I have been working on this one for quite some time now.
I am developing an MS access database for faster data entry of the products into cscart.
The first version I developed used to export a txt file ready for importing into cscart. I have been using it for the last year now and I was presented with various problems (mainly operational, like duplicate updates on and off line etc and limited options control) that forced me to change my approach.
I am currently working on a new version that links to mysql via odbc and allows for real time updating.
The benefits
very quick import of products. I can use copy paste and excel sheets to manipulate data and increase my data entry performance. I also use an html control that allows me to format html in msaccess and I use local image editing
Bach changes of data
Unlimited reporting using MS access
Easy integration with various invoicing software
and many more
The project is getting bigger and (unfortunately more complicated) and takes a lot of my time
So I am asking the following:
are you using something similar?
I am willing to share the MS access database and code with the community. Is anyone interested into help?
Is it worth the trouble
In your experience how often do the main tables (products, options and features) change in cscart?
i do something similar with my current site which runs cubecart.
it is connected via the mysql OBDC link.
but my access database is mainly for generating purchase orders with suppliers and generating product listings for google product search/kelkoo/pricegrabber.
the problem is as you know what is going on, it is difficult for someone else to grasp what you are doing. unless you put some pretty forms and spend effort writting VBA to automate things.
once i move over to cs-cart fully i will touch base with you again.
We are developing some options that are more complex that the standard cs-cart options. Like giving the customer a group of images to select from for engraving on their product. In this situation it becomes advantageous to create groups that represent , for example, various occasions… Mother’s day, Christmas, etc.
So, as Christmas approaches we will want to attach that particular group of images to a large number of products, then replace them with another group when Christmas is over. Doing that with the standard cs-cart tools would be difficult. I’m very interested in alternatives.
I think you will discover, these days, very few hosts permit an OBDC connection to a MySQL database for security reasons. So I am not sure how universal your hard work would be?
[quote name=‘Triplets’]I think you will discover, these days, very few hosts permit an OBDC connection to a MySQL database for security reasons. So I am not sure how universal your hard work would be?
I ditched the direct connection to Mysql (not for the limited permissions (you can bypass this by having a local copy and then synch it to the host) but because I had performance issues , slow updates etc)
I have however extended the old application that adds products , features, options, etc and then exports a txt file and it is more functional.
I have also managed to create an auto suggested products script (in vba) based on the product features.
I select up to 3 features that I want compared and I automatically add these to a block which I name “Suggested productsâ€. I also set a number of minimum suggested products so if the number is not reached for all three features the scripts searches using 2 and then 1.
Again if anyone is interested into future development of this please contact me
By the way, it was relatively easy to develop ( took me an afternoon) and I am surprised that it is not included into the main functionalities of cscart. I am sure that someone with adequate knowledge of php would have no problems developing it as an addon
Not to toot a horn too loudly, but EZ Merchant Solutions has been managing this issue for years. We support multiple stores being managed from a common inventory. We support the ability to create multiple catalogs and to import them into various stores. We manage payment completion via Authorize.net and others (for “charge at ship” implemenations). We provide shipping label management for UPS, USPS and others. I.e. we provide a complete order and inventory management system with cs-cart as the “front end” for sales. We also support fully customizable email templates for communicating with customer during various stages of order fulfillment and for mass email marketing all driven from the back-end.
To me, this is a very logical breakdown of activity. For presentation and sales, the front-end cart is used. Once an order is submitted, the back-end takes over to fulfill the order. The back-end is also used to manage what’s on the front-end. The front-end is kept in synch so the customers can see the progress of their orders, etc.
We are a fully hosted solution so you’re not dependent on your PC for anything other than an internet connection and a browser. Our goal is to let you manage your business from a chair on a beach at your favorite resort.