Converting/Upgrading the database from osC 2.2ms2 to osCMax.

[Shortbus]

I've been using osC since 2004. I've never heard of osCMax until a few days ago. Once I read about it, I decided that is what I need rather than monkey around with the osC files any longer.

I'm very familiar with phpMyAdmin and was wondering what is the easiest way to get my data from the osC database to the osCMax database. Basically I'm in need of a checklist or a "best practice" for someone making the switch. I've looked at several of the tables and the osCMax db has many that aren't included with the version of osC that I'm running. I've searched the forums and can't find anything for someone in my situation trying to convert.

[ridexbuilder]

I could write a guide but then I do try to eke out a very meagre existence from doing such upgrades, so it won't be from me. Sorry.
If au fait with phpmyadmin, then it really isn't that difficult, if you compare the database structures and it should be obvious which are the important tables to migrate. Adding contributions will complicate the issue and some may not be compatible and/or replaced by alternatives. Can be a little time consuming though, to cover everything - just don't expect a full like-for-like.

EJ

[michael_s]

google mysqldiff or you could use a mysql gui like sqlyog to do a structure comparison.

That will generate the necessary sql to upgrade your database structures to match osCmax. Then it is the simple matter of exporting your data to an sql file and then importing it into the osCmax database.

Alternately, you could use easypopulate to export products from your current site and then import into osCmax. Of course orders/customers data is not covered by easypopulate, so you would need to use the first method to get all that info copied over.

[Shortbus]

Thanks, I'll look at mysqldiff.

One thing I noticed while manually comparing the tables from osC vs osCMax is the Header Tags Controller contribution is missing from osCMax and according to this page -- What is osCMax? - osCMax - osCommerce Maximized -- it's not included. I'm curious to know why not. This was the probably the single best contribution I've ever installed on my osC store. After installing it and updating my products with proper titles and descriptions, the number of pages in Google's index went from a few hundred to about 4,000 and has remained that way ever since. Or does osCMax have a comparable contribution that goes by another name?

[michael_s]

osCmax uses dynamic tags that are auto generated from the content on each page. This pretty much obsoletes the manual method, so you can waste your time on other useless things

Of course there is always someone who disagrees with me and swears by meta-data as the secret google trick, so if you want to waste your time on meta tags you can easily install the header tags mod.

Google (the only SE that matters) is very smart and puts very little weight on tags. As long as they are accurate and reflect the content on the page, you are fine. There is absolutely no need to manually write your tags. I regularly work on osCmax sites that have thousands of high ranking indexed pages. It is more about content and link popularity. Meta tags figure in, but again, a very minor part of the puzzle.

[ridexbuilder]

Header Tags SEO V 3.0


Appears to be more current. I've found that the SEO URLs in 'Max to be pretty effective at getting Google to crawl the site.

As Michael says, content is King.

[Shortbus]

Understood, but until I was able to get 100% control of the <title></title> tag, lots and lots of the parts in my store looked very similar in Google's eyes and therefore those extra pages would not get indexed. In addition, about 30% of the titles were over 70 characters and would get truncated in the search results.