Populate, that allows you to maintain your product information in a spreadsheet and import/export it in tab delimited files.

You could build a template using a WYSIWYG editor such as Dreamweaver, but you would actually need to know more about Zen Cart and PHP than you would by following the advice in the forum, since you would have to insert all the PHP yourself to call the various Zen Cart functions.

Dicing and slicing Photoshop layouts is a way of working that was normal back in the old table-based layout days, but Zen Cart (happily) has moved beyond that to an XHTML/CSS architecture. That doesn't mean that Photoshop isn't still useful for creating the graphical elements and that slices aren't used any more, but the whole approach is much more surgical and less image heavy than it used to be, with images being placed selectively into containers rather than defining the page structure.

I just received an email offer for "The Comprehensive User Manual for Zen Cart."

But, if it is based on the answers provided in the Zen Cart FAQ's and this Forum then it will be a total waste of money!

After weeks of attempting to find a straight answer I am still puzzled and frustrated. There are just no down to earth, basic intructions for using this shopping cart.

Not once could I find an answer to the simple question of "How do I add a product to the Zen Cart catalog??????" I had Cube Cart up and even found a button in it which says "Add Product" without having to search through hundreds of pages talking about templates, setting up a database, and coding and still did not find an answer.

Is there someone who can provide such basic instructions to new users of Zen Cart? :blink:

Thanks

"The Lord helps those who help themselves."

Have you looked at the documentation that comes with each release in the docs folder?

Also, see sig

The book is not just the FAQ's and Tutorials. It is a complete guide on setting up and running Zen. I have a copy it is worth evey penny. It has saved my lots of time and frustration. Just wish I had bought it when I first put up the site and not 6 months after opening...

--Mitch

GhostRider2110:

The book is not just the FAQ's and Tutorials. It is a complete guide on setting up and running Zen. I have a copy it is worth evey penny. It has saved my lots of time and frustration. Just wish I had bought it when I first put up the site and not 6 months after opening...

--MitchDefinitely worth it!!

WHAnderson:

I just received an email offer for "The Comprehensive User Manual for Zen Cart."

But, if it is based on the answers provided in the Zen Cart FAQ's and this Forum then it will be a total waste of money!

After weeks of attempting to find a straight answer I am still puzzled and frustrated. There are just no down to earth, basic intructions for using this shopping cart.

Not once could I find an answer to the simple question of "How do I add a product to the Zen Cart catalog??????" I had Cube Cart up and even found a button in it which says "Add Product" without having to search through hundreds of pages talking about templates, setting up a database, and coding and still did not find an answer.

Is there someone who can provide such basic instructions to new users of Zen Cart? :blink:

Thanks

login to your admin panel

hover over the word catalog and click Categories / Products

click the new category button

on this screen:
enter the Category Name
categories description
upload an image if desired
enter the sort order
click the save button

place the cursor over the category you just created (so that it is highlighted) and click once

Since you have no products in this category you will have three options

back new category new product

click the new product button

fill in the information on this screen

then click the preview button

on the next screen click the insert button

You now have a category with a product

And funnily enough, these instructions (at least as far down as the rather obvious new product button), are in the tutorials/FAQ section ... looks like someone's god didn't lead them in the right direction (or perhaps the team member didn't follow the leader) :wink2:

I Thank You so much clydejones.

Your true assistance among the barbarians is Greatly Appreciated.

Those are the instructions I have been searching for. I must have kept overlooking them or I was using the wrong search terms. For example, everytime I searched for "add product" I kept getting hundreds of results which pointed to everything from adding things to the Shopping Cart to customizing templates. I never did see these instructions returned on any of my searches or reading in the FAQs or Forums.

Ryk:

And funnily enough, these instructions (at least as far down as the rather obvious new product button), are in the tutorials/FAQ section ... looks like someone's god didn't lead them in the right direction (or perhaps the team member didn't follow the leader) :wink2:

Where? I looked and didn't see anything but one or two lines about adding a new category or subcategory and I must admit I didn't find them very useful.

WHAnderson said > For example, everytime I searched for "add product" I kept getting hundreds of results which pointed to [not very helpful stuff]

One of the hidden problems with searches -- not just in this forum -- is that the search engine is programmed to ignore short words, so your search was actually done only on the word "product" which as you found didn't help you much.

Next time try using a phrase with words of 4 or more letters, in this case something like "adding product category", which may yield results that would have been much more useful to you.

Rob

What am I looking at? That's my question. I have been designing websites for my self and my family years; however, I've never before had an e-commerce site. This will be my first. I am almost done building my website in html, php, dreamweaver and photoshop / image ready. It is exactly the way I want it, with my items for sale listed in galleries.

In this forum, I have not been able to find what to do next? I created a "Click to Buy" image (under each of my items for sale), but this link doesn't actually link to anything. I don't know what to do next to make sure my customers can actually purchase my art (which is what I am selling). I am in the process of signing up for Paypal Website Standard (to collect money via credit card with no monthly fees). I know that it can integrate with zen cart somehow. I don't really even know what zen cart is or if I need it. I was told I need a "shopping cart" to sell my photography. Please help!

When I look at my current site: http://www.artbymirdonamy.com/index.php it looks like someone else's store (or something else). I want to put my index.php and all my includes up instead, but somehow make my art connect to zen cart for purchase. Does this make any sense? Help!

mirdonamy:

What am I looking at?

I guess my # 1 question is: How do I integrate zen cart into my already-built, yet inactive, website?

I don't want to modify zen cart to look like my site. I want to add zen cart into my site's template. All of the info I see in the FAQ seems to be how to edit/modify the bits and pieces of zen cart. I am baffled by how to do this. I don't know css (other than how to use the dreamweaver css), but I know a little php. I mostly design in photoshop, chop up in image ready, tweak in dreamweaver and upload. It's all very graphical, yes. I am so new to this css world.

Is there an FAQ or link to learn how to make zencart work with my current site? I have images for sale (photos) but no way for customers to buy them. Maybe my question is, "what is zen cart and why do I need it?" I was told I need a shopping cart to sell my art, that's all I know. Help!

Sad to say, you went about the process of getting your art out for sale backwards. E-commerce is a different animal from personal websites, and the database-driven programming necessary to run a business site just doesn't fit into the image-structured individual page approach. As Kuroi mentioned above (post 269), you would need to know more about the workings of Zen Cart (or any shopping cart) to fit its pieces into your template structure than to modify ZC to look like your template.