[hauruapai]

Here is a “How Do I …?” list for the basic questions that get asked in this forum. After spending a lot of time searching for this list, and realising that the same things are asked over and over, I thought I would put this list here with answers to make it easier for others to find!

Maybe this could get pinned to make it easy to find and others could add to this list their How do I...? with the ANSWER!

How Do I ……

1. … Change the OsCommerce in the Title?
Log into the admin then go to Configuration > My Store and edit Store Name

2. … Change the What’s New Here on the front page?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php
Find the following line and change it to what you want it to say

  define('HEADING_TITLE', 'What\'s New Here?');

3. … Change the Welcome Guest! Would you like to log yourself in? Or would you prefer to create an account on the front page?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php
Find the following line and change it to what you want it to say [code define('TEXT_GREETING_GUEST', 'Welcome <span class="greetUser">Guest!</span> Would you like to <a href="%s"><u>log yourself in</u></a>? Or would you prefer to <a href="%s"><u>create an account</u></a>?'); [/code]

4. … Change the default text on the front page?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php
Find the following line that starts with the following (about line 13 – usually the first one ) and change it to what you want it to say

  define('HEADING_TITLE', 'TEXT_MAIN', 'This is a default setup  ……  . PROJECT_VERSION . '</b></font>.');');

An easier way to do this is to install the contribution Define MainPage then you can change the default text whenever you like through the Admin section

5. … Remove the ??? box from the left / right side?
Go to catalog/includes/column_left.php OR column_right.php and put // in front of the line with the box name that you want to remove.

An easier way is to install the contribution InfoBox Admin which will let you remove the boxes, move them to the other column through clicking buttons through the admin. You can also add other boxes easily through this as well.

6. … Move the ??? box from the left / right side?
Go to catalog/includes/column_left.php OR column_right.php and put // in front of the line with the box name that you want to remove. Copy that line then add it into the other file where you want it to be.

An easier way is to install the contribution InfoBox Admin which will let you remove the boxes, move them to the other column through clicking buttons through the admin. You can also add other boxes easily through this as well.

7. … Add the ??? box from the left / right side?
Go to catalog/includes/column_left.php OR column_right.php and copy a line then change it into the file that you want to add.

An easier way is to install the contribution InfoBox Admin which will let you remove the boxes, move them to the other column through clicking buttons through the admin. You can also add other boxes easily through this as well.

8. … Remove / Add the rounded corners to the info boxes on the left or right columns?
Go to catalog/includes/boxes and open the corresponding file name for the box you want to change. Here is the code that will change this – look for the line that you have (eg left rounded) then change it to what you want it to be.

No rounded corners

 new infoBoxHeading($info_box_contents, false, false);

Right rounded corner

 new infoBoxHeading($info_box_contents, false, true);

Left rounded corner

 new infoBoxHeading($info_box_contents, true, false);

Both rounded corners

 new infoBoxHeading($info_box_contents, true, true);

9. … Remove / Add the rounded corners to the info boxes in the middle part of the page? (eg: New Products for MONTH)
Go to catalog/includes/modules and open the corresponding file name for the box you want to change. Change the following code to the one above that you want.

 new contentBoxHeading($info_box_contents);

10. … Change the default text ???? on the ???? page
Go to catalog/includes/language/YourLanguage/ and choose the filename with the same name as the page you want to change. Look for the text in there that you want to change

11. … Change the Title in the ???? Box?
Go to catalog/includes/English.php and find the line where NAME_OF_BOX is the box you want to change and Title of Box is the title that is showing and change the Title of Box to what you want

 define('BOX_HEADING_NAME_OF_BOX, 'Title of Box');

12. … Remove the Top from the breadcrumb?
Go to catalog/includes/application_top.php and put // in front of the following line (around 482)

 $breadcrumb->add(HEADER_TITLE_TOP, HTTP_SERVER);

13. … Change Top or the Catalog on the breadcrumb?
Go to catalog/includes/English.php and find the following lines and make the changes as necessary

 define('HEADER_TITLE_TOP', 'Top');
define('HEADER_TITLE_CATALOG', 'Catalog');

14. … Change the >> in the breadcrumb?
Go to catalog/includes/header.php and find the following line – about 63 and change the bit that begins after trail that begins with the & and ends in the ; to the character that you want.

