Integrate Zen into Joomla

DivaVocals
All your requested modules will be developed over the next week or two.
Some will be added to the package in the current price at no additional charge. As stated before this is not a money venture but rather to help off set the costs.
Proceeds will go towards further development of modules (hoping to develop all of them in the near future) and perhaps an attempt at making Zen Cart a full fledged Joomla component.

jgkiefer:

I too am pleased that this project is finally becoming available.

For those interested in intergrating ZC into Joomla - instead of a wrapper - you may want to try the "Sanguine Embbeded Cart" template for Zencart and the Joomla extension Jumi extensions.joomla.org/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1023/Itemid,35/
Although I have not tried them they look like a suitable work-around.Interesting.. I would be MAD curious to see this in action.. For my one Joomla/Zen site I used the "Sanguine Embbeded Cart" template to accomplish this.. However, I opted to create a "clone" of my basic Joomla navigation when I created the HTML embed file required to use this template. (worked like a charm) Using Jumi makes it look like I could have skipped that "cloning" step.. The question is how would this work with the two viable Joomla/Zen solutions (Redmonds & Hazzaa)

Hazzaa1:

DivaVocals
All your requested modules will be developed over the next week or two.
Some will be added to the package in the current price at no additional charge. As stated before this is not a money venture but rather to help off set the costs.
Proceeds will go towards further development of modules (hoping to develop all of them in the near future) and perhaps an attempt at making Zen Cart a full fledged Joomla component.That is indeed good to hear.. I'll be keeping an eye out for these updates and additions.. In fact I have a possible upcoming project which may require me to create another Joomla/Zen site soon.. So I'll REALLY be keeping an eye on this!:cool:

Even if you were doing this for commercial gain, I would understand.. Others may not agree with this opinion (especially in this open-source world), but I was ALWAYS willing to pay for a working Joomla/Zen solution if need be.. I know that the development of a viable solution would require considerable time & resources. Your pricing is reasonable and fair IMO..

I'll be looking out for this project to graduate to a full fledged Joomla component.. Between your project and Redmonds' current development, those of us longing for a way to pair these two great packages will have gone from no options (or hope) to two excellent solutions..

Jumi is quite a handy extension. I am thinking it would pull the ZC into the main body like a component and just take out the sidebars from the ZC template and use the new ZC modules instead. But I have not tried this... yet. If anyone tries this will you let us know.

Thank you.

We are now live with the JZen sollution. VM is gone, Zen Cart is now our Official store. Most of our projects are source. Some are not ;)
For moderators here I am posting this link in hopes I am not in violation but rather to correct the afforementioned link above. joomlame.com/shop
that is the Zen Cart store and fully functional as a bridge to the main site.

All support is handled in our forum for this product, if you are one that has already purchased, please avoid support questions here.

jgkiefer:

Jumi is quite a handy extension. I am thinking it would pull the ZC into the main body like a component and just take out the sidebars from the ZC template and use the new ZC modules instead. But I have not tried this... yet. If anyone tries this will you let us know.

Would this not defeat the purpose of tying the two systems together? Or do you mean in combination with?

No I mean together - that way ZC would not have to be used in a wrapper.

I will test this for you and report back. I have quite a few test sites with everything already installed. Give me a couple days to get this done

Please set up your own forum or other means to support your Mod. This thread will be closed in the morning.

Sorry Kim, I already have and posted as such not to take away from this forum. I did not publish a link as to intude on this forum or it's members.

Kim:

Please set up your own forum or other means to support your Mod. This thread will be closed in the morning.If there are no more support-like posts can't the admins please leave this thread open so that those of us interested in this can continue the ongoing GENERAL discussion of this topic? Clearly there are a number of us who are interested in this, and I believe that most of us have no problem posting support questions in the appropriate arena. However, the sharing of the most available information has been valuable for many of us, and I would hope that the admins would not close the entire discussion down because of a few errant posts..

Has anyone used the joomlame bridge yet? If so, how does it work? I am interested in just sincing the logins for right now.

Great timing in terms of 2 people trying to accomplish this at the same time. ;-).

I would still like some more feedback from users. If anyone is available to checkout and test our development it would be appreciated. Please PM me for details.

I would also love to get some feedback about the Hazzaa1 project. Perhaps if anyone has used it? It seems as though we may have taken a very similar approach.

Redmonds

Great thing you done.
Still I wonder now that the Zen Cart 2 is comming I hope Zen Cart core developer will create a separate Joomla module.
That would be awsome.
Now that the Zen Cart 2 is going to be more real OOP it would be much easyer to make Joomla module.

