os commerce and bought templates open disscussion

[bkellum]

Hi Guys. Template Monster appears to be a thorny subject, can I just ask one question. For us STS is a great templating solution, is there anyone out there creating STS templates and stylesheets for OSC store owners to use. We do not mind paying as this price will simply be relayed to our customers so they can make the final decision as to use the template or not.

 

I don't mind doing this but just like anyone else, "who has the time". I spend most of my time assisting osCommerce users on this forum for free (not complaining). :rolleyes:

 

That is why I posted the quick step by step above to help open the world of templates to STS users.

 

:thumbsup: Another thing to consider, if I try to offer converted templates, then it becomes a legal issue. It may be lot easier for you to just offer the service to your clients to convert thier "purchased" templates to keep everything legal.

 

I do agree, if someone has the time to create custom templates based on STS and offer them as open source, it would be a great benefit to the community. I don't mind making things available as open source if they are my own creations. I just don't have the time to muster up that kind of creativity. :'(

[spax]

To address a missed point. Even though TM templates are inherently "buggy", through poor coding or out of date files, they are still osCommerce based and as such, are supported here. When you get your 1054 error or enable register_globals warning etc etc, post a question and someone usually answers.

So, rather than post "my template has error messages", post the errors and someone will help you correct them.

 

The code in a template is pushed and pulled in all directions, with lots of hard coded cosmetics. However, the main fault is old files. If you download the latest update - RC1 - from here, you will get a list of all fixes from update-20051112, which you can attempt to manually apply. Don't do as suggested earlier and use the Fantastico installation to attempt a fix. Fantastico, from what I have read, is as out of date as your template.

 

You will never see a "Template Fix" channel here and that is only right. Why should TM or any other template company expect the community to dedicate any time or real estate to fixing code they are earning money from? In any walk of life, if you purchase something that doesn't work, you ask for your money back or a working replacement.

[Guest]

If you have already bough a template and are plagued by errors then the best use of it is to just use the graphic parts of the template and not the full file set.

 

Something like this...

 

1. download and install the latest osCommerce MS2.2

 

1. Add the buttons from the template to the shop, for english they are in this folder: includes/languages/english/images/buttons/

 

2. Add the images from the template to the /images/ folder

 

3. Edit the stylesheet.css file to use the same colors as the template

 

4. Edit includes/header.php and includes/footer.php to use the graphics from the template...

 

NOTE: This will not give you the full template looks...but it will give you a fully working shop and save you alot of later head-aches!!!

;) Ah, finally a response from an application developer instead of a sermon from an osC apostle! Thank you very much for an actual answer to the question raised!

[bkellum]

;) Ah, finally a response from an application developer instead of a sermon from an osC apostle! Thank you very much for an actual answer to the question raised!

I think there is plenty of good suggestions above. Can't see the forest for the trees I guess. :blink:

[urbanegos]

I think there is plenty of good suggestions above. Can't see the forest for the trees I guess. :blink:

Hi

Thanks for all the great comments. I really appreciate the help. I have now gone on to use basic os commerce template and will have to spend hours and hours changing images, layouts etc.... Any support on that would be great!!

best wishes

julie

[♥toyicebear]

You can have a look at Basic Design Pack , for an easy start up solution...

[Guest]

You can have a look at Basic Design Pack , for an easy start up solution...

OSC is so easy to change by way of contributions, why buy the hastle of a template.

[Guest]

;) Ah, finally a response from an application developer instead of a sermon from an osC apostle! Thank you very much for an actual answer to the question raised!

And I find this post to be offensive. The forum has rules, abide by them.

[♥toyicebear]

OSC is so easy to change by way of contributions, why buy the hastle of a template.

 

 

Basic design pack is not a template, is a collection of contributions with an easy install for a fresh install of osCommerce MS2.2 up to and including RC1 which makes starting up the shop and changing the design easier and faster for newbees....

[Guest]

Basic design pack is not a template, is a collection of contributions with an easy install for a fresh install of osCommerce MS2.2 up to and including RC1 which makes starting up the shop and changing the design easier and faster for newbees....

Nick, I did not mean to imply that Basic design pack was a template. I know it is not a template. I only omitted to remove the quote when I added my comment.

[xlameee]

Each template is differently coded by some "Dreamweaver Script Kiddie" who knows nothing about osCommerce or how it works.

 

So they make a mess of it.

 

Then someone comes along and buys the template and "Surprise!!" it doesn't work.

 

The buyer goes back to the company they bought the template from, and again "Surprise!!" - they don't even get a reply.

 

So we have a company who got paid to provide the template but won't fix it, and the Buyer who then expects (or at least hopes) that some poor schmuck on this forum will fix it for them for free.

 

Surprise!! It ain't gonna happen.

 

Why do most people buy templates from the likes of Template Monster in the first place? Usually because they're too cheap to pay for a custom designed site, or a template that actually works.

