Product Description

[NSMStore]

Hi all!

 

I've looked for the answer to this for a few days, and haven't got an answer, there may not be one, but anyway:

 

I've got well over 3,000 products, I have them all on a spreadsheet, but I have one problem. The Desciptions where copied and pasted from a Word doc.

hence not html tags....

 

Is there a way I can at least get a <br> tag at all the line breaks? Because as of now all my descriptions are just one big paragraph.

I've been looking for a way for Excel to do it, but I noticed when I export a file from my database (via easy populate :thumbsup: ) the line breaks are still there, they just don't break on my website.

 

I'm still a little green with PHP and SQL and I'm just wondering if there is a way for me to get line breaks without having to do it manually to over 3,000 products.

 

Thanx Guys

[germ]

I have them all on a spreadsheet

How are the descriptions coded into the spreadsheet?

 

In multiple columns, all squished into one paragraph in a single coulumn, etc.?

:unsure:

[jhande]

Hi all!

 

I've looked for the answer to this for a few days, and haven't got an answer, there may not be one, but anyway:

 

I've got well over 3,000 products, I have them all on a spreadsheet, but I have one problem. The Desciptions where copied and pasted from a Word doc.

hence not html tags....

 

Is there a way I can at least get a <br> tag at all the line breaks? Because as of now all my descriptions are just one big paragraph.

I've been looking for a way for Excel to do it, but I noticed when I export a file from my database (via easy populate :thumbsup: ) the line breaks are still there, they just don't break on my website.

 

I'm still a little green with PHP and SQL and I'm just wondering if there is a way for me to get line breaks without having to do it manually to over 3,000 products.

 

Thanx Guys

 

Sorry Jason I can't help with Excel or Easy Populate. But Word can transfer the line breaks <br \>. You can do it either way as I have; setup the document with the HTML coding as you like and edit the text between the tags, then copy and paste into osC description box or edit the document in HTML web view and insert text-wrapping breaks.

 

I did in the beginning play around with an Access database adding the HTML tags in the description column as I went along. I never figured out how to transfer that database to osC so I just copy & pasted into osC Admin Panel and the HTML tags were fine. Kind of a hard way of doing it but the only way I figured it out so far. Some day I'll work on utilizing Easy Populate and my database or a similar alternative. :blush:

 

Good luck!

[germ]

If that doesn't work, I might be able to write a VBSCRIPT to massage the data in your existing spreadsheet for you.

 

It all depends on how the data is in the spreadsheet.

 

I'm on vacation until next year, so I'm looking for some "mental stimulation".

 

Writing a script to massage your data would keep me busy for at least an hour or two, probably.

:lol:

[NSMStore]

How are the descriptions coded into the spreadsheet?

 

In multiple columns, all squished into one paragraph in a single coulumn, etc.?

:unsure:

 

The descriptions are in one cell.

 

Inside that cell they are as I want them to look. But no html codes only text.

 

I've been going through them all and adding tags, but that is too time consuming...

 

I'm trying to find a way to automate "adding break tags at a line break"

 

Thanx for all your help

[NSMStore]

Sorry Jason I can't help with Excel or Easy Populate. But Word can transfer the line breaks <br \>. You can do it either way as I have; setup the document with the HTML coding as you like and edit the text between the tags, then copy and paste into osC description box or edit the document in HTML web view and insert text-wrapping breaks.

 

I did in the beginning play around with an Access database adding the HTML tags in the description column as I went along. I never figured out how to transfer that database to osC so I just copy & pasted into osC Admin Panel and the HTML tags were fine. Kind of a hard way of doing it but the only way I figured it out so far. Some day I'll work on utilizing Easy Populate and my database or a similar alternative. :blush:

 

Good luck!

 

I started doing something like that (adding what I wanted in the osC admin area) But with 3,000, and the way the navigation is, it was just too slow.

 

I never learn access, in fact this site is my first time ever using SQL or anyother kind of db for that matter...

 

I'm a fast learner, these kinds of things just click to me, and with guys like you willing to share advice makes it that much easier

 

So thanx, I really appreciate it.

[germ]

If you want, I could take a look at writing a VB script to add the tags for you, then send you back the modified spreadsheet.

 

Just PM me the email address to expect it from, and I'll PM you my email address where to send it to.

 

At this point, I can't promise anything other than I'll try.

[NSMStore]

Well, I got like 40 different spreadsheets at the moment (it made it a little easier to deal with, mentally) so let get those on one spreadsheet.

 

I'm still at work so it'll be later when I can do that.

