Jade Dragon Please Help me

[liongate2000]

Please view the following thread and post if you can help me. I am terribly new to osc and I am having a slight difficulty. You seem as if you know this application pretty well so I ask this question of you. I am getting no reply on the osc forum. I am just a newbie, so please speak in simple terms.

Thanks in advance,

Jonathan

The New Guy

Please view this thread:

http://forums.oscommerce.com/viewtopic.php?p=212215#212215

[Jade Dragon]

It's going to be a few days before I have a chance to look at any coding.

I'll check back, if you haven't figured it out by then.

Sorry,

Jade

[liongate2000]

I've been reading the OSC threads all day. I'm not having any luck. I am persistent though. If there is a solution, I won't stop trying until I get it.

Thanks again,

Jonathan

The Frustrated New Guy

[stevel]

You have a response in the OSC forum now.

[liongate2000]

I got it!

I love these forums. You guys/gals are the best!

Jonathan

The Happy New Guy

[stevel]

OSC is pretty tough to work with - I've bought a book on PHP so that I can make my way around.

[Jade Dragon]

Engine wise OSC is very good. Design wise it is very challenging as some of the text is in the language files and some is incorporated directly into the files themselves. Since there is no real documentation it takes a lot of poking around to change anything. Not easy, but possible with the basic understanding of how php works.

Same with the images, most are hard coded into OSC there is very little you can actually change just using the CSS provided.

I agree with Steve if you are really going to get into it to modify the way it looks a php book is helpful.

For example: this (http://drazan.com/shop/catalog/default.php) is the current one I am working on (atually did this in April). I have removed a lot of the coding I will not use to sleek it down. The next thing I will be doing is removing/replacing the purple bar at the top with another design. I have about 30 hours into it so far. Takes a lot of poking around to figure out where everything is connected.

=)
Jade

[stevel]

You need to understand both PHP and CSS to do a good job changing the look and the function. Even more so if you will be using "contributions". What's really a pain is changing the visual appearance so that it doesn't look like every other OSC store! It can be done, but the work is significant. Oh, and if you ever want to adopt changes from a new release of OSC, you basically have to do it all over again...

But hey, it's free... :rolleyes:

[liongate2000]

OK, I'm ready for the next step. Even though I am fighting the urge to become a geek, I find that with each passing day, I'm slipping farther into the machine. I work from home, so my keyboard and mouse are turning into my girlfriend, the ladies at the post office, store etc. wont talk to me due to the fact I can't keep the conversation directed to anything other than computer/internet related jumble. My skin has lost it's tan, my eyes just don't quite focus on the real world anymore. My belly is starting to expand and coffee is my favorite pastime.

I used to be class president in school, went to all the "cool parties", played sports and was completely computer illiterate. Now, I am the president of a company, visit forums for fun, play only with myself, and can swap out a motherboard relatively easily.

Where did I go wrong? I used to fight my computer and shut it off for at least 16 hours a day. Now I have a network that I maintain whenever I am not eating or sleeping. I am losing my battle and being asimilated. Oh well.....

IF YOU CANT BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book on php. Something a little more involved than a dummies book (the dummies books always leave me wanting more). I have done a few searches and there are several options available, but I figured I'd ask those who have test driven a couple prior to making a purchase.

Thanks in advance,

user #13689574b

[Jade Dragon]

You sound like being a geek (http://drazanfamily.com/samples/) is a bad thing.

I have Core PHP Programming (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2W3ULI5MK0&isbn=0130463469&itm=2). New version just came out this month.

=)
Jade

[stevel]

I have Programming PHP (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=1565926102&itm=4), with the original PHP developer as one of the authors. Very readable.

[liongate2000]

Thanks so much for the input. I have just ordered both books.

Have a great day!

Jonathan