Duplicating a site

I'm looking for information regarding duplicating inventory setup on one site and moving it to another site. For example:

Site 1 has x theme; Site 1 & 2 will carry the exact products, categories, etc; the only difference between the two sites is that one will have maybe a red theme and the second will have a blue theme.

How do I safely duplicate the sql tables and move them over to site 2?

Do you really want to maintain two identical databases? You might be better off using the multi-site add-on module to manage two sites from the same code and database.

kuroi:

Do you really want to maintain two identical databases? You might be better off using the multi-site add-on module to manage two sites from the same code and database.

That would be nice but it won't work. I'm setting up two sites for two people who sell the same product. One person will run specials add extra products down the road that might not be the same as someone else.

So I guess I should say that for the first sixty to ninty days the sites\db's will be the same; after that though it's anybody's guess.

You could still do this with the multi-site module as you can restrict each "site" to it's own categories. But I agree that if you have two clients, you should probably give them a site each, even if they are very similar.

Probably the easiest way to deal with this, is to set up the two sites and then load the product data by using the Easy Populate add-in module. That would allow you to set up the product data in a spreadsheet and then upload it to both sites. Alternatively, you could set it up in one site, and then export it for import to the other one.

kuroi:

You could still do this with the multi-site module as you can restrict each "site" to it's own categories. But I agree that if you have two clients, you should probably give them a site each, even if they are very similar.

Probably the easiest way to deal with this, is to set up the two sites and then load the product data by using the Easy Populate add-in module. That would allow you to set up the product data in a spreadsheet and then upload it to both sites. Alternatively, you could set it up in one site, and then export it for import to the other one.

Whoa, 2 things here . . .

well the 'whoa' is really for one thing . . . :frusty: So I have this site that I've been working on (not related to the above) where I've got hundreds, if not close to a thousand of products to add . . . you telling me I could just upload 'in a way' the excel spreadsheet? Nooooooooooooooooooooo! LOL oh well, where can I find that module? Is it in the 'other modules' download section?

Ok, the second thing. I was doing some reading on my other issue (above related) and saw where I can export and then import as the products are already in site 1. This question remains. Would I set up Zen first and then do the import or vice versa? I would imagine I would only want the catagory, product, and EZ page tables.

ThePatch:

where can I find that module? Is it in the 'other modules' download section?No, you have to go to the author's site. There are two versions, a basic free one and a paid-for more sophisticated version.

ThePatch:

Would I set up Zen first and then do the import or vice versa? I would imagine I would only want the catagory, product, and EZ page tables.Two separate issues here. When I'm setting up data myself, I usually start by entering it in Easy Populate and the import it to a new site, but you need to have some understanding of how categories and products relate to each other, which I suspect you already have.

EZ-Pages I usually create in a WYSIWYG editor (specifically Dreamweaver) outside of Zen Cart and then cut and paste the resulting HTML. If I want to transfer the resulting pages to another site, I would just backup the ezpages table and then restore that table to the other site, which would normally be quicker than cutting and pasting all the data a second time.

Thank you Kuroi,

 I had a lot of work done last night and I was too tired to post my process\results.

 Regarding the Easy Populate I found the paid version but never located the free one, I'll do some reading as to the differences.  This will help a great deal with my other site where I have close to a thousand products.  I got the data for the products in a spreadsheet already; I've been copying and pasting the data one at a time off and on for the past month so this will go a long way to getting that one complete.

 Regarding my duplicated sites; here was my process: Site 1 was already done, the need to duplicate came up only after it was complete.  I installed Zen on Site 2; then logged into Site 1's phpMyAdmin and exported the category, product, and ezpage tables {I exported anything that had one of these descriptors in it's title, say for categories i grabbed categories & category descriptions}  I then went to Site 2'd phpMyAdmin and imported the file (I had to delete the tables that I was updating) and it's now all there!

im looking to do a simular thing with a new site im setting up but what i have done so far is to upload my dtatabase from my original site which has nicely added all products and categories ect
the problem i have is that of course it has also added all the existing customers and orders from my existing live site

any chance anyone can tell me which table in the sql database holds the info for orders and customers so i can overwrite it with a clean and empty order history and addrerss book?

modchipfitters.co.uk:

im looking to do a simular thing with a new site im setting up but what i have done so far is to upload my dtatabase from my original site which has nicely added all products and categories ect
the problem i have is that of course it has also added all the existing customers and orders from my existing live site

any chance anyone can tell me which table in the sql database holds the info for orders and customers so i can overwrite it with a clean and empty order history and addrerss book?

yea, that was why i was picky on the tables i exported, just grabbed anything that said, categories, products, and ez pages . . . worked like a charm.

modchipfitters.co.uk:

any chance anyone can tell me which table in the sql database holds the info for orders and customers so i can overwrite it with a clean and empty order history and addrerss book?You'll find information about the database structure in the Wiki. If you scroll down a bit, you'll find teh tables grouped in the way you need.

kuroi:

You'll find information about the database structure in the Wiki. If you scroll down a bit, you'll find teh tables grouped in the way you need.

well that has almost worked a treat
just 1 problem now

in admin i now have no customers or orders but when i tried to sign up as a new customer on the front end it told me that the email address was already in use on the system