EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

The above "easypopulate" search should have identified the file kabko stated. The contents of that file are:

<?php
// $Id: easypopulate_filenames.php, v4.0.21 06-01-2012 chadderuski $
define('FILENAME_EASYPOPULATE_4', 'easypopulate_4');
?>

The absence of that file will prevent loading the admin menu option to operate EP4. Thanks for that additional file comparison. I was going to suggest attempting to reupload all of the files as a group (not one at a time) and have them replace the files previously attempted to be uploaded.

kabko:

I see you are missing admin/includes/extra_datafiles/easypopulate_4_filenames.php
Try to upload that file and let us know... :)

Wow! You hit it exactly! I uploaded that file and all seems to work.
I misunderstood the instructions in INSTALL.txt item 2 b) . . .

2. Upload all files in the "admin" directory to your site maintaining directory structure.
   No core files are changed.

	a) If you are using zencart 1.3.8/1.3.9, you need to also upload the additional
        files in the "zencart 1.3 extra files" folder. 

	b)  If you are using zencart 1.5.x, [I]no additional files need to be uploaded[/I] as the file necessary
	 to support ZenCart 1.5.x has been placed within the above "admin" directory.  

So, I mistakenly did not upload admin\includesextra_datafiles\easypopulate_4_filenames.php
It seems I erroneously conflated "no additional" with "extra_datafiles"

Now that I seem to have it properly installed, I'm looking forward to figuring out how to use it.
I thought as a first step I would export the demo data products to see how the csv's of new products should be coded for input.

Thanks so much kabko! And Thank you mc12345678

Zean:

Thanks so much kabko! And Thank you mc12345678

No problem... Even though Im "beginner" in ZENCART, I do know a little bit about coding, so everytime I see someone has a problem, I try to find a solution, and if I cant, I look into forum if anyone else replied with a solution - and this is the best way to learn. (at least for me...lol)

Zean:

Wow! You hit it exactly! I uploaded that file and all seems to work.
I misunderstood the instructions in INSTALL.txt item 2 b) . . .

2. Upload all files in the "admin" directory to your site maintaining directory structure.
   No core files are changed.

   a) If you are using zencart 1.3.8/1.3.9, you need to also upload the additional
   files in the "zencart 1.3 extra files" folder.

   b) If you are using zencart 1.5.x, [I]no additional files need to be uploaded[/I] as the file necessary
   to support ZenCart 1.5.x has been placed within the above "admin" directory.

> 
> So, I mistakenly did not upload admin\includes\extra_datafiles\easypopulate_4_filenames.php
> It seems I erroneously conflated "no additional" with "extra_datafiles"
> 
> Now that I seem to have it properly installed, I'm looking forward to figuring out how to use it.
> I thought as a first step I would export the demo data products to see how the csv's of new products should be coded for input.
> 
> Thanks so much kabko! And Thank you mc12345678
I am making some modifications to the instructions for the next version. This will be an area touched to try to reduce such confusion. 

A little background, at some point in the code's history, chadderuski had made the final "step" of installation a process requiring upload of the applicable file for the version of ZC. Not too long ago I decided to simplify the process by a step to include the file automatically in the fileset. In changing the instructions to "match" I minimized the change instead of rewriting that section. Time to rewrite. :) thanks for identifying where the confusion came from.

On a side note and as pointed out by DrByte in the last couple of pages, generally speaking plugins are provided with the complete file structure and "at worst" may require renaming of override folders to match the applicable template. This plugin doesn't have such overrides (except for languages not yet translated), but the point being that once such changes have been made "locally" and possibly merge of overwritten files performed, the entire fileset is uploaded as a unit rather than file by file. Such a "missed" file would not occur. Again there, thank you for identifying why the file was omitted. That type of discussion helps upfront to identify why something isn't working the way it is expected and helps to expedite solving the issue.

As to your next step of exporting a sample file. Spot on. Please keep in mind usage as described in the instructions for uploading and also note that there is a patch on the previous page if you are uploading attributes using EP4 version 4.0.35.ZC as downloaded from the ZC site.

