rbillerbeck Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 I purchased the oscommerce.com program under the impression that it would be a drop and drag program and that anyone could create this website! Boy am I surprised. I have been reading other posts from beginners and I am lost in the technical terms. Understand I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. This is where I am at: I have been in the forum (eyes wide open), been on oscommerce.info and reviewed the knowledge base (which I am lost) and I purchased the Smart FTP (in hopes it would give me some much needed advice). To no avail I am completely lost and don't know where to begin, I just don't understand the lingo and the technical terms. Is there anywhere I can go to get step by step instructions in layman terms? PLEASE HELP
Guest Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 purchased? whom did you purchase it from? osCommerce is GPL, meaning you do not pay for it. you may have to pay for custom work, etc but the program itself generic no you need to start with the knowledge base, to understand what the software does, what is required, etc. then install apache, mysql and php locally on your system, then oscommerce . .
Guest Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 I purchased the oscommerce.com program under the impression that it would be a drop and drag program and that anyone could create this website! You could have downloaded it gratis right here - perhaps whoever 'sold' it to you should also support it - don't you think? :D Boy am I surprised. I have been reading other posts from beginners and I am lost in the technical terms. Understand I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. You must take the time to learn more - everybody else must :blink: This is where I am at: I have been in the forum (eyes wide open), been on oscommerce.info and reviewed the knowledge base (which I am lost) and I purchased the Smart FTP (in hopes it would give me some much needed advice). Ok - you 'reviewed' the knowledge base - now its time to read and learn! :P To no avail I am completely lost and don't know where to begin, I just don't understand the lingo and the technical terms. Is there anywhere I can go to get step by step instructions in layman terms?PLEASE HELP Begin at the beginning - use the left menu of the Knowledge Base from the top :) If you do not understand something in particular, first search these forums - read what you find - if you still have a question, then post it to the forums. Matti
vasttech Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 Well, I will say this much, you definitely have your hands full... But, it is not a lost cause. Here are my recommendations to you: 1. Get yourself a couple books on PHP and start reading. If you barely know enough about computers in general then you are already in over your head. I would recommend also getting a book on mysql. 2. If you have no experience with how web hosts work or how to ftp, you may want to get a book on that too. 3. Read, read, read. 4. Search the forums or on Google and get mysql, php, and apache to install on your local pc. It is fairly straight forward. These programs are free. 5. Get yourself a good php editor - it will save you a bunch of headaches. There are several free ones out there. 6. Download oscommerce from here and install on your local pc. While reading the knowledge base and documentation, look at the file it is referring to. 7. Go through the files and look at them, look at how the directories are structured. It will go along way for understanding how the program is setup. 8. Do not be afraid to play around with it. If you screw it up, just delete the files, download another copy, reinstall, and play some more. By doing this you will learn how changes affect different parts of the site. 9. Search the forums, most of your questions will most likely have already been answered here. 10. If all else fails, do not hesitate to post your question here. Do not be intimidated though, it is a bit overwhelming at first, but once you understand how the program is setup, and what the files do it is very easy to use and customize. Do not be afraid to ask for help though. I will say though that these forums can be tough on newbies, make sure you have done your homework before posting. It will help you word your question properly as well as show others that you are trying. You will see a lot of unanswered posts on these boards, people are not willing to help those who do not try to help themselves. 11. Good luck... :P osCommerce Knowledge Base osCommerce Documentation Contributions
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