Integrating Oscommerce to existing site

[MaxxFusion]

Is it possbile to integrate Oscommerce to an existing website?

[spax]

Depends on what you mean by integrate. You can have osC in its own directory and link to it from your existing site. You can also skin osC to look the same as your existing site.

 

What exactly do you have in mind?

[jasonabc]

Absolutely. Here's an example of the existing website:

 

http://www.sugarpaper.com/studio/index.php

 

and here's the OSCommerce store integrated into the design:

 

http://www.sugarpaper.com/store/index.php

[MaxxFusion]

Absolutely. Here's an example of the existing website:

 

http://www.sugarpaper.com/studio/index.php

 

and here's the OSCommerce store integrated into the design:

 

http://www.sugarpaper.com/store/index.php

 

Thanks Jason that is exactly what I was asking. I see so many of the OScommerce sites out there with the default, unaltlered look. I want it to be a complete custom solution.

 

Are there any docs on this type of integration?

 

Thanks,

[jasonabc]

You can customize OSC as much as you want. Bear in mind the more you want to do to it - the greater your knowledge of HTML, PHP, MySQL and CSS needs to be. Most people who set up an OSC store are not full blown web developers so will do the basics to it like changing colors and dropping in logos etc and leave it at that.

 

I'm not aware of any docs (although I'm sure there are some somewhere). OSC is the same as any other site - it has a header, a footer and a body. If you slice your website up like that - you can drop the various parts into OSC fairly easily (your website header goes in OSC's /includes/header.php file for example). Then it's just a matter of reverse engineering - i.e. find out which bit of PHP in which file is writing which bit of HTML to the screen.

[chrisgeek]

Spax, your example is down! Hope your site is okay. This is my current website: www.geekfitters.com. I'd like to turn it into an OSC store...is there a way I can use the OSC to generate code and then insert it into my WYSIWYG editor?

[spax]

Spax, your example is down! Hope your site is okay.

 

Actually, that is Jason's site. I would guess it is about to go from a dev site into a live one.

 

 

This is my current website: www.geekfitters.com. I'd like to turn it into an OSC store...is there a way I can use the OSC to generate code and then insert it into my WYSIWYG editor?

 

In a word.....no!

 

There is a template system (STS) you can get from the contributions section, that uses HTML templates. So, as far as I know, you can use your static HTML pages with that. I don't use it so not really sure how it works.

 

That said, it wouldn't take too much time to slice up your design and incorporate it into osC.

osC has a header, footer, left column, right column and a main body. You would put from the orange bar up, into the header. The bottom links and copyright into the footer. The left side navigation into the left column. Lose the right column and the put products into the main body, probably by using a Featured Products mod.

Like I said, yours is quite a simple design so it wouldn't take long to do at all, once you are familiar with the way osC works.

[chrisgeek]

There is a template system (STS) you can get from the contributions section, that uses HTML templates. So, as far as I know, you can use your static HTML pages with that. I don't use it so not really sure how it works.

 

That said, it wouldn't take too much time to slice up your design and incorporate it into osC.

osC has a header, footer, left column, right column and a main body. You would put from the orange bar up, into the header. The bottom links and copyright into the footer. The left side navigation into the left column. Lose the right column and the put products into the main body, probably by using a Featured Products mod.

Like I said, yours is quite a simple design so it wouldn't take long to do at all, once you are familiar with the way osC works.

 

Thank you spax! You are right, it is a pretty simple site. So let me make sure I understand you correctly. I can either:

 

1. Work my html into the standard OSC setup, and get the featured prod module

 

-or-

 

2. Get the STS and insert the tags into the html.

 

Is that what you're saying?

 

ALSO, is this the contrib. that you're talking about:

 

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1524/

[bkellum]

Spax, your example is down! Hope your site is okay. This is my current website: www.geekfitters.com. I'd like to turn it into an OSC store...is there a way I can use the OSC to generate code and then insert it into my WYSIWYG editor?

Chris, I would suggest that you give STSv4.5.2 a serious consideration, especially if you want to use a WYSIWYG editor.

By using STS, you will leave the PHP code alone for the most part. With that said, your editor would only have to deal with the HTML.

 

The STSv4 Forum has a lot more details regarding the above.

[spax]

Thank you spax! You are right, it is a pretty simple site. So let me make sure I understand you correctly. I can either:

 

1. Work my html into the standard OSC setup, and get the featured prod module

 

-or-

 

2. Get the STS and insert the tags into the html.

 

Is that what you're saying?

 

ALSO, is this the contrib. that you're talking about:

 

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1524/

 

Like I said, I know very little about STS other than I understand it uses HTML templates. Although I think you will have problems with it when it comes to installing contributions. At least that is what I have read. Which is one of the reasons I have never tried it. I don't find it difficult to skin osC so there's no point in limiting my options. I could be wrong.

 

You obviously have some HTML knowledge and you wouldn't be changing too much, as far as the PHP code is concerned. I would say have a go at skinning, most of your design would go into the HTML already in place.

