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Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Man, I haven't posted a thread in a long time lol, anyway,

I designed a website that showcases a lot of the work my Dad does, and I've been getting a lot of requests from customers who want to buy from us online. So far I've looked into some open-source Shopping Carts, but do not know where to start, or what of all programs are needed. So far I know of these various programs:

http://www.ubercart.org/ <-Open-Source Shopping Cart

http://www.zen-cart.com/ <-Another Open-Source Shopping Cart

http://drupal.org/ <-This is a content management system

Is anybody familiar with these programs? Can these be integrated into my website, or do I have to redesign my site based on a template provided by a shopping cart service?

What else is there to know about e-commerce and selling products online?

Are there any good forum sites or knowledge bases for stuff like this online?

I have so many questions and don't know where to begin...
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6464|N. Ireland
Check out (no pun..) 2CheckOut - also I believe Paypal offer an actual payment service (you must take a test though)
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6620

I've used Drupal and that's really good, although I know nothing about it's shopping cart features.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Will do Kyle. I downloaded Drupal and will play around with it now.

I am kind of in a hurry with this, want it to be set up before Christmas season, so perhaps Paypal might be the route to take. I think that integrates into a current website design also...
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
CrazeD
Member
+368|6643|Maine
Zen Cart has a pretty extensive FAQ on their site, I recommend you check that out.

As far as the template, yes you'll have to modify your template a bit to make it work with carts, but only a bit.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

Zen-cart has a truly awful templating system and is incredibly outdated on that side. The shopping cart itself isn't bad, but doesn't match up to anything like "cube-cart" or "drupal".

You can't "integrate" those programs into your website, you must integrate your website ( the template, the links, the layout, whatever ) into those programs.

Don't touch Zen cart, it's fugly. If you want to get your hand dirty ( you will need to know a bit more than just basic CSS and XHTML ) then get Drupal with the Uber-cart module add-on. Although when I say "get your hands dirty" I mean spending a heck of a lot of time working on it.

Drupal is very nice once you can really take advantage of the immense power of it and it's modules. As a standalone CMS it's nice, but nothing special.

You can't just "shove paypal" onto a site. You have to go through the right steps, which would involve more than just a "copy and paste API paypal from site and pray everything works" approach. I advise you try out Drupal with Uber-cart.

If you need any help templating, coding or anything, give me a shout. I'm busy atm, but I can certainly give you a hand.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Zimmer, thanks for the info. What do you know about Joomla? From what I can tell, Joomla is to Zen-cart as Drupal is to Uber-cart. I assume you'd prefer Drupal?

Also, I downloaded Drupal, but as for installing it, I have no clue.  I have to create a database using MySQL? Then I gotta run an install script...I have to put the whole directory (By this I assume all the contents of the Drupal download) into my web server root directory? I read the provided txt document, and also browsed the "Handbook" I just don't...get...it.

Edit: When they say put it into web server root directory, is that my website directory that I access via FTP?

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-12 16:11:55)

Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Zimmer, thanks for the info. What do you know about Joomla? From what I can tell, Joomla is to Zen-cart as Drupal is to Uber-cart. I assume you'd prefer Drupal?

Also, I downloaded Drupal, but as for installing it, I have no clue.  I have to create a database using MySQL? Then I gotta run an install script...I have to put the whole directory (By this I assume all the contents of the Drupal download) into my web server root directory? I read the provided txt document, and also browsed the "Handbook" I just don't...get...it.

Edit: When they say put it into web server root directory, is that my website directory that I access via FTP?
Don't ever touch Joomla. It's a pile of stinking monkey shit.

As for installing Drupal...
I assume you have a web server control panel? From there, you should be able to create a MySQL db with a username and password.

Your server directoy should either be PUBLIC_HTML or HTTPDOCS folder. That is where you should put the Drupal files from the UPLOAD folder.
I advise making a subfolder and calling it "drupal" and dumping the files there. Then go to your web browser, point it to http://yoursite.com/drupal and the installation script will run, with you having to input the details as required.

