Import is perhaps one of the most complicated procedures of osCommerce shopping cart. It requires certain knowledge to perform product import. There are a few alternatives: you can import all your products manually (at time it may be up to several hundreds), use certain custom script, plugin or other contribution. The point is none of the above mentioned approaches does not ensure smooth and precise import of your products.
I bumped into software which makes product import more simple than all the other ones. It's called Store Manager for osCommerce. This software enables import of products to .csv file and its export back to osCommerce.
It requires certain knowledge to perform product import. But if you carefully follow the instructions of Import Wizard most likely it will be a success. Import is quite complicated procedure and it can be destructive if performed inappropriately. Thus, you need to create database backup before osCommerce products import especially if you do it for the first time.
Thus, here's what you ought to do to make product import a success:
1. Get the .csv file ready
First of all prepare a .csv file for Import. Make sure it contains all obligatory fields and all data you need.
2. Choose "Import" in the Import/Export Wizard
Choose "Import" from the alternatives offered in the wizard and proceed to the next step
3. Enter the .csv file you need to import
You can either enter the .csv file or use browse button to select one. Also you can Save Import Settings or load one of earlier used.
4. Source file preview
It displays a part of .csv file chosen for import. Pay attention to field delimiters and quote characters, if some are used.
5. Choose fields delimiter and quote character
Please note that if you indicate wrong values, import may not work.
6. Base Formats and separators
Enter the date & time formats and separators as they are set in your .csv file. They can be set by default.
7. Import options
These settings may influence import end results. You ought to: select import method, how the products that are not listed in the source file should be handled, check whether log file should be created and save import configuration.
8. Link columns from .csv file to appropriate database fields
Check the box if the first of .csv file contains not values but field names. Choose method of identification - recommended Product ID + Product Name. Assign .csv column to database field: select a field at the "Database Fields" and then click a column at the .csv column. You can use "Auto set..." option to set connection automatically for all fields. This option will work only if .csv column name is the same as database field name.
9. Preview import data
On Import Preview page you can observe how .csv file was processed using import settings, which you specified at previous steps. Check whether all columns that you want to be imported are filled with data: some of them may be empty. Then click "Import" to launch product import.
10. Import completed
The last step of Import Products Wizard will show the errors which took place during import process, if there were any.
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