I have a need to provide a product export from a zen cart store which will be incorporated into a Amazon store. Amazon is asking for the following product information:

SKU/Model#
Product Name
Brand/Manufacturer
Price
Quantity
Description
Image URL
additional images
attributes

I installed Easy Populate 4.0.35.ZC and downloaded "Complete Products (with Metatags)" and "Basic Products Attributes (basic single-line)"

Questions:

1. Is there a way to perform an export that contains both the complete product info and attributes in one file?
2. Is there a way to get the "Image URL"
3. Is there a way to export additional images?

Always a way. :) may not really like the results in total, but it is always possible to add more data to the export.
2. The image path is pretty much already provided.
3. Additional images is something not directly handled by EP4 but by invoking some of the other ZC code, such image paths can be obtained. Do run into some of the issues otherwise addressed like, how will each of the additional images be presented? One image per row of data such that if there were 5 additional images then each row of product data would be displayed 5 times over? Or columns? How does one maximize the use of the appropriate column?

Look back several pages I explain how the exported tables will grow by combining ever more data into a single spreadsheet, but doable.

@Crunch,

What are the separators for attributes and additional images?
With regards to attributes, how is a grouping of option names expected to be considered/separated?
Ie. If a product has an option name of size and an option name of color, are they looking for all potential sizes and all potential colors or only the combinations that are expected to exist, both, etc...

mc12345678:

@Crunch,

What are the separators for attributes and additional images?
With regards to attributes, how is a grouping of option names expected to be considered/separated?
Ie. If a product has an option name of size and an option name of color, are they looking for all potential sizes and all potential colors or only the combinations that are expected to exist, both, etc...

Unfortunately I was provided no specifics. I was cold added into an email thread between the store owner and an Amazon rep discussing migration to a Amazon store.

This is all they asked for:

"Send me a data file or spreadsheet (as a product export from your eCommerce platform) containing the following product information for the initial items you’d like to list:

• Product Name
• Brand/Manufacturer
• UPC Code
• Price
• Quantity
• Description
• Image URL

There are many other optional fields that can be included, such as your own SKU#, search keywords, additional images, size or color variations available, weight if you want to charge weight-based shipping rates, etc. But those are optional—the fields above are the basic ones needed."

They refer to attributes as variations.

I think at this point I will send them two data files - the "Complete Products (with Metatags)" and "Basic Products Attributes (basic single-line)" and see if that works for their integration team. If I receive any other info, I will let you know.

FYI: I discovered that a Froogle export in Easy Populate v1.2.5.4 contains the image URL's (and Product URL's) in the data file.

Crunch:

Unfortunately I was provided no specifics. I was cold added into an email thread between the store owner and an Amazon rep discussing migration to a Amazon store.

This is all they asked for:

"Send me a data file or spreadsheet (as a product export from your eCommerce platform) containing the following product information for the initial items you’d like to list:

• Product Name
• Brand/Manufacturer
• UPC Code
• Price
• Quantity
• Description
• Image URL

There are many other optional fields that can be included, such as your own SKU#, search keywords, additional images, size or color variations available, weight if you want to charge weight-based shipping rates, etc. But those are optional—the fields above are the basic ones needed."

They refer to attributes as variations.

I think at this point I will send them two data files - the "Complete Products (with Metatags)" and "Basic Products Attributes (basic single-line)" and see if that works for their integration team. If I receive any other info, I will let you know.

Well, I began creating a sort of EP4 plugin to try to accomodate. Figured why not. :P Seeing that the "combined" list of attributes is expected to fill in a single block I thought I would try to find out. :)

Didn't see anything about language though, like identifying the content to a language (as you may have come to know, EP4 does support populating multiple languages) so was going to try to adapt to that as well... perhaps though in the conversations you can find out some more information.

Crunch:

FYI: I discovered that a Froogle export in Easy Populate v1.2.5.4 contains the image URL's (and Product URL's) in the data file.

