# Zen cart question



## jbe99ag (Jul 26, 2007)

OK. I've set up zen cart as my shopping cart page on my site. I'm trying to get it customized the way I want now and am running into things that are over my head (which isn't very high, by the way). 

I'm trying to get the text on the front page changed to have my store name and stuff like that. I looked it up on FAQ on the help page and here is the instructions it gave me:



> Example: You need to modify the title, so that instead of reading *Zen Cart!*, it reads *Your Store Name!*
> 
> Make a directory with the same name as your template name in /includes/languages, so you now have /includes/languages/custom.
> 
> ...


OK. So where do I go to make a directory? Is this something in a file somewhere? Where? Or is it something I find on the admin page with all the options on it? Where do I find these files and directories they are talking about modifying?


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## hycheese (Feb 21, 2007)

You can not do this through the zen cart control panel that I know of, an FTP client is needed - there are many free ones, Internet Explorer also has FTP support that will work for most people and it looks and feels like any other Windows folder. You will need your FTP info from your host account to access the folders and files, also your server host may have a built in FTP client for simple tasks such as this in your control panel. Just beware that you can totally destroy your website with a single misplaced comma or an accidental deletion - FTP does not give a second chance after you say yes to a command.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

How did you install zen cart? 

Was it through a one click install through a web hosting control panel or did you upload the files yourself using FTP?


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## PrintMonkey (Jul 15, 2006)

Everything you want to do is covered here.
Zen Cart(tm) Tutorials and FAQs

Read about "Template Customization/Building Overrides".

Hope you didn't "Buy" a template from some online shop.

M


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

PrintMonkey said:


> Everything you want to do is covered here.
> Zen Cart(tm) Tutorials and FAQs
> 
> Read about "Template Customization/Building Overrides".
> ...


In his first post, he said he looked it up in the FAQ, but he needs clarification on what the FAQ says and means


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## jbe99ag (Jul 26, 2007)

Sorry I'm not as smart as you, Rodney. I read that FAQ and tutorial but it was over my head. That's why I came and asked here.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

jbe99ag said:


> Sorry I'm not as smart as you, Rodney. I read that FAQ and tutorial but it was over my head. That's why I came and asked here.


Hi Brian, I understand that. That's why I asked you specific follow up questions that should help us to help you 



Rodney said:


> How did you install zen cart?
> 
> Was it through a one click install through a web hosting control panel or did you upload the files yourself using FTP?


I think you may be responding to PrintMonkey's post that suggested that you read the tutorial.

That's why I said:



Rodney said:


> In his first post, he said he looked it up in the FAQ, but he needs clarification on what the FAQ says and means


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## PrintMonkey (Jul 15, 2006)

Ok............
Back to Rodney's question. How did you install Zen-Cart?

Do you know how to use FTP software?

Who is your web host?

Do you have a link to your website?

Without knowing how your folders are layout/named on your web space I can't point you the right way.
Your website host should have F.A.G./tutorial section on using FTP software to access your web space to edit files.
Once you know how your folders are layed out on your web space, it will be easy to get you going.

If you get stuck doing something with Zen-Cart you will get faster response by searching and asking questions at the Zen-Cart forum as I only check here when I have time.

Helpfuls links.
Zen Cart Support - Powered by vBulletin
Properly Customizing Your Site - Zen Cart Support
Main Page - Zen Cart(tm) Wiki


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## SkullMachine (Aug 7, 2007)

We've got an extensive design overhaul of the Zen Cart design templates running at our website. 

Zen Cart is a powerful system, but if you're just getting started expect some headaches customizing the design. Unless you're just going to install a pre-existing template, knowledge of CSS is a must. Their FAQ is a great resource.


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## mands (Jun 23, 2007)

jbe99ag said:


> Example: You need to modify the title, so that instead of reading *Zen Cart!*, it reads *Your Store Name!*
> 
> Make a directory with the same name as your template name in /includes/languages, so you now have /includes/languages/custom.
> 
> ...


In your remote web site you should have a folder with your zen cart installation, let's say it is named *store.*

I suggest you to download this folder locally, so that you have a copy in your computer. You can now do all the changes in your local copy and when done, transfer them to your remote web site.
Browse the LOCAL copy until you reach *store/includes/languages*
in this location, create a folder that will host your customized files: let's say you will call it *brian* (or a name related to your web site). This will be your template name, what is called "custom" in FAQ and tutorials
copy *store/includes/languages/english.php *file inside the folder *store/includes/languages/brian*
open this file, store/includes/languages/brian/english.php, and do all the needed changes, i.e. substitute "Zen Cart!" text with your web site Title, etc. Save it.
With your FTP client software, go to your web site zen cart installation folder and than go inside *store/includes/languages*
here download the newly created *brian* folder you have locally
I hope this can help...


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## nicety (Aug 4, 2007)

Does everyone here recommend Zen Cart? I have been shopping Shopping Carts (heh) and am looking at this or yahoo small business. I like a lot of the sites that use it but don't have extensive knowledge other than basic html. What are you alls thoughts?


Thx Nicety.


