Plug-ins?

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   Hello,

Does any one understand why all of these plug-ins are required to make the software work?  I bought Pro several days ago and after reading through the user manuals, I still cant figure out what needs to be on a page and what doesnt.  Can I just snip out the codes needed on a particular asp file?  Is there any more data available to understand this software?  Also, I have not seen one web site built with this program by the users that works correctly.  The shop database file (shop.mdb) when opened says this option is no longer supported, and full report management is now offered via the online order system.  What is the online order system, is this an unlisted plug in?  I am very confused, it seems this program works no better than open source cart software.  Has anyone actually had success with this product?  Why is it so complex?  Am i just dumb or do I need esp to understand asp?

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webstir Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: September/07/04 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote webstir Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Plug-ins? Posted: September/09/04 at 1:37am
	Hello, Does any one understand why all of these plug-ins are required to make the software work? I bought Pro several days ago and after reading through the user manuals, I still cant figure out what needs to be on a page and what doesnt. Can I just snip out the codes needed on a particular asp file? Is there any more data available to understand this software? Also, I have not seen one web site built with this program by the users that works correctly. The shop database file (shop.mdb) when opened says this option is no longer supported, and full report management is now offered via the online order system. What is the online order system, is this an unlisted plug in? I am very confused, it seems this program works no better than open source cart software. Has anyone actually had success with this product? Why is it so complex? Am i just dumb or do I need esp to understand asp?

VPedofFancifuls Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March/17/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 7	Post Options Post Reply Quote VPedofFancifuls Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/09/04 at 7:07am
	Webstir, what you need to do is set up the basic salescart and make sure it works in the configuration you need. Once thats done you MUST use the original product page ( copy it, rename it, modify it, in that order and ALWAYS save the original BEFORE modification) but you can delete everything from it in the BODY of the page( if you look in HTML MODE anything above <HTML> usualy in red must stay. ) This is if you are using Frontpage, I can't help if you are using something else. Salescart can be modified endlessly but your product pages must be saved as .asp pages. If you are having trouble you have 30 days free of help SO USE IT!!! Don't wait a year etc. the people at Comcity are more than willing to help you out, and they now have classes you can take online. Also this forum and Comcitys web site are full of help. Do a search on the forum or on their site because someone has already asked almost ALL of the questions I see repeted here.

webstir Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: September/07/04 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote webstir Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/09/04 at 9:15pm
	Thanks Vincent, I'm using the SalesCart Pro v5 on Frontpage 2000 and what i dont understand is the functionality chart uses different file names than those pages created by the program when installed by the wizard. Additionaly, I am unsure how flexible the file structure can be when renaming or moving folders, especially when files are missing or named differently or in other folders than those described in the manual.

VPedofFancifuls Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March/17/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 7	Post Options Post Reply Quote VPedofFancifuls Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/10/04 at 7:25am
	I'm still using Pro 3.82 which has the same structure as the chart in the manual so I dont know what changes were made but not updated by Comcity, I will say they are considerably behind in the upkeep of their manuals. Yes you can change the file names and structure if you know what you are doing, although some of the files & folders should NOT be moved if you don't want to give yourself a lot of greif. Other than the SHOP database in the fpdb folder you realy dont need to move or rename stuff. You can move the database folder to a seperate secure location and then just reconect through FP's database wizard, you can add all the folders & files you wish, and you can delete a lot of the files in the salescart you either won't use or don't want, but ALWAYS make a backup of the file first since there can be problems you didn't forsee. You can change the look of the checkout, add your own questions, field, etc. to the checkout but it does take some HTML knowledge if you intend to do major rework. If your familiar with FP you know that its usually not a problem with renaming a file since it does the updates for you, but it may not do all of them so you should run a broken links check after you rename a file to see if all is OK, I also find it helpfull to publish my succesful edits to another file on my local computer just in case my next edit screws it all up. I can not stress enough to back up your work BEFORE making a change and the process will be considerably less stressfull. Edited by VPedofFancifuls

webstir Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: September/07/04 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote webstir Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/12/04 at 1:20am
	Thanks Vincent, After spending several days going through the code, I have found that this program is not as it is advertised. The form fields are hopelessly tied to a GUI, and while these graphics may be changed, text cannot supplement the GUI without the program source code or a way to access the generator and customize. Flexible, no way! (see: <http://www.w3.org>) All I wanted was a simple text-based user interface for my cart! I'm getting a refund... Ciao

Andy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March/30/04 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 77	Post Options Post Reply Quote Andy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/15/04 at 5:14am
	Webstir, I think you are being a little too harsh here. SalesCart is a great product- you've just got to get used to it that's all. It takes time to understand the way the software works but after you do it's plain sailing. In terms of files and pages you need to keep; Just keep all the CGI BIN pages and the global ASA file- everything else can be modified or replaced at will. The lobby page in the MALL folder can be tied to any page- just call it lobby and the return to cart button will zap back to that page. All the buttons can be changed to suit, the graphics and layout are up to you to create how you want. All the files in question take up so little server space there isn't a real problem with leaving things where they are. Salescart is the behind the scenes mechanics that allow you to "buy on line" the rest of your site is a standard html web. In terms of "never" seeing a working site have a look at one of mine- http://www.signsupports.co.uk you will find a working site tied to WorldPay. Yes it's fully functional, yes I do make money from this site. This site is setup on a slightly different server to my other sites so I have had to play around with the access database connection a bit-but I figured out how to do it by trialing. You just don't need online order management- just cut n paste your shop db and open it in access. To get salescart to work properly you have got to learn it- this takes time. Hope you stick with it or find a new system Andy

NJTackle Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: June/11/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 17	Post Options Post Reply Quote NJTackle Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September/15/04 at 3:17pm
	I agree with Andy. Salescart is a great foundation for any on-line shopping cart. Fortunately for us they give you the source code which offers the ability to customize it to your application (table layout, colors, e-mail receipt text, etc). Or you could just leave it alone and use it 'as-is'. Its completely up to you. After reading some of these threads, I get the impression most of the unsatisfied customers aren't really web developers and have no or little experience with doing it. They have a PC, FrontPage or some other 'canned' html editor and expect this product to self-install and run right out of the box! Salescart is more of a tool for your website and if you don't know how to use the tool you are not going to get good results. Personally, I believe its not for the beginner. There are some prerequisites, like being familiar with Microsoft Access or SQL Server, FrontPage or Dreamweaver and HTML programming along with some ASP. Yes, it may seem a little confusing to the novice at first. But like anything else once you learn how it works and why things are done the way they are, you'll learn to appreciate the benefits. I guess it�s a catch-22 scenario. Anything that has so many options is generally speaking complicated. Take your operating system for example. It has many sub-programs, options, screen colors, theme layouts, settings - all there to make it easier to fit your personal needs. Imagine if there were no way to change the background, fonts size, or the way files are listed. It would be pretty lame��but probably very easy to pick-up. I personally think this product is excellent. It offers every feature as promised and does its job well. Keep up the good work Comcity!