Still I am sure core developers still have a lot of work on ZC2 that they wont have time for that for some time.

Hazzaa1:

We have this project completed.
It is a full bridge between Zen Cart and Joomla. Both system user tables remain intact. Your users can register in either Zen Cart or Joomla. When the visit the other page, they are automatically recognized and added to the user tables. We also have many of the zen cart modules created for Joomla.

1. What's New
2. Featured Items
3. Best sellers
4. Zen Cart Categories
5. Zen Cart Specials

We will soon have

EZ pages

And many if not all the rest

marksu:

Great thing you done.
Still I wonder now that the Zen Cart 2 is comming I hope Zen Cart core developer will create a separate Joomla module.
That would be awsome.
Now that the Zen Cart 2 is going to be more real OOP it would be much easyer to make Joomla module.

Still I am sure core developers still have a lot of work on ZC2 that they wont have time for that for some time.

Ahh dame Just realised that you charge for that module.
Well I my opinion that is a module that should exist for free, but that is my opinion. please do not respond that you done a lot of work on it, I undestand that.

Still I do not like that it a commercial, but that is Just my opinion and reson is stated below in RED.

I hope ZenCart 2.0 will be ported also as REAL separate module to Joomla and for free so ZC will get the REAL RESPECT it deserves also in Joomla world.

marksu:

Ahh dame Just realised that you charge for that module.
Well I my opinion that is a module that should exist for free, but that is my opinion. please do not respond that you done a lot of work on it, I undestand that.

Still I do not like that it a commercial, but that is Just my opinion and reson is stated below in RED.

**I hope ZenCart 2.0 will be ported also as REAL separate module to Joomla and for free so ZC will get the REAL RESPECT it deserves also in Joomla world.**If you've been reading this entire thread you will know that any Zen/Joomla modules/components will NEVER be a part of the Zen core, nor will any of the Zen team be working to develop this.. There have been others however, willing to jump into the fray to bring this to fruition, and two of these projects are bearing real fruit..

Perhaps you don't want to pay for these modules, and that is your right.. However, I think most of us who are looking for this will not have an issue with paying for this. Hazzaa1's price for his module is totally reasonable IMO. He truly could have charged more..

In fact of the three active projects (though it seems stalled, I am still calling Cartage an "active" project) I never saw ONE that was planned as a freebie module.. Plus given the amount of development work that is required to develop this particular code, and that these projects are being released primarily as Joomla modules IMO paying for these modules is not out of line.. There are PLENTY of popular Joomla modules and components that are commercial offerings.. So for me I am just happy that those of us who are interested in seemlessly pairing these two powerhouse apps can now do so in a seemless manner..

The big question I have for redmonds and Hazzaa1 is with the coming of ZenCart 2.0, will they be developing ZenCart 2.0 versions of these modules??:lookaroun

I do understand your point of view. Also understand you are developing joomla ZC component your self according one of your messages. That is ok nothing from with that.

Cause the ZC2 is developed more in OOP structure it should be much easier to create a bridge. As for integrating joomla inside ZC2 core I do not think is even a good idea what so ever.

I still see a major benefit on Zen Cart world if it would exist a easy ZC2 bridge developed for Joomla and provided free of charge. Most of the shopping cart modules on Joomla are free, sure I bet non of them are as good as ZC.
Well so far I have not found any Open Source Shopping cart that would be better than ZC.

extensions.joomla.org/extensions/e%252dcommerce/shopping-cart

Cause the ZC is missing a good CMS it could be a good idea to develope the ZC2 OOP structure, so that the ZC2 could be integrated fearly easily to other systems (not only Joomla). As i see there are no point to separate develope a CMS inside Zen Cart. That would make a great ZC2 popularity boost.

If ZC main developers have desided not to go this rote that is OK as well I have full respect for them. They have done a excelent job on Zen Cart platform.

Reason why my opinion is that it should be free is cause the ZC2 core and I see such bridge to be a core thing. Well sorry for my bad english. I hope you understod my point.

Who would create such module if not developers that is other matter, perhaps if new ZC2 OOP makes it easier?

Well anyway that is my opinion on the mather. If somebody dissagrees with me that is ok, that is their right.

DivaVocals:

If you've been reading this entire thread you will know that any Zen/Joomla modules/components will NEVER be a part of the Zen core, nor will any of the Zen team be working to develop this.. There have been others however, willing to jump into the fray to bring this to fruition, and two of these projects are bearing real fruit..