 

Thanx again

[germ]

^---^--- Read my last post

[jhande]

I started doing something like that (adding what I wanted in the osC admin area) But with 3,000, and the way the navigation is, it was just too slow.

 

I never learn access, in fact this site is my first time ever using SQL or anyother kind of db for that matter...

 

I'm a fast learner, these kinds of things just click to me, and with guys like you willing to share advice makes it that much easier

 

So thanx, I really appreciate it.

 

I know exactly what you mean Jason. I can offer thousands of items at my Hobby Shop but it will take me a life time to prepare and organize. Find or take pictures of the images, make thumbnails and larger versions, enter information and descriptions pertaining to each item and then transfer it all to osC. One of my distributors supplies me with a database file while another supplies me with a spreadsheet. I don't know enough about Excell or Access yet to do anything more than keep a spread sheet for my accountant and a database so my wife can help add inventory thru a simple form I created. Sure hope Santa brings me those much needed Office 2003 books. I would love to figure away to convert my distributors files into a file I could upload to my server without causing glitches. There's supposed to be a way but from what I have read on the forums it doesn't work so well.

 

Maybe Jim has an answer? :- :D

[NSMStore]

Well guys I got it taken care of. Thanx for all ur help guys.

 

Easy solution...My wife...lol

 

But now I know to add my tags as I add my products.

 

I really appreciate the advice.

 

 

oh yeah, Jim, I'm into RC car racing, if you sale racing products; can I get the name of your site???

 

Thanx again guys

[germ]

Easy solution...My wife...lol

And I wanted to write a script to do it!!!

 

Umm.."my site" is actually one I did for a co-worker 'cuz he didn't know anything about web sites.

 

And he sells coins.

 

Thanx for the invite, tho'!

:thumbsup:

[♥geoffreywalton]

It is a bit late now but when descritions are in a word doc

 

ctrl + h

 

^p

 

<br>

 

Would replace all line endings with break

[jhande]

Well guys I got it taken care of. Thanx for all ur help guys.

 

Easy solution...My wife...lol

 

But now I know to add my tags as I add my products.

 

I really appreciate the advice.

 

 

oh yeah, Jim, I'm into RC car racing, if you sale racing products; can I get the name of your site???

 

Thanx again guys

 

Cool Jason, so did she fix up your spreadsheets to have linebreaks instead of returns?

Share, share the fix LOL :lol:

 

As for the RC car racing stuff...

My web site is really an after thought to a small hobby shop we have on our property. We've only started it less than a year ago and we are kind of slow in stocking it (we live in a real rural area so it's really for my son and I hehe). I can get ton's of items from a few distributors that I have accounts with. I am hoping by summer to start carrying some RC stuff - cars, boats, planes, etc... I can't place my hands on all my catalogs at the moment but if you let me know what it is you are looking for I can quickly check my distributors database's to see if they are in stock. My web site isn't up and running yet but here it is - Hande's Hobbies and you can always email me from there. I special order all the time for people. One distributor can get items to me the next day if I can place the order by 2pm. The other usually takes 3 to 5 days for me to get.

[germ]

It is a bit late now but when descritions are in a word doc

 

ctrl + h

 

^p

 

<br>

 

Would replace all line endings with break

Priceless knowledge!!!

 

If you don't want to lose the formatting, change the <br> to <br>^p

[♥geoffreywalton]

Much as I prefer not to praise MS there are some pretty slick things you can do with word.

 

Using an access db and an excel file containing products, cost price, descriptions and RRPs you can format the descriptions, add RRP £xx.xx and put in phrases such as "saving £x.xx" or XX% saving depending on rules set by you.

 

Trouble is you need to know how to use the application.

[jhande]

Much as I prefer not to praise MS there are some pretty slick things you can do with word.

 

Using an access db and an excel file containing products, cost price, descriptions and RRPs you can format the descriptions, add RRP £xx.xx and put in phrases such as "saving £x.xx" or XX% saving depending on rules set by you.

 

Trouble is you need to know how to use the application.

 

Hey Geoffrey,

 

In case Santa doesn't come through with the books so I can learn my Office programs, any idea if there is some web based how-to's that go beyond the basics?

[♥geoffreywalton]

Sorry never needed to find any.

 

Programming background, access to manuals and looking at the samples and a few hundred hours of banging my had against brick walls got me there.

 

I guess nowadays google would probably find a few.

[jhande]

Sorry never needed to find any.

 

Programming background, access to manuals and looking at the samples and a few hundred hours of banging my had against brick walls got me there.

 

I guess nowadays google would probably find a few.

 

Got-cha... :thumbsup:

 

Someday I'll find the time to Google.