 <td class="headerNavigation">  <?php echo $breadcrumb->trail(' & raquo; '); ?></td>

15. … Change the default currency to one that is not USD to get the prices to show?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English.php and around line 39 find

 define('LANGUAGE_CURRENCY', 'USD');

and change the USD to Currency code that you want to use.

16. … Change the date format to DD/MM/YYYY?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English.php and around line 21

 
define('DATE_FORMAT_SHORT', '%m/%d/%Y');  // this is used for strftime()

change it to

 
define('DATE_FORMAT_SHORT', '%d/%m/%Y');  // this is used for strftime()

Then around line 23 find this

 define('DATE_FORMAT', 'm/d/Y'); // this is used for date()

and change it to

 define('DATE_FORMAT', 'd/m/Y'); // this is used for date()

You also need to make the same changes in catalog/ADMIN/includes/languages/English.php

17. How do I change the font / colour / size?
Go to catalog/includes/stylesheet.css and make the changes in there for the main site.
Go to catalog/admin/includes/stylesheet.css and make the changes in there for the admin section.

Happy coding!

[spax]

Here's a few basics I could think of. Please don't post questions here, if you need to ask, start a new thread and reference this. Let's keep this clean!

18. How do I change the column widths?
Find in includes/application_top.php and admin/includes/application_top.php, if you want to change the admin also:

  define('BOX_WIDTH', 125); // how wide the boxes should be in pixels (default: 125)

and change to suit. e.g.

  define('BOX_WIDTH', 200); // how wide the boxes should be in pixels (default: 125)

19. How do I change the osCommerce logo to mine?
Upload your logo to the images directory, then find in includes/header.php:

<?php echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'oscommerce.gif', 'osCommerce') . '</a>'; ?>

and change both the image name and alt text to your own. e.g.

<?php echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'your_logo.jpg', 'Your alt text') . '</a>'; ?>

20. How do I remove or change the osCommerce Account, Cart and Checkout clip art?
To remove them completely, find and delete this line from includes/header.php

	<td align="right" valign="bottom"><?php echo '<a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_ACCOUNT, '', 'SSL') . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'header_account.gif', HEADER_TITLE_MY_ACCOUNT) . '</a>  <a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_SHOPPING_CART) . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'header_cart.gif', HEADER_TITLE_CART_CONTENTS) . '</a>  <a href="' . tep_href_link(FILENAME_CHECKOUT_SHIPPING, '', 'SSL') . '">' . tep_image(DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'header_checkout.gif', HEADER_TITLE_CHECKOUT) . '</a>'; ?>  </td>

or to change for your own, upload your clip art and change the image calls to your own or if you are using gifs, name yours the same as the stock ones.

21. How do I fix the width and center my shop?
There are several ways to achieve that, but probably the easiest way is:
On the line immediately before the very first <table> in includes/header.php, add another with a fixed width - 770px for example:

<table align="center" border="0" width="770"><tr><td>

then on the very last line in includes/footer.php, close the table:

</td></tr></table>

22. How do I make a database backup? I get a message telling me the backup directory doesn't exist.
On a new installation of osCommerce, you need to physically create the backups directory within the admin directory. So, FTP to your admin directory, click on the New Folder icon and name the new folder backups.
Then browse to Admin>Tools>Database Backup, click on the "backup" button, select how you want to save the backup and finally, hit the "backup" button again.

23. How do I restore a database backup? There are 2 "restore" buttons!
If you saved your backup to the backups directory, you need to use the "restore" button farthest to the right. You need to click it twice. If you saved the backup to your PC, then use the other "restore" button first, navigate to the backup and then click the next "restore" button.

24. I have installed a contribution but the instructions tell me to alter the database with the supplied SQL file. How do I do that?
Most hosting packages include a utility called phpMyAdmin and that is where you can make your database alterations.
From your host's control panel, locate the link to phpMyAdmin. Once inside, select your database from the drop down menu in the left column. Now you have 2 choices. Either click on the "Import" tab at the top of the screen, navigate to the contribution SQL file and click "Go" or, click on the "SQL" tab, also top of the screen, copy the SQL file content and paste into the text area and then click the "Go" button. Either way is good.

