Compare Software

[ballerblocking01]

I just dont understand why these Contributions dont come with instructions on like which line to replace from what file. Every time i try to use A comparing software like Beyond Compare and etc... I allways receive an errors. How do you guys install these contributions from this site?

[Silverado05]

What are you trying to install? About 95% of the contributions come with step by step instructions. Are you just not seeing them in the package?

[ballerblocking01]

Yes,the instructions are there but there not step by step instructions. The way i see it is the Mod Writer did not want to spend time writing instruction so they just decided to upload there copy of there modified files. Ive ran into quite a few Mods that I cannot install do to the fact that theres no step by step instructions like Additional_Images_v2.0.0,more_pics_6_v1.3b etc....

[Silverado05]

Can you post a link to the contribution you are trying to install? Sometimes one contribution will conflict with another so it is kind of like the lesser of two evils as of which one do you want more. I have run into that problem before

[Jack_mcs]

I just dont understand why these Contributions dont come with instructions on like which line to replace from what file. Every time i try to use A comparing software like Beyond Compare and etc... I allways receive an errors. How do you guys install these contributions from this site?

Yes, there are many contributions that don't have specific install instructions. But since the code gets changed by other contributions, even well-written contributions may not be helpful at times. All you can do in a case like that is compare as you are doing. It can be very difficult, depending on the changes already made to the file, but there is no other choice.

 

Jack

[ballerblocking01]

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1611

 

The only Contribution I have installed as of now is accept_privacy,ajax_shopping_cart v2_1, and tinymce_2_1_1_1.

[Silverado05]

Ok download the 29 Nov 2006 version and then after that you can start installing patches if you need them from the current versions. The thing you have to learn about these contributions is sometimes just because it is the most recent doesn't always mean it's complete. It might just be a quick fix to a code. So sometimes you have to looks through them all until you find a complete package because the first one might not be what you are looking for. Just keep that in mind.

[ballerblocking01]

**********
Step: 2
**********

copy files to respective locations overwriteing existing files

** if you have any other contribs installed you should use a file compare
  program like Beyond Compare to compare files instead or replace. 

 

Every time I use that Program i never get a successful install,I Constantly try over and over with no success theres all ways have some type of syntax error

 

Ok download the 29 Nov 2006 version and then after that you can start installing patches if you need them from the current versions. The thing you have to learn about these contributions is sometimes just because it is the most recent doesn't always mean it's complete. It might just be a quick fix to a code. So sometimes you have to looks through them all until you find a complete package because the first one might not be what you are looking for. Just keep that in mind.

 

I understand that,but in the case that im talking about that is not the problem.

[Silverado05]

I don't see what the problem is then. You asked for manual step by step instructions. I showed you a package that had one.

 

This is just a disclaimer that all contributions have in them or should

 

** if you have any other contribs installed you should use a file compare

program like Beyond Compare to compare files instead or replace.

 

Just ignore that an upload any new files to your server and then use the manual instructions in the package to add the code step by step to the other files.

[Guest]

I just dont understand why these Contributions dont come with instructions on like which line to replace from what file. Every time i try to use A comparing software like Beyond Compare and etc... I allways receive an errors. How do you guys install these contributions from this site?

I have back up files on my PC for my test site and online site. I use these for editing. I edit with a text editor.

 

I read the install instructions, look at the new files, look at the changed files, then decide if I want to continue.

 

If I do continue, I manually edit any existing files, noting where I made the changes. If I am not sure of where to edit something, I look at the stock osc files that I have on my PC.

 

When all edits are done, I copy the new and changed files to my test site on my pc. If it looks ok, I repeat the process with my online backup files. When finished, I ftp the new and changed files to the webhost.

[bkellum]

** if you have any other contribs installed you should use a file compare

program like Beyond Compare to compare files instead or replace.

I not sure you are using Beyond Compare correctly. That program is specifically for "comparing" the differences between files and folders. It is still up to you on how to "merge" the differences.

 

Learning how to use a file comparison tool can be very beneficial in your career as a software developer. Even if that is not your asperation, then it is still a skill that will assist you in "hacking" properly without constant syntax or parse errors.

 

You should be able to install the majority of the contributions available by using a file comparison tool alone. Grant it, some contributions have some awesome admin features that must be configured correctly and a file comparison tool can't help you there. Same goes with SQL files.

 

Bottom line...I have used Beyond Compare very successfully in the past with no issues.

[Guest]

I am very new to osCommerce, but have installed about a dozen contributions over the past couple of weeks. At first, I was just manually going thru my 'catalog' files and making the changes needed for each new contribution. However, the more contributions I had installed, the more challenging this was. I kept reading about using a compare program, but didn't understand that at all. Finally, in frustration, I downloaded Beyond Compare and played around with it. What I found may not even be the best way to use it, but it sure has helped speed up the process and so far, the errors have been minimal and not really caused by my install. Knock on wood!! :thumbsup:

 

Here is what I do.

 

After each install, I:

A) Do a database backup from the admin cp.

B ) Add an entry into my "Mods so Far" text file describing the contribution I installed and the name of the SQL backup file

C) Set up a folder on my local system for this milestone, i.e., Version 1, Version 2, etc.

D) Then I use ftp to download all the 'catalog' files into a folder inside the latest version folder

 

When I get ready to install a new contribution, I;

1) Create a working, throw-away folder

2) Copy the folder of the latest 'catalog' files to this folder (These are the files that I downloaded in step D above)

3) Then I copy the 'catalog' files for this new contribution into a separate folder inside of this working folder

4) I launch Beyond Compare (BC)

5) In BC's Open dialog box, I set it to compare folders

6) For the Left folder, I choose the 'old' catalog files (from step 2 above)

7) For the Right folder, I choose the catalog files from step 3 above

8) Make sure the "New Folder Comparison" is highlighted

9) Click 'OK'

 

BC will then open into a window with the old files & folders listed on the left, and the new ones listed on the right. By double clicking on any of the files that are different, designated in red, I can examine both files side by side. My goal here is to migrate all the differences from the left side over into the right side, which effectively brings all my previously installed contributions into the files for the new contribution.

 

Any files that are not tagged on both sides are ignored.

 

I choose to work from the bottom up, drilling down into the folders as I come to them in the process. However, any strategy to be sure you get them all should work. Just be sure you have some way to keep track and be sure you don't miss anything. Things can get pretty whacked if you don't and it will probably result in the need to go back a step or two. BTW: My strategy makes that pretty easy since I have so many milestones set. I just ftp into my site and delete all the catalog files and then upload all the catalog files from the version before I broke things. Then I restore the SQL back up. I may have to reset the permission on some files, but that's about it. I have gotten to where I can do a full restore with this in under 5 minutes.

 

After I get all the files updated, I then use my ftp client to upload the whole shebang into the catalog folder. First time I did that, I wasn't sure what would happen, but thankfully it keeps everything in order, replacing files that already exist, uploading the new files, in the correct directories, and creating any new folder needed, while otherwise leaving the file/directory structure intact. Sure beats manually browsing to the right folder/directory and then uploading each individual file. Yes, that was what I was doing at first. :blush:

 

Of course, I also have to run the SQL updates that come with the contribution. Fortunately, my hosting company provides phpMyAdmin for stuff like that.

 

Once I figured out this strategy, it became pretty automatic, so I am not sure I explained this very well off the top of my head. All I know is that it has made life so much easier.

 

Hope this helps someone else.

 

Ken