OSCommerce & MySQL - Lost the Plot Somehow

[Rice-Johnston]

Hello Folks

As a semi-computer-literate sort of a guy, I need some help:

We have set up our website (I can find my way around HTML coding reasonably well using DreamWeaver and I have a basic - very basic - understanding of how .php works, but I certainly wouldn't describe myself as an expert). I want to use my host's MySQL for my database, OSCommerce for my shopping cart and PayPal Website Payment PRO to collect my money.

We are only talking about a few hard products - perhaps no more than 100 total including variations in size, colour, etc; and we are only shipping throughout the UK and EU. This should not be too complicated.

So, I downloaded a 114 page manual on OSCommerce and a 47 page manual on MySQL (I have also purchased and read some of SQL for Dummies). I have also gone through a few online tutorials for OSC and MySQL. My OSCommerce package is sitting on my hard drive, ready to be uploaded to my site.

I think I understand how to go into my website control panel and name my database. I think I can upload and configure my shopping cart. I am registered with PayPal for Payments PRO.

Now I'm stuck. Nothing in my reading tells me: (1) where and how I enter individual product information so that when my customer clicks my Add to Cart button the right things happen to put this specific item in the cart and (2) when my customer has made a purchase, where and how his or her Ship to information comes back to me, first so I can ship the product and second, how I configure my database so individual customer information is stored so I can use it for further correspondence, new product offers (for those who have opted in, naturally), etc.

Surely there are tutorials out there, either printable or downloadable, to help me with this (I'm not looking for a detailed answer here on the forum, althought that would be nice).

Can somebody please point me in the right direction?
Remember, sometimes the only difference between genius and lunacy is a matter of timing. :|
Thanks in advance.

Warmest regards and best wishes,
Reallyoldguy

[new2bus]

Ok, first are you installing from your hosts cPanel or you have manually downloaded?

You can either download the OSC as is or you can purchase a template bundle. (whichever you have already done)

Either way once you have downloaded and set up dreamweaver to see the local folder/site and set up the ftp details just upload it to your / public_html / on your host.

Goto your host cPanel and click the mysql icon then set up a database and user, making sure to give the user all privaliges on the database.

Then just use the OSC install script and input the required details. (the server is normally "localhost"

It will ask if you want to populate with data, unless you want to use as a test store then decline.

You can have more than one store running on your site, so just use the default catalog as the install path and use that as a dummy site to practice, then create a new database and upload a new store to your desired folder.

You manage the store from your admin panel so all the questions you have asked are answered by me saying "use the admin panel of your store".

You should never have a need to start delving into mysql itself, OSC does all that for you.

Before you upload OSC though I would take a look at Zen Cart which is an OSC hybrid but you can manage templates better ( to fit your existing site) etc and you may find it easier to manage variations in size, colour, etc that you mention.

[mke]

Have you set up your database yet? The way you have described it, you could be at any one of several stages. I haven't loaded an osC for a while, but the typical order of play is:

1. Set up the datbase.

2. Unpack the application to your web space - i.e. unzip it and upload it or, if you know how and have the facilities, upload the zip or tarball to the web space and unpack it there.

3. Go to the URL in yuor browser. The installation package should be running. Follow the instructions, simply entering the details such as database name (what have you called your instance of your database, not the fact that it's MySQL), database username and database password, what you want the store to be called, admin password - just fill in the spaces, following the instructions.

4. Delete whatever files or directories you are told to. This is an important security measure.

You should now be up and running. That's straight off the top of my head, nothing in front of me to refer to. Doubtless one of the kind souls here will correct me if I've missed any important steps out.

<new2bus, I know you're trying to help, but please don't assume one package or another. It is not necessary as you can assume the reader can use whatever they are using. But it will confuse the hell out of anybody else who is trying to learn from the thread, whether or not the OP has what you are assuming. Oh, and congratulations on coming in so fast. You're obviously a quicker typist than me. ;) />