How do you modify databases? Help needed

[Boschett]

Hello:

 

I'm a novice at this store maintenance stuff. I've been fairly successful at installing a few contributions that required only adding or modifying the .php files. I don't know whether I'm practicing good "web development". I'm downloading the files, editing the code and uploading the revised files. It has been working for me. (Simple works for me). The instructions have been easy to follow. The paths to the files are given, allowing me to find what I have to modify.

 

Anyway, I'd like to install a serial number contribution that will allow me to edit each order and enter the product's serial number. This number will be placed on the packing slip and invoice. This is the first contribution I came along that required a change to a database. The instruction is, I quote, "Third, install that database changes included in the 'database_changes.txt' file." This specific instruction is "alter table orders_products add column products_serial_number varchar(128);"

 

1) I don't know where the database is and 2) How and where do I and make the required modification?

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Regards,

Keith

 

ps. if anyone has any feedback regarding serial numbers, I would welcome all thoughts. The one I'm looking at dates back to 2004.

This is the contribution... http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/946

[Jack_mcs]

Your host probably has a program named phpmyadmin in their control panel. You need to access that, select your database, click on Import and select that file, then on go.

 

Jack

[Boschett]

Your host probably has a program named phpmyadmin in their control panel. You need to access that, select your database, click on Import and select that file, then on go.

 

Jack

 

Hi Jack

 

I just stumbled onto a topic where a similar question was asked and in fact you posted a helpful reply. I started to follow along. I'm going to work on this tomorrow. Thanks for your help, both posts. You came to the rescue again.

 

I found that I have two databases, I believe from two separate OSC installs. I seem to remember that I made the first install then scrapped that one and installed a second one. I assume that I'm currently using #2. I have to confirm before I make he changes.

 

Keith

[Boschett]

Jack,

 

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. The contribution seems to work fine. Oh happy day!

 

Keith