Zencart

[ksl]

Is there any Zencart entrepreneur developers on the forum, that would like to discuss open source ideas and implementation. I've also posted an add in the classified wanted section for a developer, though here I would like to start a discussion on improvements to zencart and scripting.

I'm developing my own customised template for zencart.

If there is enough interest we can maybe ask the forum for a developers area, or sticky

[AussieAngMo]

I don't mind dabbling in software. I had a quick look at Zencart and it appears to use PHP, MYSQL. What level of customization are you looking at? I am happy to be involved where I can.

[ksl]

I don't mind dabbling in software. I had a quick look at Zencart and it appears to use PHP, MYSQL. What level of customization are you looking at? I am happy to be involved where I can.

Hi Thanks for the reply, my zencart is up and running, I'm able to figure it out okay as i have done programming in basic before windows came on the scene, and php is quite close to it.

I just thought there would be many more people around to discuss the zencart, the latest update 1.3.9h is much more secure, though i had a few problems which did crash half the site, as i was copying the files over into the overide folder, though I guess it was the hosting company file structure that wasn't very clear. I dragged files over and they copied fine, though you cannot drag folders, it moves them completely.

So you can imagine that the pages folder moved out of the file structure into my custom override template folder, crashing half of the site. Though I've got it up and running again, after breaking all the links to the database.

The SEO meta tags, i did, came out with top marks of 100% 100% and 94% so it's almost ready for marketing.

I've actually taken my son on now as part time developer in DK, as no one replied to my classified Add. He's plenty of experience with Cgi,html mysql, pearl, and php, so he's busy now stripping Zencart to see what it's made of.

Zencart is quite a power house, and the modules are plenty, I'm pretty satisfied with the build, and don't need any payment system as we do free COD in Singapore. I will look at expanding it to overseas after a a trial period.

Though on the forum i see that many have been hacked becuase of the older versions, it looks like Zencart is a bit of a sport with hackers, so it pays to be security conscious

Are you in the programming biz in Singapore?

[x9200]

Hi Ksl, sounds to me more like some problems related to your hosting platform not zen-cart itself. What have you tried to accomplished by copying these files?

[ksl]

Hi Ksl, sounds to me more like some problems related to your hosting platform not zen-cart itself. What have you tried to accomplished by copying these files?

Yes I concluded the hosting file structure, may have been the problem that caused it as i had moved plenty of files around within the root and they copied okay to mytemplate.

I didn't have much choice, other than overwrite the pages folder with some new files after i moved the folder back to it's original position as ezpages were all lost too and the backup failed to fix the links as the connection to the database was lost, the new files overwritten fixed it.

It corrected a significant amount of work, all the sideboxs' appeared and the links to the broken pages fixed, as the html text was stored on the database with images. The backup may have helped, but ez pages and images were still missing links.

Though the pages structure was linked to 73 other folders, so some image links were also lost to the scrolling sidebox, and logo's to the manufacturer box are still missing. I have only 6 connections out of 11 manufacturers. But I know how to fix it, I'm just leaving the simplest solution until last, has i need to dig around to understand the core files and system better.

I have just done a new install on XAMMP were i can experiment, with all the modules available.

My site is up and running, with a few insignificant errors like the manufacturer's box. Which i can just switch off anyway from admin.

All the images are back up and I have tested the orders and customer accounts. Still need an image in the welcome emails, so probably need to upload and overwrite some files in the email folder, as the link to the header image goes in all the correspondence sent and the link is still broke to the image, I've tried changing the image and cannot.

I've actually spent many hours playing around the last 2 weeks, it really tires the brain out, so I've been sleeping very well This zencart is really a very powerful shopping cart, the newest version is 1.3.9h but it's a full time job getting to know it, and some of the modules still have minor bugs too, but overall I can rate it as very good, I'm addicted or Zenned out as they say!

[ksl]

Update! More damage than i realised on the cart, in the end, it was quicker to delete with a clean install, than discover breaks. Also one bad thing about using simple scripts supplied by Hosts is that they do not always uninstall all the files. I discovered the MYSQL database in the home directory, which was preventing new installs from working correctly, links couldn't be repaired because of it. Well it's all a positive learning experience. Host has admitted to problems on the shared server and suggests a fixed IP, which i will have of course eventually.

Now I have just 3 days to complete a build, so no more poking around in the program just now!

[x9200]

I still do not understand what have your tried to do... upgrade to a newer version?

Update! More damage than i realised on the cart, in the end, it was quicker to delete with a clean install, than discover breaks. Also one bad thing about using simple scripts supplied by Hosts is that they do not always uninstall all the files. I discovered the MYSQL database in the home

??? What kind of OS platform is your host? Windows? Unix-like?

directory, which was preventing new installs from working correctly, links couldn't be repaired because of it. Well it's all a positive learning experience. Host has admitted to problems on the shared server and suggests a fixed IP, which i will have of course eventually.

Yeah, sure. Sounds like one of my providers.

[ksl]

I still do not understand what have your tried to do... upgrade to a newer version?

Update! More damage than i realised on the cart, in the end, it was quicker to delete with a clean install, than discover breaks. Also one bad thing about using simple scripts supplied by Hosts is that they do not always uninstall all the files. I discovered the MYSQL database in the home

??? What kind of OS platform is your host? Windows? Unix-like?

directory, which was preventing new installs from working correctly, links couldn't be repaired because of it. Well it's all a positive learning experience. Host has admitted to problems on the shared server and suggests a fixed IP, which i will have of course eventually.

Yeah, sure. Sounds like one of my providers.

No I was working with a clean install, and all was going very well until I decided to move files into my own template structure. I should have actually built mytemplate structure first, for safety, however it isn't so straight forward loading the new template over into the admin, if you are a beginner and miss a file or two.
You only need to have the files that you change, in your template folder...So my cart was actually built when i was transfering file into mytemplate structure, it wa quite easy dragging and dropping files, but you cannot do it with folders, because the drag and drop function will move the complete structure of that folder, breaking the root connection to the database.

I've been with www.bluehost 3 years, and Ipower since 2000. Ipower is crap now, it has been the last 6 years, but i gave up trying to make contact, its a nightmare and they want you to phone in every time for billing. I will dump Ipower soon.

Bluehost is good, excellent service i have had, and they have the 24/7 chat too. They have a good deal on at present if you need SSL, it's included in the package. The server is Linux and the CP comes with lots of php scripts cgi and pearl.

My site must be up for the start of the food expo tomorrow 27th, as that's how i notify the potential customers.

This is a new independant project of free delivery Island wide for members there is around 60 natural food products free of additives and colourings, and preferably low sugar.

I never see many expats at these big food exhibitions, and it's a big one on Friday, you should try it, around 250,000 a day is expected, good exposure for the new website. It's just about finished and working okay, very simple and fast set up with little configuration done as there is no time now.

I will load a new copy onto XAMMP local host server and work on my own template to load up. The problem with Zencart is that any updates will wipe the configurations out, if you do not place the changed files into a custom folder. though you can merge the update with win merge.

Also the security is sound for now, as its a pretty new version, though there is a weakness in the email function, so it must be kept on false in the admin CP, some guys set it to true and aloud unregistered hackers spammers in, to send out bulk emails.