Things every New Zenner needs to know

Thanks ;)

What's the best way to help/contribute to this, in the event of finding a good solution to a very common problem that's not currently addressed in the wiki?

e.g. "How do I Change the Sales message or Tagline?"

It would be good to also feature another variant;

"How do I completely Remove/Delete the Sales message or Tagline?"

Sketchy provided a really fantastic simple CSS solution here that doesn't require hacking code:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?p=251824#post251824

It also has an account of obstacles i faced in the event of attempting to "remove" the tagline, because changing the SALES_HEADER-TEXT to have "nothing" appear, in the attempt to 'remove' it, ended up causing problems. IE was not happy with an empty div and it took me a long time for me to find the solution for complete removal of the <div, id=tagline> thing within posts shared on the forum.

Perhaps this solution is already published somewhere there, but i think it's worthy of review for the Top 10, which currently seems to be listing 12 items atm ;)

The following has been added to http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Top_10_questions:

=== How do I Remove/Delete the Sales message or Tagline? ===
Earlier versions of Zen Cart™ required changing 3 files to accomplish this. This was necessary in order to eliminate the "empty div" bug in IE.

With Zen Cart™ v1.35 this is easily accomplished as follows:

open the ''includes/languages/ENGLISH/header.php'' file in your text editor. Find the following line of code:

define('HEADER_SALES_TEXT', '');

> 
> Delete the tagline text, making sure that the single quote marks are not deleted.

Yes we know there are more than 10 questions, but as is explained in the introduction: > Rather than a #1 - #10 list, the questions have been grouped for economy of editing.

It's a bug in v1.3.0.2 that's causing problems when you try to delete the tagline using that method? This CSS call helped me out as a temporary fix.

#taglineWrapper {
display:none;
}

I'll need to upgrade as there's something not quite right happening in that region atm.

Yes we know there are more than 10 questions

I was asking what the best way would be to help & contribute to the effort. It's naturally going to need more than 10 things listed with time.

Anyone is able to edit/add to the wiki. Create an account, login and you're set to go.

Here's the fix to tpl_header.php from v1.3.5

<?php if (HEADER_SALES_TEXT != '' || (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET2 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET2))) { ?>
    <div id="taglineWrapper">
<?php
              if (HEADER_SALES_TEXT != '') {
?>
      <div id="tagline"><?php echo HEADER_SALES_TEXT;?></div>
<?php
              }
?>
<?php
              if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET2 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET2)) {
                if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
      <div id="bannerTwo" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner);?></div>
<?php
                }
              }
?>
    </div>
<?php } // no HEADER_SALES_TEXT or SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET2 ?>

You can add this to your current file.

I have been trying all day to set this up and I can't figure out any of it. I am finding that it tells me to go some where and I can't find where to go. For example on your "Template Selection" page you state:

"Template Description
This template set is designed to be easily modified using only the style sheet to change colors, fonts, and the store logo. Three images are required; logo.jpg, header_bg.jpg, and tile_back.jpg."

Well I think I found the style sheet and I changed the colors and I couldn't find no place for my store logo. But my page did not change at all. It looks just like when I first started. This is how I got to the style sheet - admin/includes/stylesheet. I have my own header/logo to use at the top of the page. I would also like for the left side to have a colored BG but can't find no place to do that. I also have a small logo to go at the top of the left side. The middle and right side I want just a white BG with black font.

I am so tired of dealing with this I am about to just toss in the towel and give up my site. It seems to me that for people like me who do not know any thing about css and I only deal with html more detail instructions with pictures would help out a lot. Well I don't find this template at all easy to change as you state.

Than I went to your "EZ-Pages" I don't find them very easy at all. I am so afraid to make one for I don't understand what to do. I feel once I get this figured out and set up it will work fine. But you really need better instructions for setting up for people who know nothing about this at all. Not everyone knows all of this.

Thank you for allow us to express our feelings and tell you what needs to be changed and done for beginners.

Have a wonderful day
Pamela

Check here in the wiki Top 10 Questions

That should get you started on most of your questions.

Thank you so much Clyde for the link. I feel it will help me out a lot. I really appreciate you responding to my questions.

Have a wonderful day
Pamela

I would like to know how to add external site links to the top bar or change the HOME link to another URL without changing the logo link. I have the cart on it's own domain and the main site on another domain so the HOME page link should point to the other domain and I'd like to add a CART MAIN link on the top bar that retuns the visitor to the main cart page. I've searched the miles of "documentation" for the secret but can't find it. Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Mark

Refer to the topic below, may give some idea.
Change the logo link?

.

I am brand new, just registered. The funny thing to me is that as a beginner I am searching for a "where and how to get into editing". Do I "log in"? do I access via the ftp?

Even within this section of the forum the most basic beginners steps are overlooked. I do design web pages so imagine how daunting this would be for someone with lesser experience.

By the time someone reads and responds to this I hopefully will have figured this out.

Yes a basic guide would be exceptionally helpful. Maybe a guide done in a Camtasia like program.