 

I have a few stock sayings I like to quote with regard to Template Monster templates:

 

1. Beware any company with the word "Monster" in their name.

 

2. You get what you pay for.

 

3. You pay peanuts - you get monkeys.

 

4. Buyer Beware! (a legal definition)

 

To be a bit more serious - these forums are so full of warnings about these Template Monster templates that you'd have to have not used the search function at all before buying one, or else believed that it wouldn't happen to you.

 

As for your question "So what to do?" - the answer is to consider it a lesson well learned, dump the template and move on.

 

Vger

 

 

 

This is not true I have bought 2 of them an both working without any problems

 

One of them is with old version osCommerce now I wanna update I was ask many times

 

but all of you guys tell me ask for support the seller

 

why what is the different this template is the same like STS but looks much more better then STS

 

I was wached this forum from long time and all the chenges what I was made is work without any problems

 

now I just wanna update to the new version and DOOOOOOOOM !!!!!!!! nobody know how

 

I dont understand !!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Thank you Nikolay

[♥toyicebear]

This is not true I have bought 2 of them an both working without any problems

 

One of them is with old version osCommerce now I wanna update I was ask many times

 

but all of you guys tell me ask for support the seller

 

why what is the different this template is the same like STS but looks much more better then STS

 

I was wached this forum from long time and all the chenges what I was made is work without any problems

 

now I just wanna update to the new version and DOOOOOOOOM !!!!!!!! nobody know how

 

I dont understand !!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Nikolay

 

 

You must be extremly dense.... I have already posted how to do it in your other tread...

 

Here it is again...

 

Download the latest oscommerce version, and follow the manual upgrade instructions provided in the downloaded package.

 

There is no short and easy way....

 

You can keep your existing shop and manually edit and modify the files from your existing install following the upgrade instructions.

 

OR

 

alternatively install the latest version and then edit the new files in it to have the looks of your template.......

 

 

I REPEAT THERE IS NO SHORT AND EASY WAY!!!

 

YOU WILL HAVE TO DO IT BY MANUALLY MODIFYING THE FILES FOLLOWING THE UPGRADE INSTRUCTIONS.

 

(Sorry for shouting...but it seems someone is hard of hearing)

[xlameee]

You must be extremly dense.... I have already posted how to do it in your other tread...

 

Here it is again...

 

Download the latest oscommerce version, and follow the manual upgrade instructions provided in the downloaded package.

 

There is no short and easy way....

 

You can keep your existing shop and manually edit and modify the files from your existing install following the upgrade instructions.

 

OR

 

alternatively install the latest version and then edit the new files in it to have the looks of your template.......

I REPEAT THERE IS NO SHORT AND EASY WAY!!!

 

YOU WILL HAVE TO DO IT BY MANUALLY MODIFYING THE FILES FOLLOWING THE UPGRADE INSTRUCTIONS.

 

(Sorry for shouting...but it seems someone is hard of hearing)

 

 

 

Thank you very much

 

"alternatively install the latest version and then edit the new files in it to have the looks of your template......."

 

thats what I wanns do but I don't know witch files I need to edit if you have a instruction yhays will be good

 

Thank you in advance

Nikolay

[♥toyicebear]

Thank you very much

 

"alternatively install the latest version and then edit the new files in it to have the looks of your template......."

 

thats what I wanns do but I don't know witch files I need to edit if you have a instruction yhays will be good

 

Thank you in advance

Nikolay

 

 

You will find a tuturial on intergrating oscommerce with a MT template at the MT support site....

 

Where is also where you should ask support questions related to their templates anyway.......

 

 

 

Other than that you are on your own, and should just compare the original files with the new files and merge them together....

 

OR

 

.... simply follow advice given earlier about just doing some of the changes of the design as mentioned by me earlier in this tread...

 

OR

 

 

.....using the STS trick metioned by Bill Kellum earlier in this tread.....

[burt]

Not all templates are poorly coded, though most are. I recently made a post on my blog, here's some of the salient points;

 

One of my long term clients runs an older osCommerce store - and wanted to give the site a makeover - I suggested moving onto the latest stable version of osCommerce, but as the site has many contributions and is actually playing quite nicely, we decided to keep the base files as they are. In order to keep costs fairly low, my client had decided to buy a dedicatd osCommerce template from Template Monster.

 

I've never seen a template that is full of such poorly coded crap. Admittedly it was only about $75 (around £35 or so) - but it is really, truly awful.

 

Whoever coded it has done their best, but has used a mixture of short open tags and normal PHP tags, divs and tables, graphics and text. Heck, to make a heading, they've used a nested table instead of a simple H tag!

 

The whole header area is one large image over which the designer has used tables to position text and so on. It's a complete nightmare.

 

Template Monster are great for simple HTML designs - watch out for the proprietary designs (eg oscommerce designs), as they will usually be coded by people without much experience of the program that they are designing for!

[Guest]

Not all templates are poorly coded, though most are. I recently made a post on my blog, here's some of the salient points;

Template Monster are great for simple HTML designs - watch out for the proprietary designs (eg oscommerce designs), as they will usually be coded by people without much experience of the program that they are designing for!