25. How do I turn off the category count?
Go to Admin>Configuration>Show Category Counts, click on it to select, click the "edit" button, select false and click "update".

26. Search engines are indexing my site with a SID. How can I prevent that?
Go to Admin>Configuration>Sessions and make sure both Prevent Spider Sessions and Recreate Session are set to true. Then go to the contributions section on this forum, download the latest spiders.txt file and upload it to your includes directory.

This post has been edited by spax: 01 September 2007 - 12:38 AM

[hauruapai]

Here are a few more. Please don't post questions here, if you need to ask, start a new thread and reference this. Let's keep this clean!

How Do I ...

27 ... Get the price to show instead of 0 if I have changed the default currency as in #15?
Log into the admin
Go to Configuration > My Store
Click on "Switch To Default Language Currency" then the Edit Button
Change to True

28 ... Get automatic notification if there is an order placed?
Log into the admin
Go to Configuration > My Store
Click on "Send Extra Order Emails To" then the Edit Button
Fill in your email address only - do not use the format that is suggested as it does not work

29 ... Stop getting Image broken links when I do not want to upload an image?
Log into the admin
Go to Configuration > Images
Click on "Image Required" then the Edit Button
Change Image Required to False

30 ... Remove the other languages so I just have English?
Log into the admin
Go to Configuration > Localization > Languages
Click on the language you do not want then the Delete Button

You can also remove the language files from the /catalog/inculdes/languages/LanguageNAME and /catalog/admin/inculdes/languages/LanguageNAME if you want

31 ... Get the links and files to work properly in Admin when installing into a root directory?
Make sure the following lines in the admin/includes/configure.php file are set properly as follows

   define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://www.YOURWEBSITE.com/'); // must have the / at the end

  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '../'); // MUST have the ../ here

32 .... change the default email message that is sent when someone signs up?
Go to catalog/inculdes/languages/YOURLANGUAGE/create_account.php and make the changes in there

[justmeir]

Hi,

I'm trying to change about us page so I downloaded about us php script but didn't understand how to change the text?

Can somebody help me with this

Looking forward to hear from you!

With Regards,
Meir

This post has been edited by Jan Zonjee: 29 June 2008 - 07:38 AM

[justmeir]

justmeir, on Apr 13 2008, 12:08 PM, said:

Hi,

I'm trying to change about us page so I downloaded about us php script but didn't understand how to change the text?

Can somebody help me with this

Looking forward to hear from you!

With Regards,
Meir

Everything OK, thanks

This post has been edited by Jan Zonjee: 29 June 2008 - 07:39 AM

[boostanddestroy]

i cannot find the directroy " catalog/includes" so i am unable to edit all of these things. could someone tell me how to get to it?

[Coopco]

boostanddestroy, on Apr 16 2008, 12:54 AM, said:

i cannot find the directroy " catalog/includes" so i am unable to edit all of these things. could someone tell me how to get to it?

try the includes directory if your store is in the root.

[kawagner]

I know I have seen this before but it has been a while since I have had to do it - How do I change the wording in my admin area where it lists the payment methods that I accept. I need to change wording on what type of credit cards I accept.

thank you - Kim

[nikosferdinand]

Hey! I need your help! Is there a way to reset all the settings and changes I've made on osCommerce?
Cos I've deleted some files on the catalog that shouldn't be deleted and now I don't know what to do.
Is there a way to return to the default settings and database status etc? Return to work on my store from scratch.

[Jack_mcs]

If you have just deleted files, they can be uploaded again from the oscommerce package, providing they weren't changed due to contributions. There's no simple way to reset the database. If you want to really clear everything though, delete it all and do another install, although I doubt that that is needed.

Jack

[nikosferdinand]

Jack_mcs, on Apr 22 2008, 01:35 PM, said:

If you have just deleted files, they can be uploaded again from the oscommerce package, providing they weren't changed due to contributions. There's no simple way to reset the database. If you want to really clear everything though, delete it all and do another install, although I doubt that that is needed.