Rick

I am brand new, just registered. The funny thing to me is that as a beginner I am searching for a "where and how to get into editing". Do I "log in"? do I access via the ftp?

In order to begin editing, you first need to have a copy of the Zen Cart distro located on your PC.

Check here for Text editors and other useful tools for working with Zen Cart
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Useful_Tools

Once you've edited and saved your files you can upload them to your server using an FTP client.

Bump.

Just to get my name on the reply list.

Lets Start with a GOOD Table of Contents then everyone can just take a chapter that they know something about.

I. Installation

I.1. Types of servers and software needed. SQL, php, etc.
I.2 Linux
I.3 Microsoft
I.4 Specific Steps to install - which is in the installation docs but the names change depending on what your back end server software is.

I.5 Types of payments
I.6 Tax rates for specific zones
I.7 Attributes for items?

II. Administration

II.1.1 create an admin name and password.
II.1.2 can I have more than one admin, maybe with limited powers

III.1.3 My clerk needs ability to print shipping documents but I don't want her/him to have access to the rest of the site.

a. How to modify your current template
c. How to create a new template
d. How to change graphics
e. How to modify a css. What to look for.

check here:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php

When it comes to the template system, my suggestion would be to have an option in the admin area to "create new basic template". It should prompt for the "folder name" of the template and any other basic info necessary. Then have it run a little PHP program that goes out and creates the new template folder in all the appropriate locations and copies over the necessary files from the default template locations.

Once that is done, a newbie can change to the newly created template and now it's fairly easy to find the template related files that he/she would like to alter. And if things don't work out, no harm is done, simply switch back to the default template.

Might also be good to have a choice that removes an existing template which basically does the opposite of the create template process described above.

I've been messing with Zen for a couple years now and it's seems to always be a stuggle to figure out where to create folders and then which files to copy over to those folders. It's usually easier to hunt down the particular image or text I want to alter and just alter it. Of course the problem with that comes about when an Update to Zen is called for.

The flexibility of the template system is awesome! But it's complexity is a bit much to take in. I think part of the problem for newbies is the fact that if you are not going to change something then you don't need to make a copy of it in your template folder. But now 6 months or a year later when I come back to it and have to do an upgrade I can't remember what I changed or even WHERE I changed it. And I end up once again searching for that template system information to read it again and get it figured out again. (I've done that probably 5 or 6 times in the last 4 years and I can't say with any confidence that I won't have to read it again) That's probably where the "road map" that so many have suggested would be of benefit.

Setting up another Zen Cart for a client...
:book: :artist: :book: :censored:

Hi Bruce,

Maybe the below information could help you to add more info to your "Getting Start" book. and also maybe you could help me out with my problem, please.

I have been working on the configuration of the eComerse Process. Befeore I started it someone else began working on it. That person did not complete all the process. Know happen that I myself are in the lerning cycle (beginner) of all this technology. But I have done the following:

1- All the appropriated folders were created

2- I have investigated that all MYSQL data base was installed and all the database files are distrituted in their respective folders.

3- All others files (like PHP files) have been modified.

Currently I have reviewed all the installation documentation like a)New Installation, b) First Step to Setup your online Shop and c) The Basic Checklist.
But I can not find the way of a) how to get in the Admin site. Acctually I do not know if Admin is the same as the Web Services Provider. b) How to get the program to setup all database files with the basic information (Currency, Products, Categories, Images, ect), c) How to customize the Shopping Page and d) how to assing the secutity level to files for users access.

Again, I have read all the instruction but they do not explaing exactly how to get access to all the above.

Would you please give me a hand on this or at least tell me where or who to go for information on these matter?

Truly yours,

Radhames Lopez

a) how to get in the Admin site. Acctually I do not know if Admin is the same as the Web Services Provider.

you access your admin panel Your_site.com/shop/admin

b) How to get the program to setup all database files with the basic information (Currency, Products, Categories, Images, ect),

the database files are installed when zen cart is installed.

c) How to customize the Shopping Page

check the wiki and the tutorials along with searching the forum. Lots of information in these areas.

d) how to assing the secutity level to files for users access.

do you mean for user access to the admin portion of your cart.

I want to put a small arrow image before the category name list in the sidebox and also the same for ezpages list in sidebox, can anyone guide please.

I'm guessing you mean something like this:

Categories

My Product

If so this would require editing a couple of your tpl_?????.php files.

Thanks Clyde,

I got around the problem by installing better categories mod & editing the base images.

I have a new problem now!!!:no: I have installed Newsbox manager mod on my Zen 1.3.6. I cant change the font colour, tried all combinations in css.
In the admin area when i click on publish or unpublish i get this error.

Warning: reset(): Passed variable is not an array or object in admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 29

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 30

thankfully i have a backup just before this mod install.

Otherwise can you please suggest a good mod which can show news in a side box and full news links to news page.

I use a mod called News & Article Management, You can find it here:

http://www.dream-scape.com/pub/zencart/News_Articles_Management/