EasyPopulate 4.0 Support Thread

mc12345678:

Thanks for the advise. I looked into apsona shopadmin. From just a perusal, it seems rather easy, but I would have to look into it more. I'm down ill, can't sleep, probably call the doctor.

Silver

mc12345678:

While I haven't used apsona shopadmin, I would like to offer a correction to the above post, EP4 does handle attributes, in fact I had added partial functionality for stock by attributes available through github off of chadderuski's version.

As for other instructions on use, there have been posts in the last several pages about general usage of this plugin including sequencing of imports and exports and building the database for a product.

Would you please provide the link to "partial functionality for stock by attributes".

Is this functionality for kuroi's version of stock by attribute, recently updated by potteryhouse?

SilverHD:

mc12345678:

Thanks for the advise. I looked into apsona shopadmin. From just a perusal, it seems rather easy, but I would have to look into it more. I'm down ill, can't sleep, probably call the doctor.

Silver

One of the things missing from this plugin is a consolidated list of "instructions". In my opinion (and it is just my own opinion) EP4 isn't difficult to use. The operator must only understand the sequence of actions necessary to fully build a product, the importance of the prefix to a file being uploaded, the character(s) necessary to properly import, and the actions that may be necessary to save a properly formatted CSV file. The second and third parts can be figured out by exporting multiple files potentially on different dates/times. The fourth part is described in this forum on page 1. The first part, well, think about how you build a product using the admin panel, and basically you follow the same sequence, but without timeouts and with the potential of multiple products being updated at once.

Again, I do not have a comparison to go by, but the above has been the majority of questions related to EP4.

Kevin205:

Would you please provide the link to "partial functionality for stock by attributes".

Is this functionality for kuroi's version of stock by attribute, recently updated by potteryhouse?

https://github com/mc12345678/EasyPopulate-4.0/archive/master.zip will download the file, otherwise if you are familiar with github, then remove archive/master.zip and you can navigate through github about the file.

The functionality that was developed was a detailed import/export of SBA data from a SBA table that was designed like what I have installed. Unfortunately, I am not 100% sure which version e installed because I installed it really early on in my work with ZC about 2 years ago, but I do believe it was kuroi's that became robophungs. I know that I had separated the drop down functionality from the product so that I could use SBA in all situations as desired for the site I was working on. If the table is not setup the same as what I had (table name, numberof columns, and column names) then a SBA detailed export option will not appear in the user panel.

I had begun working on the basic import and export, but haven't worked on it since late last year. Partially because I was advised that an update would be coming that would almost completely revise the way things were coded, so I didn't want to introduce multiple differences from what was to become considered a ZC approved package. If too much is/was added in, then it would have to be reworked to fit in the new version, and would rather one product exist that has multiple functionality than to have multiple products that for the most part do the same thing with a little extra. As usual, use at your own risk and make backups before modifying your data/admin/store files.

mc12345678:

Partially because I was advised that an update would be coming that would almost completely revise the way things were coded, so I didn't want to introduce multiple differences from what was to become considered a ZC approved package. If too much is/was added in, then it would have to be reworked to fit in the new version, and would rather one product exist that has multiple functionality than to have multiple products that for the most part do the same thing with a little extra. As usual, use at your own risk and make backups before modifying your data/admin/store files.

Would this update be included in 1.5.2 version of ZC or a later version?

Kevin205:

Would this update be included in 1.5.2 version of ZC or a later version?

I am not aware of EP4 (or a similar tool) being incorporated into ZC 1.5.2. If it is not currently in. The version available for review, then it is not expected to be incorporated as a default option. The update I am referriing to is an update to EP4. Supposedly there have been some significant rewrites that are to be packaged into a standard ZC approved package. As it stands this version was allowed to be linked from here early on and identified as Beta like product. As far as I've been able to tell, also, there doesn't seem to be anything about this version that would be an issue for ZC 1.5.2 or at least that would prevent operation, but as said there are other updates expected to the plugin.

"ZC 1.5.1 AND EasyPopulate-4.0-master AND export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" out-of-the-box-install.
Tested on 2 different installations reversing the order of installing EP4 & export-shipping and EP4 fails on both installs. Tested both mods separately and they worked as advertised.

EP4 will export products OK but won't Import them. it goes through the motions without throwing any kind of error but doesn't import any products. Tried several different EP4 files just to be sure it wasn't the file. See results below.

Not sure if "EasyPopulate-4.0-master" or "export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" is the issue. In the past I had to install EP4 before I installed any other mods otherwise it wouldn't install so I tend to think it's EP4 causing the problem.

Green Bar At the top says: Success File Import Completed.

Import Results
Filename: Full-EP2014Feb09-165331.csv
Finished Processing Import File

Updated records: 0
New Imported records: 0
Errors Detected: 0
Warnings Detected: 0
Memory Usage: 581144
Memory Peak: 591464
Execution Time: 0.000150918960571 seconds.

linuxguy2:

"ZC 1.5.1 AND EasyPopulate-4.0-master AND export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" out-of-the-box-install.
Tested on 2 different installations reversing the order of installing EP4 & export-shipping and EP4 fails on both installs. Tested both mods separately and they worked as advertised.