Jack

Is it possible to do that? I mean..I have no problem deleting it all and starting from scratch with a new installation. In order to do this, I have to delete the 'public_html' folder? And then start with the new installation?

One more thing. I can't access my admin panel now. I get this message whenever i try to open the admin login page :

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'mysql'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in ROOT/public_html/oscommerce/catalog/admin/includes/functions/database.php on line 19
Unable to connect to database server!

[nikosferdinand]

EDIT: I solved my problem. Thanks for your help anyway.

[meeksb]

What was your fix for this because I can't seem to access my admin panel either? I am getting the same error message.

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'mysql'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in ROOT/public_html/oscommerce/catalog/admin/includes/functions/database.php on line 19
Unable to connect to database server!

[Jourfa]

3. … Change the Welcome Guest! Would you like to log yourself in? Or would you prefer to create an account on the front page?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php
Find the following line and change it to what you want it to say [code define('TEXT_GREETING_GUEST', 'Welcome <span class="greetUser">Guest!</span> Would you like to <a href="%s"><u>log yourself in</u></a>? Or would you prefer to <a href="%s"><u>create an account</u></a>?'); [/code]

Hello,

OSC came pre-installed via my webhost and am currently trying to configure etc. The line in the directions above does not exist in the mentioned file catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php, is there somehwere else that this line can be found?

Thank you.

[nikosferdinand]

meeksb, on Apr 22 2008, 09:22 PM, said:

What was your fix for this because I can't seem to access my admin panel either? I am getting the same error message.

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'mysql'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in ROOT/public_html/oscommerce/catalog/admin/includes/functions/database.php on line 19
Unable to connect to database server!

That message appears because any changes you had done on oscommerce's config files are lost. Or something like that. So you have to make the setting again. You get this message cos oscommerce lost those data and they're needed.
You have to give your username and password again. To be honest, I didn't know how to do that and I didn't want to mess it more.
I personally didn't have a problem deleting it all and starting from scratch. So, I connected to the server that hosts my oscommerce database and stuff on putty, then I entered the command 'oscommerce uninstall' and after that I entered the command 'oscommerce install'. Then I went to the page where you start the installation process. (https://serveraddress/~username/oscommerce/catalog/install/install.php) The page where you give your server address, database name etc...
I don't know if you can solve it in some other way but I didn't have a problem deleting it and starting from scratch.
I hope I've helped.

This post has been edited by nikosferdinand: 23 April 2008 - 08:29 AM

[byfrme2008]

Ok I am new here and I have everything set up the way I want it (or so I think) now I was just wondering if there is a button to open my business or if it is already open after I have made all my changes...???
Please help me.
Shannon
theshanstore.com
shannonherbert@centurytel.net

[FIMBLE]

it looks open to me, bit confused by your question

[Jack_mcs]

byfrme2008, on Apr 29 2008, 03:21 PM, said:

Ok I am new here and I have everything set up the way I want it (or so I think) now I was just wondering if there is a button to open my business or if it is already open after I have made all my changes...???
Please help me.
Shannon
theshanstore.com
shannonherbert@centurytel.net

It's open as soon as the domain is pointed to the server, unless there is code there to prevent it. Assuming there isn't, then you need to make sure a customer can create an account and place an order.

Jack

[roca]

Jourfa, on Apr 22 2008, 09:18 PM, said:

3. … Change the Welcome Guest! Would you like to log yourself in? Or would you prefer to create an account on the front page?
Go to catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php
Find the following line and change it to what you want it to say [code define('TEXT_GREETING_GUEST', 'Welcome <span class="greetUser">Guest!</span> Would you like to <a href="%s"><u>log yourself in</u></a>? Or would you prefer to <a href="%s"><u>create an account</u></a>?'); [/code]

Hello,

OSC came pre-installed via my webhost and am currently trying to configure etc. The line in the directions above does not exist in the mentioned file catalog/includes/languages/English/index.php, is there somehwere else that this line can be found?

Thank you.

if you found the solution plea let me know i have the same problem and i am new with this. thank you

[Jack_mcs]

roca, on May 3 2008, 03:00 PM, said:

if you found the solution plea let me know i have the same problem and i am new with this. thank you

Take a look in the includes/languges/english.php file.

Jack