BF2S Forums E-commerce/Selling Merchandise Online - Where to Begin?

I've used Drupal and that's really good, although I know nothing about it's shopping cart features.

Zen Cart has a pretty extensive FAQ on their site, I recommend you check that out.

As far as the template, yes you'll have to modify your template a bit to make it work with carts, but only a bit.

Zimmer, thanks for the info. What do you know about Joomla? From what I can tell, Joomla is to Zen-cart as Drupal is to Uber-cart. I assume you'd prefer Drupal?

Also, I downloaded Drupal, but as for installing it, I have no clue.  I have to create a database using MySQL? Then I gotta run an install script...I have to put the whole directory (By this I assume all the contents of the Drupal download) into my web server root directory? I read the provided txt document, and also browsed the "Handbook" I just don't...get...it.

Edit: When they say put it into web server root directory, is that my website directory that I access via FTP?

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-12 16:11:55)

Zimmer wrote:

Your server directoy should either be PUBLIC_HTML or HTTPDOCS folder. That is where you should put the Drupal files from the UPLOAD folder. I advise making a subfolder and calling it "drupal" and dumping the files there. Then go to your web browser, point it to http://yoursite.com/drupal and the installation script will run, with you having to input the details as required.

MAN threads get lost on this forum fast...

Anyway, Haven't been on xfire much, so I'll ask here just to get myself involved again. Why does Drupal have to be installed via my web server? And, when you say the 'installation script' will run, where does it install to? My computer? My server? I just wonder why it has to be uploaded to my web server first, before I can install it to my computer.

Also, I'm assuming that I MUST have a web server control panel that I can access, and I MUST have MySQL db correct? I haven't heard back from my web host provider on this subject yet, I'll send em another email.

Yes, I'm a total noob at this, with no experience at all, but I really would like to learn this. I'll check out Drupal Forums again and read into it more. It's nice to have some personal help as well, thnx.

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Zimmer wrote:

Your server directoy should either be PUBLIC_HTML or HTTPDOCS folder. That is where you should put the Drupal files from the UPLOAD folder. I advise making a subfolder and calling it "drupal" and dumping the files there. Then go to your web browser, point it to http://yoursite.com/drupal and the installation script will run, with you having to input the details as required.

MAN threads get lost on this forum fast...

Anyway, Haven't been on xfire much, so I'll ask here just to get myself involved again. Why does Drupal have to be installed via my web server? And, when you say the 'installation script' will run, where does it install to? My computer? My server? I just wonder why it has to be uploaded to my web server first, before I can install it to my computer.

Also, I'm assuming that I MUST have a web server control panel that I can access, and I MUST have MySQL db correct? I haven't heard back from my web host provider on this subject yet, I'll send em another email.

Yes, I'm a total noob at this, with no experience at all, but I really would like to learn this. I'll check out Drupal Forums again and read into it more. It's nice to have some personal help as well, thnx.

Who is your web server company?

Unless you have an APACHE server and PHP running on your local computer ( along with a whole lot of other shit ) you cannot install Drupal as it requires an online environment ( apache, GD, PHP, mod_rewrite ) to work on.
The install script would be accessed via your browser ( once the files are uploaded into YOUR SERVER ) and that install script would run you through the connection to a MYSQL database ( which you must have on your server in the first place, with full privileges and the username and password ) and it will run you through extras like site name and first admin setup. The install script directly communicates with the MYSQL db that you have already put into the first page of your installation script and then inputs the details that you put into the script and starts up the site for you.

Although forget what I just said there, as you wont be using Drupal 6, but 5... UberCart doesn't work on 6, so you will have to stick with the slightly outdated Drupal system ( nothing wrong with it, just doesn't have as many fancy options ). Installation here is slightly more basic, with only the DB options - from there on, you will have the site up and running and the FIRST account you create will be the admin account. They will talk a lot about a settings.php file; follow the instructions for how to make it writable and how to start up the site with that specific file. It's mostly self explanatory.

The install script online connects the already-uploaded Drupal files with your MYSQL db - which then, in turn, allows you to have a dynamic site which you can update online.

Don't check the Drupal forums, just read the installation guide ( it's huge and very helpful for noobs ). From there you should have a "vague" idea on what you are supposed to do.

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Heh, I think I need a crash course in Database Management Systems including SQL, PHP, intergrating Drupal and Ubercart...

Any book recommendations? Right now I'm reading through, 'SQL for Dummies', 'MySQL & mSQL', 'Understanding Database Management Systems' all found at my library...Which sucks.

You need absolutely no knowledge on MYSQL and SQL to run a drupal site. All you need is the DB server, username and password.

Server : localhost
DB name : "accountusername"_DB NAME
DB username : "accountusername"_DBUSERNAME
DB pass : password

Make sure you add your account username ( used for the hosting, as I know you have inmotion ) in front of BOTH the name of the DB and the username.

Congratulations, Drupal has been successfully installed.

Yay! So now I am playing around with configuring the site and such. But, I notice the "Getting Started with Drupal" guide seems to only help if you want to set up some kind of website forum with a whole bunch of user settings and such.

There must be a way to create templates in Dreamweaver of a site design, and integrate that with the Drupal's CMS/plugins so I don't have to use Drupal to design the site? Nothing in that guide touched on this subject.



Edit: Thought I'd go ahead and install Ubercart also LOOK at this list of modules I have to install!

http://www.ubercart.org/docs/user/3313/ … g_ubercart

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-24 14:50:45)

Ya, figuring out how to use drupal to redesign my site is kind of a pain. When I click Add Content >> Page, all I get is a Title box, and Body box, so I assume I can only enter in code, or can copy pasta code?

I have to consider my time constrictions. I gotta get this set up by the second week of October, so I'm thinking of just redesigning the site in Dreamweaver with templates and CSS and try and find a shopping cart service that will integrate with it if possible. OsCommerce maybe, Zen Cart...I don't know.

I've been looking at some of these Drupal Templates that I can download, and figured I should be able to make my own and use it. But, its probably to complicated.

I was looking at some themes here: http://www.osskins.com/main/

This one in particular:
http://www.osskins.com/main/drupal/free … 2007/02/05

BUT, when I open winzip to extract them I get this message:


The help file says it cannot determine the full filename information. If i replace it with whatever, it becomes a single file, not a folder with all the necessary template files...

I guess some templates I just wont be able to use?

Edit, this is kinda what I'm shootin for lol:

http://www.templatemonster.com/zen-cart … 20742.html

Last edited by Im_Dooomed (2008-09-25 19:28:52)