 

I have read all of these post on here and man, even I checked out MT before I started. After reading and seeing all the problems that others had with them, I ran and I ran fast. I also started to google for others that were good, maybe not hot, but pretty good and found:

 

almat-computers.co.uk

 

I currently have the pet store template myself and have not had any problems using it. Not sure if I got lucky or not, but I guess I may have. But shoot for the price, could not pass it up. Their support is lets say ummmm no support at ALL. I e-mail them a general question 3 months ago and still have no reply back to it. LOL

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[proman2008]

If you have already bough a template and are plagued by errors then the best use of it is to just use the graphic parts of the template and not the full file set.

 

Something like this...

 

1. download and install the latest osCommerce MS2.2

 

1. Add the buttons from the template to the shop, for english they are in this folder: includes/languages/english/images/buttons/

 

2. Add the images from the template to the /images/ folder

 

3. Edit the stylesheet.css file to use the same colors as the template

 

4. Edit includes/header.php and includes/footer.php to use the graphics from the template...

 

NOTE: This will not give you the full template looks...but it will give you a fully working shop and save you alot of later head-aches!!!

 

 

I done it as you wrote here - but still got his erro

 

can you help me

[meadtj]

I done it as you wrote here - but still got his erro

 

can you help me

 

First, check the included documentation.pdf in the root directory of oscommerce. I would read it 2 or 3 times also before modifying anything if you do not know php well.

 

Also, If you are having trouble you may want to learn some basic php. That way you can at least be sure your not screwing up anything to bad when you are editing the files.

 

In, Addition, be aware I would know most html commands. Here is a good tutorial on it.

 

http://www.extropia.com/tutorials.html

 

This tutorial also includes java and some perl, I would ignore the perl unless you just want to know the history of web design. No one uses perl anymore.

[proman2008]

First, check the included documentation.pdf in the root directory of oscommerce. I would read it 2 or 3 times also before modifying anything if you do not know php well.

 

Also, If you are having trouble you may want to learn some basic php. That way you can at least be sure your not screwing up anything to bad when you are editing the files.

 

In, Addition, be aware I would know most html commands. Here is a good tutorial on it.

 

http://www.extropia.com/tutorials.html

 

This tutorial also includes java and some perl, I would ignore the perl unless you just want to know the history of web design. No one uses perl anymore.

 

 

Yes thanks for reply - but could you recommend me more useful thing how to solve this things?

[meadtj]

Yes thanks for reply - but could you recommend me more useful thing how to solve this things?

 

Your not gonna get much more useful out of that. Thats probably the best anyone can do here for you. If your not willing to learn anything about what your using and looking for an easy way out....well....your not gonna find one.

 

If easy is what you want, buy a Yahoo Store and have them set everything up for you for $300 a month. Pay $100 a month for them to advertise your product on shop yahoo, shopzilla, shop.com, google adwords. Or hire a web programmer for $2k a month and he'll set up a yahoo store for you.

 

You should of known these things before jumping into the e-commerce scene. OScommerce will not solve your problems. A template or template manager will not solve your problem. These are merely tools. A car is a tool; If you don't know how to drive one you will drive off a bridge. OScommerce and templates are tools, the same thing will happen if you try to use them without knowing what your doing. You'll drive off a bridge.

 

It would be easy to wrap up your store in a nice neat box and say, "here is your store, have a nice day" But your not gonna find that here. This is a FREE site(with donations accepted). If you want a nice neat box, check out yahoo, or some other automatic web store provider. Just google "pruchase website store" or "buy website store"

 

My best recommendation to you, "KNOWLEDGE IS POWER" Live a little, Learn a Little, you will be a better person in the end.

[proman2008]

meadtj

 

wooooooooooooooow

 

Thanks a lot :)

 

I know some basic of programing and so on this is not a problem dear - but when there is a forum there must be a small support - not to event a bicycle again and again.

 

OSC is a free source so it is clear that there will be more and mroe questions and problems - may be with MT tempelate may be with payment options and so on - - I don't think that you have to worn somebody- "go and learn PHP and something like that" it is wrong

 

and also if I was interesting to have a yahoo shop or something like this I will not post here about OSC.

 

This world is going to be simple - without problems and hard things - we have to help each other not to stand up and look down as a "KING of PHP"

- or any else programing language.

 

thakns a lot for you ideas but - please do not post here if you ar enot going to help me.

 

thanks a lot

[Guest]

The rules say:

The information exchanged on the osCommerce Community Support Forums must relate to a product or service osCommerce is providing. If you have a problem with a solution or service osCommerce does not provide, please refer to the relevant support of the solution or service provider involved.

[Jan Zonjee]

The rules say:

The information exchanged on the osCommerce Community Support Forums must relate to a product or service osCommerce is providing. If you have a problem with a solution or service osCommerce does not provide, please refer to the relevant support of the solution or service provider involved.

Let's agree that enough has been said about the pitfalls of using templates and that we now close this topic.