Complete Beginner

[JeremyOmaha]

Ok, so here I am with my new website. I have the homepage kinda done and wanted to start putting my products in. I go to load osCommerce and it says I need MySQL. Ok.. I install MySQL. Now I am staring at this screen that says No Tables Found. Create New Table with boxes underneath that say Name and Fields.

I have absolutely no idea what to do next. How many tables can you have in one database? What types of fields can I have? Also, the fields box, should it be a numerical value where I am telling it I want say 10 fields?

One more question.. If I have my own inventory lists already on my computer, can they be transfered into the database? The qualifiers for this answer are as follows: There are several different lists. They are in Open Office (which is an open source product). They are actually in spreadsheet form and not database.

One last question. Once I make this table (or upload from my lists), am I able to modify the table/s?

[satis]

What do you do next? No clue. I have never used OSCommerce, you may want to find other users that have. I can answer other questions, though.

Can your inventory lists be transferred? It is possible to 'directly' transfer data from a spreadsheet to a database. Basically, after you create your database with its specific field layout, you layout your spreadsheet the same way (same order and number of fields), then export the thing to CSV format. Following that, it's not too difficult to import that raw CSV data into your database.

Can you modify the table? Using PHPMyAdmin, it IS possible to modify a database table after it's been created. However, I don't know the OSCommerce software, so I can't say whether it's possible to do that via that application.

I hope I was of at least a minimal bit of help. I wouldn't recommend doing anything until you get someone more knowledgeable with OSCommerce involved.

[RTH10260]

Ok, so here I am with my new website. I have the homepage kinda done and wanted to start putting my products in. You will have to decide where you want the products, on your own page or in osCommerce. Your webpage can have the link to the package.I go to load osCommerce and it says I need MySQL. Ok.. I install MySQL. Did you do this on your own computer or on your Powweb website ? At Powweb you only have to open a new 'database' in OPS, there is no MySql to install. Now I am staring at this screen that says No Tables Found. Create New Table with boxes underneath that say Name and Fields. I have absolutely no idea what to do next. Where do you see this, are you in phpmyadmin ? You will not need to define anything manually when you use a package. Depending on the installer script, it will do everything for you, or you will be asked to run a .SQL file from mysqladmin/phpmyadmin.
How many tables can you have in one database? What types of fields can I have? Also, the fields box, should it be a numerical value where I am telling it I want say 10 fields?IMO you should be reading the ReadMe file and the install instructions for osCommerce once more. I don't belive you need to know any of this stuff just now. On the other hand, if you are interested in technical details, you should read parts of the MySql manual. The link is in phpmyadmin.One more question.. If I have my own inventory lists already on my computer, can they be transfered into the database? The qualifiers for this answer are as follows: There are several different lists. They are in Open Office (which is an open source product). They are actually in spreadsheet form and not database.Seeing the list of your questions, it will be much faster for you just to enter all inventory once more into osCommerce. Your spreadsheet content would have to be massaged nto the form required by the package, and that will take much longer.One last question. Once I make this table (or upload from my lists), am I able to modify the table/s?You don't have to handle any tables directly. You will be using osCeommerce for all activity. What sense would it make to use a packge when you need to do most of the work by different means.

Recommendation:
Before you continue, I strongly recommend you first visit the osCommerce site here: http://www.oscommerce.com/ and look at the materials available,
The documentation that you will need to understand the package at http://www.oscommerce.info/docs/english/
Especially use this as your installation guideline: http://www.oscommerce.info/docs/english/e_web_based_installation_procedure.html
Once installation is complete, you will be using the administrative Tools to add your content, check here http://www.oscommerce.info/docs/english/c_administration_tool.html

PS. when you used Powweb's installer from the SiteManager, then you go directly to the Administrative Tools to add your content.

PPS. You should be asking your future questions in the osCommerce forum section, a bit further down the forum list.

[JeremyOmaha]

Thanks.. I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. osCommerce does all that database stuff for you. I suppose if I want to customize it later, I will have to learn how to finetune it then.

I appreciate your help