EP4 will export products OK but won't Import them. it goes through the motions without throwing any kind of error but doesn't import any products. Tried several different EP4 files just to be sure it wasn't the file. See results below.

Not sure if "EasyPopulate-4.0-master" or "export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" is the issue. In the past I had to install EP4 before I installed any other mods otherwise it wouldn't install so I tend to think it's EP4 causing the problem.

Green Bar At the top says: Success File Import Completed.

Import Results
Filename: Full-EP2014Feb09-165331.csv
Finished Processing Import File

Updated records: 0
New Imported records: 0
Errors Detected: 0
Warnings Detected: 0
Memory Usage: 581144
Memory Peak: 591464
Execution Time: 0.000150918960571 seconds.

What spreadsheet program did you use for your data? Looks like the file was blank for the most part based on the report copied from the screen. Or at least that there was nothing that was to be changed. The green bar indicates that it successfully went from the beginningof the programming to the end without error. The fact that the data may or may not have lined up with something in the database doesn't mean that there is an error. It says how many things were modified, and in this case none.

So, what does it take to modify something? A difference of information for a line that has a model# associated with it.

What piece of info were you trying to change in the full file to verify/update the record?

There is an incompatibility between the two mods.

Tested both mods separately and they worked as advertised. Then tested on 2 different installations reversing the order of installing EP4 & export-shipping and EP4 fails on both installs.

My CSV file is solid as I have uploaded & installed it on a site without
"export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" installed and it works.

EP4 is a self installer and I don't know exactly which tables/rows/columns it modifies in the DB when you install it. If I had the raw *.sql file I might could figure something out.

linuxguy2:

There is an incompatibility between the two mods.

Tested both mods separately and they worked as advertised. Then tested on 2 different installations reversing the order of installing EP4 & export-shipping and EP4 fails on both installs.

My CSV file is solid as I have uploaded & installed it on a site without
"export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1" installed and it works.

EP4 is a self installer and I don't know exactly which tables/rows/columns it modifies in the DB when you install it. If I had the raw *.sql file I might could figure something out.

My guess, and I'll take a look, is that export shipping installs a file that is loaded in after something associated with EP4 and therefore a variable needed by EP4 is overwritten feeding something incorrect to EP4. The fact that it sounds like the install occurs without error (review logs) and that the export continues to work that the autoinsall is not a problem, but there is a conflict in variable usage. Again, will take a look at this, though maybe a needle in a haystack dependingon what it is.

mc12345678:

My guess, and I'll take a look, is that export shipping installs a file that is loaded in after something associated with EP4 and therefore a variable needed by EP4 is overwritten feeding something incorrect to EP4. The fact that it sounds like the install occurs without error (review logs) and that the export continues to work that the autoinstall is not a problem, but there is a conflict in variable usage. Again, will take a look at this, though maybe a needle in a haystack depending on what it is.

Okay, don't know what the issue is... Just installed the most recent version of export shipping information alongside of EP4, performed an export from EP4 using several of the export options, then turned around and imported them without issue... All items identified as being "updated", then modified the data for one of the entries, and confirmed that the piece of data was updated.

Something else must be interferring, in addition there was very little that export shipping does/has in it. Didn't really see anything that would load while EP4 was loaded, so don't see what interference there is between the two. Is this the situation under which you experienced no updates? (Export file which essentially puts the CSV on the server, then without touching the file, trying to import it.) In that situation, what results are presented?

Thanks for the feedback,
Were you testing on a local test server or a hosted site?

This AM (on three completely different test installs) I'm getting some really strange behaviour when importing with EP4.
I'm going to go back and do a fresh ZC 1.5.1/EP4/SO install so I can document the exact steps to reproduce the failure.

linuxguy2:

Thanks for the feedback,
Were you testing on a local test server or a hosted site?

This AM (on three completely different test installs) I'm getting some really strange behaviour when importing with EP4.
I'm going to go back and do a fresh ZC 1.5.1/EP4/SO install so I can document the exact steps to reproduce the failure.

Don't have all of the specs available at the moment, but yes local server, nothing special about it's setup. Software is 1.5.1,but for some reason the database is reporting 1.5.0 and I haven't gone to update/repair that part anytime recently. There are some data differences that I occasionally have to entertain, like entering a 0 instead of allowing a NULL, but that to me is minor and I get errors if I don't do that, not just blind acceptance of information.

Shouldn't really get too much interaction between EP4 and SO, as SO primarily touches the orders table not the products/products description tables. But yes generally good to start with something frsh when troubleshootinf odd behaviours.

When I started this round of testing 2 days ago I re-downloaded ZC1.5.1, export_shipping_information_V1.3.2.1 from the zc plugins area and EP4 master from your link on github.
This PM I tested on a completely different hosting service with the same failing results.