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## mands (Jun 23, 2007)

I started using Zen-Cart few months ago, and I found it good enough, with a *good support* *through the Forum*(it's a important thing to have someone that soon answers you when you post a problem) and a lot of useful threads to browse and read.
You need at least *HTML* and *CSS* knowledge to customize the look.
Once you understand how files customisation works, with a small knowledge of PHP you can customize more, adding or commenting out some lines of code.
The main thing is missing in the last version (and I hope next release will be available soon) is the chance to manage the Store based on more than one attribute, i.e. in case of T-shirts for *Size* and *Colour*. So, by now, you can insert for that type of t-shirt, the quantity you have for a specific Size, but not for Size and Colour ( i.e. 10 t-shirts S size in Blue colour, etc.)
Some workarounds are possible...and this is what I did. 
So, I had to insert a different Product for a t-shirt of different colour or create an attribute that specified Size and Colour at the same time.
You can look at my Store to see how it works if this can help.


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## tcrowder (Apr 27, 2006)

mands said:


> So, I had to insert a different Product for a t-shirt of different colour or create an attribute that specified Size and Colour at the same time.
> You can look at my Store to see how it works if this can help.


 
You lost me on that one. Zen does allow multiple attributes, thus you can have one drop down for size, one for color, one for mens/womens and so on. Like I said you lost me on this one so I may just be reading your post wrong.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

nicety said:


> Does everyone here recommend Zen Cart? I have been shopping Shopping Carts (heh) and am looking at this or yahoo small business. I like a lot of the sites that use it but don't have extensive knowledge other than basic html. What are you alls thoughts?
> 
> 
> Thx Nicety.


No, _everyone _doesn't recommend zen cart. 

There will hardly be one method for anything that everyone will agree on 

I personally recommend cubecart over any of the other free shopping carts.

But in a thread about zen cart, you'll probably only find information about zen cart. 

If you search the forum for shopping cart, you'll find lots of other recommendations. You can also type in the name of the shopping cart you want to learn about in the search and find topics about that cart:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/search.php
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/tags/


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## nicety (Aug 4, 2007)

Thanks for the advice! I will check out the cart you mentioned. 

Have a good one, 
Nicety


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## mands (Jun 23, 2007)

> You lost me on that one. Zen does allow multiple attributes, thus you can have one drop down for size, one for color, one for mens/womens and so on. Like I said you lost me on this one so I may just be reading your post wrong.


I agree there should be better shopping carts, but my post is not wrong.
The limit I reported is real if you ever used Zen-Cart: you can have how many attributes you want but this does not mean it allows you to keep trace of HOW MANY products you have for each combination of them.

I mean *it does not allow to have more than one attribute to record products Stock*.
For a specific product with Size attribute, you can set you have *X items M Size*, 
but even if you have a Colour attribute, you cannot set you have
*Y items M Size, colour blue* and 
*Z items M size colour green*
So it's a limit on attributes Stock in current version.


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## tcrowder (Apr 27, 2006)

mands said:


> So it's a limit on attributes Stock in current version.


So what you are talking about is the inventory tracking portion of the cart. See I knew I was lost in the translation portion of your post.


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## mands (Jun 23, 2007)

tcrowder said:


> So what you are talking about is the inventory tracking portion of the cart. See I knew I was lost in the translation portion of your post.


Sorry, probably my english was not so clear  but this is what I meant


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## tshirtpimpz (Nov 23, 2007)

This add on module available in the downloads section of zen-cart.com lets you adjust stock of your attributed items

Stock by Attributes, Zen Cart | free shopping cart software


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

That mod is easy to use, but very difficult at first if you already have a fully stocked store...LOTS of inputting stock numbers! 

But still, it works. 

And I need to disagree with Rodney (of course, just as he said!  )...I recommend Zen-Cart HIGHLY. Even tho it's a pain to set up, it seems to have more options than CubeCart. I tried CubeCart's 30-day trial of v4, and went straight back to Zen-Cart (for one, Zen-Cart is free, and CubeCart v4 is about $130).

My main problem with CubeCart was lack of shipping options for my setup. If there's a way to do different shipping amounts based on THE NUMBER OF ITEMS rather than the amount of the order for different shipping zones (US vs the rest of the world), then I couldn't figure it out. For example, I offer free shipping to US customers with a certain number of shirts ordered but I still charge for shipping to the rest of the world on one of my sites. I couldn't figure out how to do that in CubeCart.


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## peteVA (Nov 11, 2007)

I usually recommend CubeCart v3, which is free. It's much easier for the new store owner to set up. I haven't tried the shipping problem mentioned, but I believe it can be handled. Just not enough hours to give it a try right now.

No one cart is right for everyone. Same with one payment method, shipper, etc. It helps to look at several, or discuss them on a forum, where you can find that others have the same concenrs and found solutions.

Further back in this thread there was a mention of keeping track of stock on hand when using a size / color matrix (called attributes by Zen, options by CC). This is always difficult and requires making each size / color / style / whatever a different item number. 

Personally, I would recommend never relying on your shopping cart for tracking inventory. A seperate inventory or accounting program with inventory capabilities will serve you much better and give you more information as far as movement, sales by period, etc.
.


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