Installing osc onto my computer (not a domain)

[ggrant3]

Does anyone have a link they could guide me to in regards to how to set up an osc environment on my computer, not a specific website.

 

My goal is to be able to make changes and test things before I upload the files to the actual site. So I would like to be able to have the files installed in a particular folder and have an operational site (I don't know if email would work though) on my computer so I can add and remove things and fix any errors before I upload the completely revised site.

 

I played with wamp(?), in the past but never was able to figure out how to have a working database setup.

 

I was searching on here but couldn't find anything, maybe I am searching under the wrong terms.

[♥14steve14]

Try this in google

 

oscommerce wamp

[Guest]

@@ggrant3

 

Most everything will work except for real time shipping quotes and live payment processors and mail.

 

 

 

Chris

[rpdesign]

@

 

 

Try my forum topic here for xampp

http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/topic/390826-making-a-virtual-host-emvironment-in-xampp-for-windows/

 

@DunWeb

 

I have successfully run email through the mercury mail server that comes with xampp. Without modifying the Oscommerce v2.2 files!

[Guest]

@

 

Local environments are not typically used for mail. The use of a local environment is normally done to get MOST of the site completed, they are not normally used for all testing as it would have to be tested again once on a live server.

 

 

 

Chris

[MrPhil]

I think you will find it better to set aside a private development sandbox on your real server, such as /dev. As long as it doesn't have any links to it from cataloged pages, I don't think that you need to even protect it via .htaccess password control. Use an unguessable directory name if you're worried about search engines stumbling across it, or inquisitive people Out There. That way, you will be sure to be using exactly the same PHP and MySQL levels as your real server, mail will work, and Third Party systems such as PayPal have a good chance of working.

[rpdesign]

This is only to test emails from the osCommerce catalog, to edit them at your lea-sure. And no, I don't use my localhost environment to send out legitimate emails. i test oscommerce with test@@localhost or admin@@localhost or a derivative of both.

 

@@MrPhil

I applaud you for telling people to set up a dev folder on there servers, but what happens when they don't always have access to the internet? I think in all rights you should have both a localhost and a server environment. cheers :thumbsup:

[ggrant3]

@@MrPhil

 

I see what you mean (I think).

 

Correct me if I am wrong. You're saying to basically make a subfolder in the root like /dev (but rename that "/dev" to something only I would know). Then place all the files in there for a real life performing version. In essence like if the whole store was in a /catalog folder initially, right)

 

My only problem with that is my inexperience. And by that I mean, say I setup a site called 123.com and the test or experimental side of the site is located at 123.com/test464726. I know I could simply make a copy of my current database and link it to my test site, but what would I do with my configure.php files?

 

How (and what lines of the configure files) would need to be listed with the /test464726 folder

[MrPhil]

OK, your live store is 123.com/catalog/... and your development version can be 123.com/test464726/catalog/ by simply copying everything in .../catalog/ over to .../test464726/catalog/.

1. Configure.php files will need to have anything keyed to the current /catalog/ changed to reflect the new directory /test464726/catalog/. The easiest thing to do is to keep the "catalog/" part, so all you have to do is to go into the configure.php files and look for all occurrences of "catalog" and replace them by "test464726/catalog".
   
2. You will be using the same database if that's all you do. For minor code changes that do not involve changing database structure or data, that should be safe. If you're going to be changing tables or code that might update existing data, you should seriously consider creating a new database that is a copy of your existing database, with a new name. Tools such as phpMyAdmin should allow you to copy a database in one operation, or at least, to copy each table in one operation. Update your configure.php files on the test store to reflect the new database name, ID, password, etc.
   
3. Decide if you want to update the payment modules so that you can use your payment system's "sandbox" (if available, such as from PayPal). This lets you make fake "purchases" without incurring real charges. I don't know if that will also cut off real customers from being able to pay on the real site, or if it's kept separate, so check with your payment system before you activate their sandbox. If you're not doing development in the payment area, you might just bail out if/when it gets to the payment, although you would not be able to test any post-payment changes (so a payment sandbox might still be a good idea).
   
4. SSL should still work, but I'm not certain about cookies and other session-related items. You might experiment with those to confirm that they still work, before investing a lot of time with your real code changes.
   

[MrPhil]

but what happens when they don't always have access to the internet? I think in all rights you should have both a localhost and a server environment. cheers

 

I think that a developer is going to have to cut bait or fish. It could easily be a disaster to try to juggle two separate development systems; one on the live server under "test/" and the other on a PC. If it's just occasional relatively short times away from the 'net, I wouldn't bother with a PC-based system. If interruptions are frequent and/or lengthy, do all the development on a *AMPP system. I really wouldn't try to mix them.

[ggrant3]

Okay Thank Phil.

 

I wasn't planning on using the /catalog part, but I see what you mean by it making things a little easier at this stage. I'll give it a shot.