Yeah, not a big deal to create. There's already the ability to export various aspects of a product, for example there already is an export of the products_uri as say a customer would enter. There's also already the image location as it relates to DIR_WS_IMAGES. All that needs to happen is say to export the uri generated when using the zen_image (or sorry if at the moment I forgot the function name) function appended to the base uri... I realize that you may be new to EP4, but I said it maybe 2 or more years ago, everything that is needed is here in the code, someone just has to identify what they need/want and even better if someone adds to it (one has taken EP4 and added the export of a product type that in itself is complicated and done so without affecting the base EP4 code). At the moment I'm working on the additional capability of Stock-by-attributes to handle the upload of files otherwise I might be adding to EP4. I have to balance my time to suit "particular" needs and requests.

When I get a chance in the next day or so I'll upload what I have for the amazon "addition" to github. Probavly as a separate repo as it will be an add-on to EP4 rather than some sort of modification to it. Pretty sure after that others will begin splitting off. Considering that the information is to be one way (outward) would be good to know what headings each column should have so that the necessary format can be applied.

I get this error whenever I try to import a feed into the website. The vps I got is this:

Server Host: centos (91.92.109.48)

Server OS: Linux 2.6.32-042stab108.2

Server Date: 06/01/2016 09:45:58

Server Up Time: Unsupported

HTTP Server: Apache/2.2.31 (Unix)

PHP Version: 5.6.20 (Zend: 2.6.0)

PHP File Uploads: On

Upload Max Size: 128M

PHP Memory Limit: 1024M

POST Max Size: 128M

Database: MySQL 5.5.49

Database Host: 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1)

Database Date: 06/01/2016 09:45:58

Database Data Size: 457 kB

Database Index Size: 464 kB

MySQL Slow Query Log Status: On

MySQL Slow Query Log File: /var/lib/mysql/centos-slow.log

MySQL Mode: (None set)

and zen cart 1.5.5

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] Request URI: /zcadmin/configuration.php?gID=31&cID=547&action=edit, IP address: 172.93.102.178
#1 call_user_func() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php:1800]
#2 zen_call_function() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/configuration.php:129]

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] PHP Warning: call_user_func() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'zen_cfg_select_option(array('true', 'false'),' not found or invalid function name in /home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php on line 1800
[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] Request URI: /zcadmin/configuration.php?gID=31&cID=547&action=edit, IP address: 172.93.102.178
#1 call_user_func() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php:1800]
#2 zen_call_function() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/configuration.php:129]

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] PHP Warning: call_user_func() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'zen_cfg_select_option(array('true', 'false'),' not found or invalid function name in /home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php on line 1800

RonaldNavarro689:

I get this error whenever I try to import a feed into the website. The vps I got is this:

Server Host: centos (91.92.109.48)

Server OS: Linux 2.6.32-042stab108.2

Server Date: 06/01/2016 09:45:58

Server Up Time: Unsupported

HTTP Server: Apache/2.2.31 (Unix)

PHP Version: 5.6.20 (Zend: 2.6.0)

PHP File Uploads: On

Upload Max Size: 128M

PHP Memory Limit: 1024M

POST Max Size: 128M

Database: MySQL 5.5.49

Database Host: 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1)

Database Date: 06/01/2016 09:45:58

Database Data Size: 457 kB

Database Index Size: 464 kB

MySQL Slow Query Log Status: On

MySQL Slow Query Log File: /var/lib/mysql/centos-slow.log

MySQL Mode: (None set)

and zen cart 1.5.5

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] Request URI: /zcadmin/configuration.php?gID=31&cID=547&action=edit, IP address: 172.93.102.178
#1 call_user_func() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php:1800]
#2 zen_call_function() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/configuration.php:129]

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] PHP Warning: call_user_func() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'zen_cfg_select_option(array('true', 'false'),' not found or invalid function name in /home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php on line 1800
[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] Request URI: /zcadmin/configuration.php?gID=31&cID=547&action=edit, IP address: 172.93.102.178
#1 call_user_func() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php:1800]
#2 zen_call_function() called at [/home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/configuration.php:129]

[31-May-2016 17:22:11 UTC] PHP Warning: call_user_func() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'zen_cfg_select_option(array('true', 'false'),' not found or invalid function name in /home/soft/public_html/XXXXXXXXXXX.com/zcadmin/includes/functions/general.php on line 1800
Assuming that zcadmin is not your actual admin directory (if it is, suggest changing it), if you goto your configuration for EP4, what are your current settings for uploads Directory and Uploads Directory Admin/catalog? With regards to the first, does the path include the name of your admin directory (that's the real question.)?

