Index Page

[ivette]

Greetings All!!!

 

I just started with osCommerce. Our business is books sales. We are using Frontpage and I am not familiar with html.

 

I went to the index page via the directions given for Editing Page Texts, however I could not find where the text begins in order to change it. I tried scrolling through the html and tried "find" searches but to no avail.

 

How do I personalize the content? Is there an easier way to change the content?

 

How much html must I know to use osCommerce?

 

Please help.

 

Thank you greatly!!!

Ivette

[Guest]

ivette,

 

Go to /catalog/includes/language/english/index.php. The content for the Index page is MAIN TEXT replace everthing inside of . . .' ');. . . with what ever you want.

 

I believe this is what your asking about and I hope this helps.

[webbqt]

I don't know html either....so what I've been doing is when I do find instructions I print it out. When you first start ecommerce, the home page tells you where and how to change the text....it even shows you the code to look for....but print out the instructions because there's more than just that. Also, BEFORE you make any changes to any code....copy and paste the original code to notpad.....so if you mess up you can change it back. I've learned this the hard way. If I make an error, I don't know html or php....so don't know what error to look for. I have an error right now that I can't find. I had even saved the original....but it doesn't work....I must have not been carefull when I copied and pasted then copied and pasted back. Good luck! I think once we get this figured out it will really make our stored a LOT better for our customers.

[ivette]

Greetings Denise and Erik!!!

 

Thank you both for your help - you are so appreciated. B)

 

I followed the directions more carefully this time and went to the index.php through the file manager section. I changed some information after that main section but an error came up. Then, I tried copying and pasting the original and again got another error. Now all the html language is showing up at the header of my catalog.

 

I don't know what to do.

 

Is there a step-by-step manual for this thing? Shouldn't there be one?

 

Help, please!!!!

 

Ivette

[webbqt]

Greetings Denise and Erik!!!

 

Thank you both for your help - you are so appreciated.  B)

 

I followed the directions more carefully this time and went to the index.php through the file manager section.  I changed some information after that main section but an error came up.  Then, I tried copying and pasting the original and again got another error.  Now all the html language is showing up at the header of my catalog. 

 

I don't know what to do. 

 

Is there a step-by-step manual for this thing?  Shouldn't there be one?

 

Help, please!!!!

 

Ivette

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmmmmm, a manual, I havn't found one yet....so if you do PLEASE let me know. (or we could keep notes as we go and write one ourselves! - a manuel for html and php challenged :'( )

I am having the exact problem! I did copy the original code before I changed it when I was trying to change information in the information box....I put back the original copy when my attempt didn't work, but still have a parse error. I don't know code at all, so don't know what to look for. I do have this question in "general support" with the title Parse Error...so maybe you could watch that one too.

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[Guest]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

[webbqt]

I'm not very good at this...maybe you know a lot more than me. But I can tell you that I used Define Mainpage mod, since it's much easier than using html...:) And for now I'm pleased with what I have. That is until I'll learn more...:)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This sounds very promising! I wonder what other contributions are out there that would help those of us who are html/php challenged. As soon as I get my orders finished and in the mail, I'm gonna check this out further!! Can't wait (to play :D ) Any other contributions that you know of and are helpful to newbies would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Wendy James]

extra pages info box with admin is a great contribution as it allows you to edit all of your pages text including the main page, from your admin area http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,2021 and works with the WYSIWYG http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1347 which changes the text box so you can easily add html and images, and adds the mail and newsletters into pages you can easily edit.

 

There are several others that also do these things but I pretty much always install these two together.

[ivette]

Greetings All!!!

 

After pressing on throughout the day, I found out how to fix the error [the html or php language at the top of my main catalog page]. It occured to me that the demo on my host site [as surely the one on the osCommerce site] had the correct language. So I went there, to the index.php file, and copied then pasted the language onto my index.php file and, voila, problem solved. Denise, you may want to try going to the demo in order to fix your error.

 

Next, I went into the index.php file again and changed the section that starts off like this:

 

define('TEXT_MAIN', "This catalog is under construction. Click here to return to our home page");

 

The words within the double quotes [This catalog . . .] are the one that I used to replace the wording that was already there. Again, voila, this worked. I think the idea is to stay within the double quotes as well as, of course, the bracket.

 

After all this, I started searching all the files and finally found that File Manager. Like some of you said, it makes it so much easier. Thank you all for the support. I also found out that the html or php language in the index.php file overrides the wording in the File Manager section.

 

Denise, another thing that I did was to download the whole program from the osCommerce site. This file has all the original wording in it so in case I ever copy and paste incorrectly I can always get the original language from there.

 

I'll look at your Parse Error question, after writing this email. Thanks for letting me know.

 

Wendy, where in the Admin area can I find this? It sounds like something I am interested in learning but I don't where to look. Thanks.

 

Ivette

[webbqt]

Denise, another thing that I did was to download the whole program from the osCommerce site.  This file has all the original wording in it so in case I ever copy and paste incorrectly I can always get the original language from there. 

 

Ivette

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks so much for your help :D I had actually downloaded osCommerce to a file yesterday but then never did anything with it. Thanks for letting me know this was the right thing to do. I was a little concerned, but after reading your input I knew I was on the right track and now have the page working again :D :D Now to figure out how to change the information box. I want to take some of the links there off, and add others......that's what got me into trouble in the first place.

 

It sure is great to find a forum that you actually get help and great answers from :D :D :D