If you can't do it and are having problems, shoot me an email or find me on xfire or msn ( ask for my msn through my email ) and I'll get you on your way. Not right this moment though, too tired to even help people.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Zimmer wrote:

Your server directoy should either be PUBLIC_HTML or HTTPDOCS folder. That is where you should put the Drupal files from the UPLOAD folder. I advise making a subfolder and calling it "drupal" and dumping the files there. Then go to your web browser, point it to http://yoursite.com/drupal and the installation script will run, with you having to input the details as required.
MAN threads get lost on this forum fast...

Anyway, Haven't been on xfire much, so I'll ask here just to get myself involved again. Why does Drupal have to be installed via my web server? And, when you say the 'installation script' will run, where does it install to? My computer? My server? I just wonder why it has to be uploaded to my web server first, before I can install it to my computer.

Also, I'm assuming that I MUST have a web server control panel that I can access, and I MUST have MySQL db correct? I haven't heard back from my web host provider on this subject yet, I'll send em another email.

Yes, I'm a total noob at this, with no experience at all, but I really would like to learn this. I'll check out Drupal Forums again and read into it more. It's nice to have some personal help as well, thnx.
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5687|Vancouver, BC, Canada
I've used UberCart and very much like it, I'm not sure if it'll integrate very well into your site unless you just plan to link to the cart.

But yeah, Of all of them, I'd recommend UberCart, just be ready for a shitload of setup, you have to get your Paypal Sellers API code, you have to figure out mow much shipping is, you have to input all the different options(for every item you sell, you can set variables like Size, color, etc for clothes)

But once you get it running, it's great to work with.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Zimmer wrote:

Your server directoy should either be PUBLIC_HTML or HTTPDOCS folder. That is where you should put the Drupal files from the UPLOAD folder. I advise making a subfolder and calling it "drupal" and dumping the files there. Then go to your web browser, point it to http://yoursite.com/drupal and the installation script will run, with you having to input the details as required.
MAN threads get lost on this forum fast...

Anyway, Haven't been on xfire much, so I'll ask here just to get myself involved again. Why does Drupal have to be installed via my web server? And, when you say the 'installation script' will run, where does it install to? My computer? My server? I just wonder why it has to be uploaded to my web server first, before I can install it to my computer.

Also, I'm assuming that I MUST have a web server control panel that I can access, and I MUST have MySQL db correct? I haven't heard back from my web host provider on this subject yet, I'll send em another email.

Yes, I'm a total noob at this, with no experience at all, but I really would like to learn this. I'll check out Drupal Forums again and read into it more. It's nice to have some personal help as well, thnx.
Who is your web server company?

Unless you have an APACHE server and PHP running on your local computer ( along with a whole lot of other shit ) you cannot install Drupal as it requires an online environment ( apache, GD, PHP, mod_rewrite ) to work on.
The install script would be accessed via your browser ( once the files are uploaded into YOUR SERVER ) and that install script would run you through the connection to a MYSQL database ( which you must have on your server in the first place, with full privileges and the username and password ) and it will run you through extras like site name and first admin setup. The install script directly communicates with the MYSQL db that you have already put into the first page of your installation script and then inputs the details that you put into the script and starts up the site for you.

Although forget what I just said there, as you wont be using Drupal 6, but 5... UberCart doesn't work on 6, so you will have to stick with the slightly outdated Drupal system ( nothing wrong with it, just doesn't have as many fancy options ). Installation here is slightly more basic, with only the DB options - from there on, you will have the site up and running and the FIRST account you create will be the admin account. They will talk a lot about a settings.php file; follow the instructions for how to make it writable and how to start up the site with that specific file. It's mostly self explanatory.

The install script online connects the already-uploaded Drupal files with your MYSQL db - which then, in turn, allows you to have a dynamic site which you can update online.

Don't check the Drupal forums, just read the installation guide ( it's huge and very helpful for noobs ). From there you should have a "vague" idea on what you are supposed to do.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Heh, I think I need a crash course in Database Management Systems including SQL, PHP, intergrating Drupal and Ubercart...

