Best way to populate your store?

[groggory]

Right now I'm using the web interface which is very tedious and I'm looking for a better way.

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For images I've decided mopics is about as good as it gets. I have a few thousand products, so I need to organize them somehow. Here is my basic template for image names...

<mfg abbrev.>-<subtype>-<model#>-<name>
To-GF-768-Weasel
Toland - Garden Flag - Weasel

For uploading the best I've found is easy populate. I haven't exactly figured it all out yet, but what I think is the way is to first download the complete database through the cpanel. Then pull it up in excel and edit to your heart's content. If I want to add a new product I should copy a row and modify it to be the new item.

That's really my main question. Do I just have to copy a row there and I'll have a new item in my SQL database? Will it do all the fields just right? I am pretty comfortable using easypopulate to modify existing data, but am nervous about using it to add new items.

Also, I know there are some desktop applications out there to manage your inventory. What is everyone's opinions on the best way to administer your store?

Thanks

Greg

[michael_s]

To use easypopulate, go to the easypopulate section in the admin, end export your database. Then in excel, open it, and add your changes. Be sure to follow the easypopulate instructions on how to make your changes. It is not hard to do, but does require a particular method. Then use easypopulate to upload your changes.

[lem]

I'm not even sure that if I knew how to use it, that it would work...

When I go the Easy Populate Section of my ADMIN the following errors show up on top.

Warning: set_time_limit(): Cannot set time limit in safe mode in /home/virtual/site33/fst/var/www/html/catalog/admin/easypopulate.php on line 28

Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output started at /home/virtual/site33/fst/var/www/html/catalog/admin/easypopulate.php:28) in /home/virtual/site33/fst/var/www/html/catalog/admin/includes/functions/sessions.php on line 67

Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent (output started at /home/virtual/site33/fst/var/www/html/catalog/admin/easypopulate.php:28) in /home/virtual/site33/fst/var/www/html/catalog/admin/includes/functions/sessions.php on line 67

What does it mean? Also, are their step by step instructions on using easy populate? This is definitly a feature I need because I deal with thousands of products. My website is www.truckracingparts.com. If anyone could help me out that would be appreciated. Thanks!

[jonthewebb]

Easypopulate takes so long to run that they need to set the script execution time limit longer than standard (which is normally 30 seconds). However this relies on using the set_time_limit() function which may not be allowed on certain servers - yours included.

reference:

http://uk2.php.net/function.set-time-limit

[michael_s]

Yes, your php is running in safe mode, so it may not work in the default configuration. You may need to modify the easypopulate script, since it was written assuming safe mode off. You could search the osCommerce forums for 'easypopulate safe mode' and see what that turns up. You may find an answer.

Another route to go is to export your product tables to excel CSV files manually, then open them in excel or other spreadsheet, and manually add the product data. Then save and import the CSV files manually. You need a mysql front end like phpmyadmin to do this easily (or you need to have command line access).

[lem]

Gotcha, thank you for your help!

[allan@crazygrow]

I'm a complete noob, but I've been working with oscommerce a bit and have come up with an idea that may freak you but it seems to work

I have taken the sql files from phpmyadmin opened in text editor and copied to excel.
Then I opened the new oscommerce sql and found the section for the table I'm working on. Copied the "VALUES" and stripped them on an excel row. using excel functions. having created this 'stripping template' I then just copy n paste the list of "ITEM VALUES" into the spaces and concatenate the row at the end.
The next step is to copy the resulting string into an original sql for the table and open the sql in phpmyadmin.

It doesn't matter how long the list is as you can split it across several sheets and concatenate (just poor visually)