I remembered a while back I downloaded EP4 at github h t t p s://github.c o m/chaddro/EasyPopulate-4.0 which I downloaded a few minutes ago and overwrote the non working installation and BINGO!
It is now working.
SOOOO... I either got a corrupted download OR there is some subtle difference in the copy at h t t p s://github c o m/mc12345678/EasyPopulate-4.0/archive/master.zip

When I get a few I'm going to go back and compare the two sets of files.

Thanks,

I found it!!!

In the file easypopulate_4_import.php the copy at h t t p s://github c o m/mc12345678/EasyPopulate-4.0/archive/master.zip has the "Detailed Attributes Import" code beginning around line 252 which doesn't work on my installs.

Maybe because I had no attributes setup?

linuxguy2:

I found it!!!

In the file easypopulate_4_import.php the copy at h t t p s://github c o m/mc12345678/EasyPopulate-4.0/archive/master.zip has the "Detailed Attributes Import" code beginning around line 252 which doesn't work on my installs.

Maybe because I had no attributes setup?

Ahh, yes the two different versions. I tested against the original version, not the one the I modified to partially support Stock By Attributes. In that version i added one subroutine that I tried to uniquely name so that unlikely to exist in another plugin, and to incorporate applicable escape code so that if additional plugin was not present the software would work as originally written. (Sans SBA)

Problem is, sounds like you installed the version modified to partially support SBA independent of the other program and had no problem (unless I am mistaken about that) with its functionality, but supposedly when both installed together there was a problem. My guess is that users that don't have SBA installed probably have a problem with the version I provided, although the goal was to provide the possibility of additional functionality, not to disable existing functionality.

There was one individual originally that was looking for that additional functionality and they indicated that it worked after it was developed/implemented. No one that didn't have SBA has till now stated they've had a problem. Will have to go back and verify that for those without SBA the "unnecessary" information is properly skipped. Until then I recommend to continue using chadderuski's version if SBA is not installed and if desired to try to add some functionality to EP4 with SBA installed, then can try the version slightly modified of chadderuski's version. Hopefully sometime soon he'll post the updated version that he's been working on.

mc12345678:

Ahh, yes the two different versions. I tested against the original version, not the one the I modified to partially support Stock By Attributes. In that version i added one subroutine that I tried to uniquely name so that unlikely to exist in another plugin, and to incorporate applicable escape code so that if additional plugin was not present the software would work as originally written. (Sans SBA)

Problem is, sounds like you installed the version modified to partially support SBA independent of the other program and had no problem (unless I am mistaken about that) with its functionality, but supposedly when both installed together there was a problem. My guess is that users that don't have SBA installed probably have a problem with the version I provided, although the goal was to provide the possibility of additional functionality, not to disable existing functionality.

There was one individual originally that was looking for that additional functionality and they indicated that it worked after it was developed/implemented. No one that didn't have SBA has till now stated they've had a problem. Will have to go back and verify that for those without SBA the "unnecessary" information is properly skipped. Until then I recommend to continue using chadderuski's version if SBA is not installed and if desired to try to add some functionality to EP4 with SBA installed, then can try the version slightly modified of chadderuski's version. Hopefully sometime soon he'll post the updated version that he's been working on.

I don't have the line number but there was a logic error for those that didn't have SBA installed. If you search for:

if ( ( strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,15)) <> "categorymeta-ep") && ( strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,7)) <> "attrib-") && ( strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,4)) <> "sba-" && ep_4_SBA1Exists() == true)) { //  temporary solution here... 12-06-2010

and replace with:

if ( ( strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,15)) <> "categorymeta-ep") && ( strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,7)) <> "attrib-") && ((ep_4_SBA1Exists() == true ? (strtolower(substr($file['name'],0,4)) <> "sba-") : true))) { //  temporary solution here... 12-06-2010

That version of Easy Populate should work for those that do not have SBA installed, and provide additional functional options if SBA is installed that meets the criteria searched for.

I have looked and looked for a thread on changing these to true, but can't find anything. Any help will be appreciated.

Custom Products Fields
Product Short Descriptions: FALSE
Product Unit of Measure: FALSE
Product UPC Code: FALSE
Google Product Category: FALSE
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: FALSE
Group Pricing Per Item: FALSE
Exclusive Products Mod: FALSE

Skullman:

I have looked and looked for a thread on changing these to true, but can't find anything. Any help will be appreciated.

Custom Products Fields
Product Short Descriptions: FALSE
Product Unit of Measure: FALSE
Product UPC Code: FALSE
Google Product Category: FALSE
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: FALSE
Group Pricing Per Item: FALSE
Exclusive Products Mod: FALSE

Those "values" (true/false) are displayed as a result of a database check performed in the admin/easypopulate_4.php file using the function ep4_check_table_column in the function file.

Specific fields are searched in the applicable table, and if found then returns true. It appears those fields are included possibly to support another mod(s) made/created by chadderruski the individual I would call the developer of this plug-in.

The short description is captured/expected in the products description table, all of the rest are in the products table.

Some Place on github there is a detailed explantion by chadderruski.

Remove the spaces in h t t p s & c o m before applying this link......
h t t p s://github.c o m/chaddro/EasyPopulate-4.0