Perhaps you don't want to pay for these modules, and that is your right.. However, I think most of us who are looking for this will not have an issue with paying for this. Hazzaa1's price for his module is totally reasonable IMO. He truly could have charged more..

In fact of the three active projects (though it seems stalled, I am still calling Cartage an "active" project) I never saw ONE that was planned as a freebie module.. Plus given the amount of development work that is required to develop this particular code, and that these projects are being released primarily as Joomla modules IMO paying for these modules is not out of line.. There are PLENTY of popular Joomla modules and components that are commercial offerings.. So for me I am just happy that those of us who are interested in seemlessly pairing these two powerhouse apps can now do so in a seemless manner..

The big question I have for redmonds and Hazzaa1 is with the coming of ZenCart 2.0, will they be developing ZenCart 2.0 versions of these modules??:lookaroun

Sorry I was not able to edit my code so correction is in order.

"Cause the ZC is missing a good CMS it could be a good idea to develope the ZC2 OOP structure, so that the ZC2 could be integrated fearly easily to other systems (not only Joomla). As i see there are no point to separate develope a CMS inside Zen Cart. That would make a great ZC2 popularity boost."

Text was missleading. I ment the free bridge would be a great ZC2 popularity boost.

marksu:

I do understand your point of view. Also understand you are developing joomla ZC component your self according one of your messages. That is ok nothing from with that.

Cause the ZC2 is developed more in OOP structure it should be much easier to create a bridge. As for integrating joomla inside ZC2 core I do not think is even a good idea what so ever.

I still see a major benefit on Zen Cart world if it would exist a easy ZC2 bridge developed for Joomla and provided free of charge. Most of the shopping cart modules on Joomla are free, sure I bet non of them are as good as ZC.
Well so far I have not found any Open Source Shopping cart that would be better than ZC.

extensions.joomla.org/extensions/e%252dcommerce/shopping-cart

Cause the ZC is missing a good CMS it could be a good idea to develope the ZC2 OOP structure, so that the ZC2 could be integrated fearly easily to other systems (not only Joomla). As i see there are no point to separate develope a CMS inside Zen Cart. That would make a great ZC2 popularity boost.

If ZC main developers have desided not to go this rote that is OK as well I have full respect for them. They have done a excelent job on Zen Cart platform.

Reason why my opinion is that it should be free is cause the ZC2 core and I see such bridge to be a core thing. Well sorry for my bad english. I hope you understod my point.

Who would create such module if not developers that is other matter, perhaps if new ZC2 OOP makes it easier?

Well anyway that is my opinion on the mather. If somebody dissagrees with me that is ok, that is their right.
Re: Joomla's e-commerce offerings..
How do I say this?? Oh yeah.. THEY SUCK.. Not some of them ALL OF them.. The most popular is VirtueMart.. Not because it's good, but because it's the best of the awful options offered.. I built ONE VirtueMart store.. and I recently converted that whole awful mess into ZenCart.. I will NEVER build another VirtueMart store again..

Now before I go on, I need to clear up something you've said here.. Perhaps you need to re-read ALL of my posts.. 'cause there is NO WAY, NO HOW that I ever accidentally or otherwise implied that I was PERSONALLY developing a Zen/Joomla compoment of my own.. For one thing I am NOT a PHP programmer. (a point I've also made abundently clear)

That said let me clarify my point on paying for a Zen/Joomla module. My regular pay the bills dayjob is a software Business Analyst/Project Manager. I KNOW first hand the value of the EFFORT that goes into developing even the smallest piece of code. If it was easy, we'd all be doing it, and this thread would not exist.

I realize that in the world of open source software, there are some folks who have an expectation that it should ALL to be free.. and most of it is.. but I will not knock any developer or entity who wants to recoup some of the time/cost that has been invested into creating an add-on program. Particularly if it is a fairly complex, or highly desired add-on.

Now in the Zen world there are no commercial offerings in the downloads section, but there are a few select NOT FOR FREE Zen add-ons out there in the world..

The Joomla world is very different.. The extensions section offers both free and commercial add-ons side by side.. So in the Joomla world, a for pay add-on is NOT out of line at all.. (and so far ALL of the Zen/Joomla offerings are all Joomla add-ons..) So it is NOT out of line that they may be commercial offerings..

You may not want to pay for them, and that is your right, but I daresay that you will be WITHOUT these mods if that's the choice you make.. If you look at the LONG history of Zen/Joomla projects, you will know that until very recently, most of these past projects NEVER saw any real progress, not even so much as a BETA release. Two available offerings are the first REAL WORKING versions of this long sought after mod..