Help please

[gunsforsale]

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  hi all,
  
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  i am a php developer and i got a new project where i have to continue developing a website from where the previous web developer left and he left in such a state just to re format his code and look more appealing took couple of days.
  
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  I am very good with PHP and MySql but never used a oscommerce before , I see he has been using all the functions in oscommerce and i understood the mentality but is there a manual i can look and learn what each manual does with examples? just like www.w3schools.com ? use
  
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  my second question is he has done the entire website based on index.php file? is this how it should be done in oscommerce or it is just the wsy he chosed? what i mean is if you send a parameter to index.php like index.php?edit=1 it means that pages turn it self in to a page for users to editing their info. i dont think it is right for a many reasons and one of them is seo and page speed things. so what are you ideas?
  
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  waiting for all your kind replies
  
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  thank you
  

[Guest]

@@gunsforsale

 

No, there really isn't a 'manual' for osCommerce and quite frankly, if you are not 100% familiar with osCommerce, you should not be trying to provide osCommerce services. (especially trying to rework someone elses code). Refer your client to an osCommerce professional, that's the best advice you could give your client.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[gunsforsale]

Hi Chris ,

thank you very much for your reply. so should i understand from what you say, if you dont know oscommerce dont touch it? so how does people who has got a good knowledge of php and mysql can learn oscommerce?so should nobody bother to learn? did you have the knowledge of oscommerce from birth ?

[♥joli1811]

Hi Yusuf ,

 

Sounds to me like it is an older version of osc using Simple Template System (STS)

 

http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/1524/page,35

 

This is no longer supported , as far as I know and does not function with the latest 2.3 versions of oscommerce.

 

There is a good commercial template system available just Google if you need it and a few good books explaining the 960 grid and design techniques again google for it.

 

To do the job properly I would suggest starting with a new install of osc 2.3.3 on a development server

and importing the old database ( plenty info on the forum on how to do).

 

Just not much point in trying to update an old version to much work and time problems with security and php versions.

 

You will find which version you are using in includes/application_top.php about line 20 - 30.

 

Regards

Joli

[Bob Terveuren]

Hi

 

ref for older version of osC http://www.oscdox.com/crossx/nav.html?_functions/index.html a lot of the functions are still current

http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/3078 for what gets called in application_top

 

If your OK with PHP/MySQL then harness the osC database functions read/write the database and then just write your own custom code in native PHP (e.g. using $_SESSION['xxx'] rather than osC session handlers) and call it in using includes.

 

The only way to get to know it is to use it - good luck ;-)

[gunsforsale]

dear joli and bob,

thank you very much for your contructive comments and help. this project just came on to my lap and even though i have developed , coded and implement ecommerce websites from stretch never used oscommerce, i have looked at the syntax and went over the code and it seems very simple and basic. The problem i am having is the previous guy left the company and the site has got terrible structured coded so just want to remove the unused functions etc , he used all the codes like ( wordpress regex) which are all custom functions for osc, .

Once again thank you very much for you help and i really appreciate the time for writing an reply.

[♥14steve14]

@@gunsforsale

 

No, there really isn't a 'manual' for osCommerce and quite frankly, if you are not 100% familiar with osCommerce, you should not be trying to provide osCommerce services. (especially trying to rework someone elses code). Refer your client to an osCommerce professional, that's the best advice you could give your client.

 

Chris

 

 

This is a common statement now on these forums and is not a way of helping newcommers, especially those like yourself who do have knowledge of php and things like that, and only want a heads up on oscommerce code. Just ignore it. There are others here who will give you help if they can.

 

Just to add my tuppence worth. If the code you are trying to ammend and alter is old, why not suggest starting again with the latest secure and stable version. It could be easier in the long run, and could also mean that you are learning on the latest version, and not on some outdated dodgy code.

[♥geoffreywalton]

Hi

 

There a some links to the posts I found useful when I started using osc and since in my profile.

 

As for the functions the parameters are normally pretty self explanitory id yo go to /includes/functions and say general.php.

 

There are classes directories as well.

 

Don't forget the admin/includes/function directory for functions used in the shop admin.

Then once you have looked through those browse the rest.

 

It is a pretty steep learning curve just like anything.

 

HTH

 

G