Desktop Data [support thread]

This is the support thread for the Desktop Data contribution.

This mod, designed for MS Windows, will show on your desktop:

(1) No. of Customers
(2) Current Visitors
(3) Orders Pending
(4) Orders Processing
(5) Orders Delivered
(6) and More

This means you don't have to login to your admin panel all the time, or check your emails, just to see if you have any orders.

Installation is simple with only 2 new files. No database modification.
No overwriting or overriding of files.

Screenshot included.

This mod can be found in the Downloads section:
http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&products_id=1121

Cool module, Steven. Will check it out.

Looking forward to trying this out, however the instructions don't work in Vista. Any thoughts?

Steven300:

This is the support thread for the Desktop Data contribution.

As I understand it, Microsoft for whatever reason chose to remove the Active Desktop feature for Windows Vista. Fortunately, there are various threads on the Internet where people are joining together to try and recreate this feature themselves, or at least a workaround. One of these attempts is called "Ave's Active Desktop". Whether it works or not I have no idea.

Just to clarify, this mod has been written and tested on Windows XP. It may work on other operating systems but it's likely some type of workaround will be required. Whatever workaround this might be, it must have a username and password connection feature. After looking closer at "Ave's Active Desktop", designed as a replacement to Active Desktop for Windows Vista, I can confirm this won't work due to the lack of a connection feature. I'm going to add this information to the contribution and if anyone does find a solution for Vista, please let me know here or by PM as this would be appreciated.

Steve, can you briefly tell us how does this module work (techincal stuffs ^_^)?

Regards

Sure. There's a php file in the contribution which when uploaded to the admin folder and navigated to, will query the Zen Cart db and display (and optionally refresh) the data from my first post. A Windows feature called Active Desktop is used to point to this php file. You supply Active Desktop with your Zen Cart username and password so it can connect to the file automatically. Once setup, Active Desktop will then show a small window on your desktop which displays the data from this php file. It's kind of similar to just navigating to the php file directly in your browser and then resizing the browser window to fit the size of the displayed data, except Active Desktop has a few advantages. Firstly, it can auto-connect to the file with the supplied username and password. Secondly, it becomes 'fixed' to the desktop so it's much more manageable than a traditional window. It also has various synchronization and schedule settings. That wasn't very technical but hope it answered your question.

Unfortunately Ave's product doesn't allow interaction with the page, which means you can't login. And it's separate from IE so the authentication in IE doesn't carry over.

Thanks for the very nifty mod. I am running xp and managed to setup as per your instructions. Unfortunately the screen displayed is the login screen. When entering the login data in this screen it then opens a full browser window and ask for the login data again.

Any ideas?

westcoastfavors:

Unfortunately Ave's product doesn't allow interaction with the page, which means you can't login. And it's separate from IE so the authentication in IE doesn't carry over.

I found a free program at samurize.com which amongst many other things, provides a feature similar to Active Desktop. It works on both XP and Vista. I had to add a plugin called MiniBrowser to get the functionality. It doesn't have an auto-connect feature but, unlike Ave's Active Desktop, it does allow interaction with the window. I managed to get it working but honestly it took so much messing about to set it up that I'm not sure I would recommend it.

Louis:

Thanks for the very nifty mod. I am running xp and managed to setup as per your instructions. Unfortunately the screen displayed is the login screen. When entering the login data in this screen it then opens a full browser window and ask for the login data again.

Any ideas?

I'm still trying to understand Active Desktop.

Supply your login details in the new, full size browser window.

Then refresh your desktop. The mod should start working.

Then you can log out of the full size browser window and the mod should continue to work.

I think there must be a way to prevent this Active Desktop from reloading the webpage over and over...

I have tried everything, and I cannot even get passed the Login Page...

Great Idea though...

Steven300:

Then refresh your desktop. The mod should start working.

Then you can log out of the full size browser window and the mod should continue to work.

Nope. Not happening. If I run the mod directly from the browser it does come up with the details as per your sample picture, but in the browser window. How exactly is the login data send to ZENCART by the desktop? (Even though I am logged in, and when opening other browser sessions it takes me directly into the admin area, the desktop screen still requires login data when refreshed.)

Pity, as this is a wonderful idea.

Hi
Having same issues as well.....

Love the idea tho; thanks anyways

S

This contribution can work, as shown by the screenshot; it's just you have to go through a few login steps to get it working. It's a problem with Active Desktop.

For me, it throws a full size browser window requiring login to Zen Cart. I login to this browser window, then refresh the Desktop Data window so it works, and once I do that, I can logout of the browser window and the Desktop Data window continues to work.

I'm starting to think it's because when I normally login to Zen Cart, I have to go through 3 login steps. Maybe Active Desktop is only expecting 1 step.

This is probably a contribution which is going to work very differently for people.

Whatever the case, I find the contribution really useful as it is. Obviously a lot of people are having problems with it, but I don't have a fix.

I have windows XP and followed the installation exactly. It did not work no matter what I did. It kept placing a window on the desktop that didn't look anything like the screenshot included in the download. Also displayed a white log in screen. Anyone ideas? :(

Same issue here.

Logged in 4-5 times and still no go.

I'm going to be working on this mod over the next couple of days. There are a few changes I want to make which might solve some problems.

Thanks Steven.

Looking forward to getting it working.

same here!!:smile:
thanks Steven300, and look fwd to your changes :smile:

I'm probably being optomistic but I believe this version should solve all problems so far.

There's a viable approach for Windows Vista users included in the mod.

http://www.pilonidalproducts.com/Desktop_Data_2.0.zip