If you haven't done so already, why not set up a local testing server on your PC. That way, you can have as many stores as you wish, jump in, break it, fix it or delete it and start again.

Incase you aren't aware, there are installer packages complete with PHP, MySql, Apache and phpMyAdmin, that have a couple of clicks installation. Search for XAMPP or WAMP5 if you are using Windows. MAMP for Mac or LAMP for those dark nights......or Linux! ;) (XAMPP is good for Linux too, before someone jumps in)

[bkellum]

Like I said, I know very little about STS other than I understand it uses HTML templates. Although I think you will have problems with it when it comes to installing contributions. At least that is what I have read. Which is one of the reasons I have never tried it.

Hello Spax,

Please do not take this wrong (I do value your opinion) but I feel I need to correct a "myth" about STS and Contributions.

It is true, that way back when, the older versions of STS (prior to version 4) did complicate things in the way of installing other contributions.

 

Since version 4 (currently 4.5.2), STS has been installed as a on/off module, similar to the shipping and payment modules. This makes adding other contributions as easy as adding them with or without STS installed.

 

STS has a very knowledgable support base and is continually adding new features that make osC a breeze for newbies as well as really cool funtionallity for the hard core PHP coders (STS allows you to add PHP code directly in the HTML Template page which as you can imagine adds SO MANY possibilities).

 

Like I said, the above is not meant in any way to start a STS debate but just wanted to mention some things that might have countered what you have read or heard elsewhere. :thumbsup:

 

Hope this information was useful,

[spax]

Thank you Bill, I am enlightened!

 

I guess it is about time I took a look at it. :shifty:

[Losle]

Thank you Bill, I am enlightened!

 

I guess it is about time I took a look at it. :shifty:

 

Hi all,

 

I have a similar question to that posted above. I have to admit to 2 things:

a. I'm a complete osComerce newbie

b. I've looked through the documentation and not understood 80% of what I've read

 

I've inherited a site and now need to add the ability to buy services. There is no need for a cart, and I believe that only one page needs to link into osCommerce. So.... as in the post above, is the easiest way to:

1. Install STS on the site server

2. Configure STS to point to the osCommerce installation

3. Modify 'the one page' (I hope) to link into STS, which will in turn link to osCommerce for the collection of credit card/paypal/whatever data. osCommerce will then handle the collection and submission of this info

4. Create a page to show success or failure of the payment submission

 

If that seems right, I'll go read the documentation again and hope some sinks in. If there's a better way, or I've deeply misunderstood something, please let me know

 

Thanks

[chrisgeek]

Actually, that is Jason's site. I would guess it is about to go from a dev site into a live one.

In a word.....no!

 

There is a template system (STS) you can get from the contributions section, that uses HTML templates. So, as far as I know, you can use your static HTML pages with that. I don't use it so not really sure how it works.

 

That said, it wouldn't take too much time to slice up your design and incorporate it into osC.

osC has a header, footer, left column, right column and a main body. You would put from the orange bar up, into the header. The bottom links and copyright into the footer. The left side navigation into the left column. Lose the right column and the put products into the main body, probably by using a Featured Products mod.

Like I said, yours is quite a simple design so it wouldn't take long to do at all, once you are familiar with the way osC works.

 

Spax!

 

I've been looking all over for some idiot's guide to editing column_left, header, etc. Do you have any links to any good threads or websites that will help me to work my design into osC?

 

Thank you in advance!

[daknoodle]

Losle,

STS is not an independent software seperate from osC. You install osC and then install STS into osC following the instructions in the STS manual (manual comes with the STS download). Then in the admin area you can activate STS.

 

The 1 HTML page that you edit is a part of STS and you can find all the instructions as to what to do with it in the STS manual.

 

If you do not have experience with editing php then it can seem very over whelming, luckly though, if you have a fresh install of osC you can usually just copy over the the files that are in the STS download and just replace the original osC files. But you can only do this if there are no other contribs that you have put on osC.

 

If you run into any problems there are plenty of people around to help.

 

Doug

[spax]

Spax!

 

I've been looking all over for some idiot's guide to editing column_left, header, etc.

 

What's his name, I might know where it is? :D

 

I had a spare hour earlier (actually, I didn't really but I needed an excuse to get away from a major site update I've been doing.......it's sooooo boring!) so, I built your design into osC. Well, the frontpage at least. If you want the files, PM me your email addy and I'll send them to you. If nothing else, it is fun to look at. However, if you want to use them, you would still need to change all the other osC root files. If you are struggling with the code, it may be best you use the STS, as suggested.

[Losle]

Losle,

STS is not an independent software seperate from osC. You install osC and then install STS into osC following the instructions in the STS manual (manual comes with the STS download). Then in the admin area you can activate STS....

 

Doug

 

Thanks Doug,

 

Fortunately I do know PHP, just never done a commerce site before

 

Los