Also does your admin/includes/functions/extra_functions/easypopulate_4_functions.php include both:
function ep4_directory_check and
function ep4_directory_choice_check?

And what version of EP4 do you have installed as obtained from?

mc12345678:

Assuming that zcadmin is not your actual admin directory (if it is, suggest changing it), if you goto your configuration for EP4, what are your current settings for uploads Directory and Uploads Directory Admin/catalog? With regards to the first, does the path include the name of your admin directory (that's the real question.)?

Also does your admin/includes/functions/extra_functions/easypopulate_4_functions.php include both:
function ep4_directory_check and
function ep4_directory_choice_check?

And what version of EP4 do you have installed as obtained from?

thank you for your fast reply. it seems it has solved itself after reuploading the easypopulate? I looked again in the logs errors and saw that easypopulate_4_import.php was ending abruptly.

If anyone is faced with this issue, maybe it finds useful the reupload solution and looking again in the logs to see if there will be any more errors.

RonaldNavarro689:

thank you for your fast reply. it seems it has solved itself after reuploading the easypopulate? I looked again in the logs errors and saw that easypopulate_4_import.php was ending abruptly.

If anyone is faced with this issue, maybe it finds useful the reupload solution and looking again in the logs to see if there will be any more errors.
Yes that can often be an issue if errors begin after first uploading the files. Glad that you were able to resolve it.

thanks again for assistance.

mc12345678:

As to your next step of exporting a sample file. Spot on. Please keep in mind usage as described in the instructions for uploading and also note that there is a patch on the previous page if you are uploading attributes using EP4 version 4.0.35.ZC as downloaded from the ZC site.

I can not successfully import detailed attributes.
I applied the patch on the previous page since I'm working with attributes using EP4 version 4.0.35.ZC as downloaded from the ZC site, by adding the 4 instances of the colon to easypopulate_4_attrib.php.

Background
I thought I would use EP4 to export products from an existing Zen Cart store v1.54 and try importing them into a freshly installed empty ZC v.1.55a store.

I exported 3 files.

File 1. I exported using Filterable Exports: Download Type = Complete Products and left the other parameters (i.e, Categories, Manufactures, Status) at their default (I assume that's the way to get everything).
Full-EP2016May31-220237.csv

File 2. I exported using Attribute Export/Import Options
Basic Products Attributes (basic single-line)
Attrib-Basic-EP2016May31-221112.csv

File 3. I exported using Attribute Export/Import Options
Detailed Products Attributes (detailed multi-line)
Attrib-Detailed-EP2016May31-221156.csv

I uploaded the 3 files into the new empty ZC v1.55a store using "Upload EP File", Browse, Upload. The files then automagically appeared under the apparently appropriate EP4 admin File Name sections . . .

File 1. This contains any other file. They will be processed like the upload of a full data file.
Full-EP2016May31-220237.csv

File 2. Prefix: attrib-basic-ep. It will be processed through the Basic Attribute filters.
Attrib-Basic-EP2016May31-221112.csv

File 3. Prefix: attrib-detailed-ep. It will be processed through the Detailed Attributes filters.
Attrib-Detailed-EP2016May31-221156.csv

I then attempted to Import the 3 files by clicking on their associated Import buttons.

File 1 seems to have worked fine . . .
Updated records: 171
New Imported records: 148
Errors Detected: 0
Warnings Detected: 0

File 2 seems to have worked reasonably well . . .
Updated records: 28
New Imported records: 839
Errors Detected: 161
Warnings Detected: 0

File 3 will not import nor update anything into the store . . . What am I doing wrong?
Filename: Attrib-Detailed-EP2016May31-221156.csv

SKIPPED! - Attribute Entry on : - Not Found!
.
.
SKIPPED! - Attribute Entry on : - Not Found!
Finished Processing Import File

Updated records: 0
New Imported records: 0
Errors Detected: 5156
Warnings Detected: 0
Memory Usage: 1267824
Memory Peak: 2011576
Execution Time: 4 seconds.