Any book recommendations? Right now I'm reading through, 'SQL for Dummies', 'MySQL & mSQL', 'Understanding Database Management Systems' all found at my library...Which sucks.
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Heh, I think I need a crash course in Database Management Systems including SQL, PHP, intergrating Drupal and Ubercart...

Any book recommendations? Right now I'm reading through, 'SQL for Dummies', 'MySQL & mSQL', 'Understanding Database Management Systems' all found at my library...Which sucks.
You need absolutely no knowledge on MYSQL and SQL to run a drupal site. All you need is the DB server, username and password.

Server : localhost
DB name : "accountusername"_DB NAME
DB username : "accountusername"_DBUSERNAME
DB pass : password

Make sure you add your account username ( used for the hosting, as I know you have inmotion ) in front of BOTH the name of the DB and the username.
Stealth42o
She looked 18 to me officer
+175|6642

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Will do Kyle. I downloaded Drupal and will play around with it now.

I am kind of in a hurry with this, want it to be set up before Christmas season, so perhaps Paypal might be the route to take. I think that integrates into a current website design also...
You can get a plugin for dreamweaver that will integrate paypal into your website.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Congratulations, Drupal has been successfully installed.

Yay! So now I am playing around with configuring the site and such. But, I notice the "Getting Started with Drupal" guide seems to only help if you want to set up some kind of website forum with a whole bunch of user settings and such.

There must be a way to create templates in Dreamweaver of a site design, and integrate that with the Drupal's CMS/plugins so I don't have to use Drupal to design the site? Nothing in that guide touched on this subject.



Edit: Thought I'd go ahead and install Ubercart also LOOK at this list of modules I have to install!

http://www.ubercart.org/docs/user/3313/ … g_ubercart

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-24 14:50:45)

Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

It's a "one click install" process.... Shouldn't be too hard. As for theming, http://drupal.org/theme-guide/5 should help. But be warned, a pretty solid knowledge of XHTML and CSS is required to even start to theme; as well as a bit of PHP. Go look at the templates on offer, and if you like one, get it and then theme around it.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Ya, figuring out how to use drupal to redesign my site is kind of a pain. When I click Add Content >> Page, all I get is a Title box, and Body box, so I assume I can only enter in code, or can copy pasta code?

I have to consider my time constrictions. I gotta get this set up by the second week of October, so I'm thinking of just redesigning the site in Dreamweaver with templates and CSS and try and find a shopping cart service that will integrate with it if possible. OsCommerce maybe, Zen Cart...I don't know.
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6726|Scotland

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Ya, figuring out how to use drupal to redesign my site is kind of a pain. When I click Add Content >> Page, all I get is a Title box, and Body box, so I assume I can only enter in code, or can copy pasta code?

I have to consider my time constrictions. I gotta get this set up by the second week of October, so I'm thinking of just redesigning the site in Dreamweaver with templates and CSS and try and find a shopping cart service that will integrate with it if possible. OsCommerce maybe, Zen Cart...I don't know.
One last time. You cannot do that. You just can't. Do you not understand the concept of integrating? Integration goes the SYSTEMS way, not the templates way. You MUST work around the system, you can't just create a template and hope the system likes it.

Um.... its a content management system, what were you expecting from adding a page? You can enable PHP filtering from the admin options.... but you can use XHTML in the page itself. I have no idea what you want.... but once Ubercart is installed... you just add products.

A shopping cart service will NOT integrate into your templates, you will have to do it the other way around. OSCommerce and Zen have awful templating systems. No way will you be able to theme them by Xmas...
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

I've been looking at some of these Drupal Templates that I can download, and figured I should be able to make my own and use it. But, its probably to complicated.

I was looking at some themes here: http://www.osskins.com/main/

This one in particular:
http://www.osskins.com/main/drupal/free … 2007/02/05

BUT, when I open winzip to extract them I get this message:
https://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5434/winzipwtfmg5.jpg

The help file says it cannot determine the full filename information. If i replace it with whatever, it becomes a single file, not a folder with all the necessary template files...

I guess some templates I just wont be able to use?

Edit, this is kinda what I'm shootin for lol:

http://www.templatemonster.com/zen-cart … 20742.html

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-25 19:28:52)

Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
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