What am I doing wrong? I only get errors and zero Imported and zero Updated records for the Attrib-Detailed-EP file.

So, besides that the error notification needs a touch up, the issue comes down to this. It would appear that the transfer of detailed attributes from one store to another is not as robust as the remaining aspects. But one can with some manual data management make the transition.

See, the data used by EP4 on import of the detailed attribute file is directly related to the database assigned designations. This is likely to be different in one store when compared to another.

So in one store where the products_id is 10, in the other it may be 15. Then the attributes parts may also each have their own unique/different designation.

Thus when uploading the detailed attributes file, if the four pieces of information used to identify the specific attribute, then the attribute is considered not found and no update is performed. This is an update evolution not an insert (other than it will insert download file information if otherwise not pre-existing).

So, in order to do such a database to database transfer (which really it is still suggested to use the standard upgrade/store transfer process instead), the previous two files need to be used in addition to a current export of the detailed file of the current store in order to modify all of the identifying characteristics of the original detailed file in order for all of the key aspects to line up with the desired change(s). Some of this could have been made "easier" if the products_id was used as the primary key (making a "mirror" of the existing site) but still would have required modification of a few of the other attribute portions.

Doable, but currently a pain...

Oh and as for the dropdown selections. Leaving the status as is only exports active products. To export all product the status needs to be changed to all. Otherwise disabled product will not be exported.

mc12345678:

So, besides that the error notification needs a touch up, the issue comes down to this. It would appear that the transfer of detailed attributes from one store to another is not as robust as the remaining aspects. But one can with some manual data management make the transition.

See, the data used by EP4 on import of the detailed attribute file is directly related to the database assigned designations. This is likely to be different in one store when compared to another.

So in one store where the products_id is 10, in the other it may be 15. Then the attributes parts may also each have their own unique/different designation.

Thus when uploading the detailed attributes file, if the four pieces of information used to identify the specific attribute, then the attribute is considered not found and no update is performed. This is an update evolution not an insert (other than it will insert download file information if otherwise not pre-existing).

So, in order to do such a database to database transfer (which really it is still suggested to use the standard upgrade/store transfer process instead), the previous two files need to be used in addition to a current export of the detailed file of the current store in order to modify all of the identifying characteristics of the original detailed file in order for all of the key aspects to line up with the desired change(s). Some of this could have been made "easier" if the products_id was used as the primary key (making a "mirror" of the existing site) but still would have required modification of a few of the other attribute portions.

Doable, but currently a pain...

Are these the four pieces of information used to identify the specific attribute which you are are referring to?

v_products_attributes_id
v_products_id
v_options_id
v_options_values_id

For your convenience here's the complete list of Easy Populate 4.0.35.ZC - 04-29-2016 with attrib patch
Detailed Products Attributes (detailed multi-line) Download
Export csv column names from the Attrib-Detailed-EP file . . .

v_products_attributes_id
v_products_id
v_products_model
v_options_id
v_products_options_name
v_products_options_type
v_options_values_id
v_products_options_values_name
v_options_values_price
v_price_prefix
v_products_options_sort_order
v_product_attribute_is_free
v_products_attributes_weight
v_products_attributes_weight_prefix
v_attributes_display_only
v_attributes_default
v_attributes_discounted
v_attributes_image
v_attributes_price_base_included
v_attributes_price_onetime
v_attributes_price_factor
v_attributes_price_factor_offset
v_attributes_price_factor_onetime
v_attributes_price_factor_onetime_offset
v_attributes_qty_prices
v_attributes_qty_prices_onetime
v_attributes_price_words
v_attributes_price_words_free
v_attributes_price_letters
v_attributes_price_letters_free
v_attributes_required
v_products_attributes_filename
v_products_attributes_maxdays
v_products_attributes_maxcount