Zen-Cart

This is another shipping module for Zencart. I have been working on the UPS XML module for awhile now. I have ported over the more advanced packing algorithm from the UPS module, to allow packing support in the USPS shipping module. This module allows Zencart to calculate shipping for multiple boxes for a freight quote. The default behavior for Zencart is to place all items in one box with a total weight to send for quote. With this updated USPS shipping module, items will be packed into boxes you enter, or you may set items to always be packaged separately. The module then returns the aggregate shipping cost for your packages. This should provide much more accurate shipping quotes.You can download the module from bitbucket.org. In the upper right hand corner highlight over “get source”, and click on zip to download the files. Found a bug? Or what to update the code, please fork my project, or send me your revisions.

Zen-Cart

Many websites offer free shipping in the USA. The default shipping module for zencart does not allow a store owner to easily handle it. In the configuration of the shipping module, you set the desired country (USA) to display free shipping to, and any of the other options that are available in the standard freeshipper module included with zencart. The zip file contains just 2 files, the shipping total, and a english language define. Install instructions are included in the download. Very easy and fast to install.

You may download the module form bitbucket.org, or even help contribute to it.

Zen-Cart

Here is another update to the popular add-on for Zencart called Easy Populate. For those unfamiliar with Easy Populate, it’s a fantastic add-on for Zencart. Easy Populate allows user to create comma separated values (.csv) files to editing the list of products in their Zencart installation. A user recently emailed me requesting an additional feature of price break imports to be included in Easy Populate.
Price breaks are created in Zencart by navigation to your cart admin page. Then clicking on the menu I originally tried creating a very complex SQL query that didn’t quite reach it’s potential. I ended coding a solution that worked pretty well. The updated version of Easy Populate is availabe to download below. Instructions are included in the file about installation or upgrading from previous versions of Easy Populate.

This updated version of the script will export the model number, price, discount type, discount qty, discount price, discount qty, discount price, etc. Edit the discount type as follows:

The v_discount_type values are:
0: none,
1: Percentage,
2: Actual Price,
3: Amount off

If any item is set to discount type 0 then any previous price breaks entered will be deleted upon import of file. If you need more columns than what is exported by default, just simple copy the pattern of titles of the columns (ie discount_qty_0, discount_qty_1,…discount_qty_n and discount_price_0, discount_price_1,…discount_price_n).

Download Easy Populate v 1.2.5.8

Zen-Cart

Lately, I have been developing a few modifications for Zencart. One of things I have noticed during the development process, is my shopping cart being lost while typing code and then refreshing the page a little while later. This was no big deal. Just go in add another product, and test again. Then, I got to talking to a few other users who seem to experience the same problem of losing their session. As an end user or a customer this can be frustrating that you have added items to your cart, and then something come ups. They come back to their cart, go to another page, and they have lost their shopping cart. Zencart checks your php.ini for session length. On some hosting accounts, you don’t have access to change this value, or you just want a more user friendly way to adjust this.  This contribution / modification for Zen-cart will fix this problem. No core files are touched with this mod. You can extend the session length / timeout / expiration from the admin page.

Download Zencart Custom Session Timeout

Installation instructions are included in the zip file in readme.txt. Here is a copy of the instructions:

1. -Unzip folder contents.
2. -Rename /admin folder to match the name of your custom admin folder.
3. -Upload files to your server
4. -Login into your admin page for zencart (-This should automatically install this mod)
5. -Goto Admin->Configuration->My Store
6. -Click on Customer Session Time Out in Seconds and set your desired value.
7. -Click [Update] button to save changes.
8. -You’re Done!!

Now, you will be able to change the session timeout / length / expiration for your zencart store.

Zen-Cart

One of the few options to try and combat SPAM on your zencart install, is to try and implement a CAPTCHA text/image on your contact us page. I recently updated a contribution I  created several months ago. This reCAPTCHA contribution will add configuration fields to the database for your api key and password, color theme selection, and enable/disable feature on contact us form.  The original contribution had used native mysql queries, so I have updated the contribution to support zencart’s $db:Factory object.Download the file below, and read the included instructions. There is only one original core file that has been overwritten. The reCAPTCHA logic had to be added to the contact us form validation.
Update 10/10/2010: This contribution has been updated to use Zencart 1.3.9g, and has added reCAPTCHA to several other pages. Please checkout download link at bottom of page.

Upload files to your zencart installation folder, and login into your admin page. The contribution will automatically install it’s configuration values. On a page refresh, you should see a new box under Admin->Configuration->reCAPTCHA.

If you are upgrading from a previous install of this mod, append [&remove_recaptcha=yes] to the url in your admin page, and press [Enter]. This will reinstall the contribution.

Download/Contribute to Zencart reCAPTCHA

Zen-Cart

One task I have put off from switching from osCommerce to ZenCart shopping cart platform, was updating the UPS XML contribution.  For those familiar with the shopping cart system, you know by default they only support standard UPS shipping. The cart figures shipping all the items together in one box. However, some products can’t be shipped together, and distorts shipping quotes for UPS. The solution that evolved in osCommerce was using UPS shipping API to get detailed freight quotes.

The UPS API accepts a XML document with shipment details, and returns rates for the various services available.  The current UPS XML  contribution for ZenCart lacked the packing and dimensional support that had been added to the osCommerce version. I was familiar with the code in osCommerce, and started porting the code over to ZenCart. Thankfully, for the override system in ZenCart, makes adding modifications alot easier.

This contribution only overwrites 2 original file. The file is:

/admin/includes/modules/product/collect_info.php
/admin/includes/modules/update_product.php

This edits add the data entry for dimension fields to the add/update products screen. The zip file contains readme instructions for installing this.

Download zencart-UPS_XML.

Zen-Cart

One of the features I enjoyed using with osCommerce, was a plugin for creating a related products box below a displayed. The plugin was easily implemented, and used an extra field add to the database. That was a great asset, that I felt missed using. Zen-cart offers something very similar in its port of XSell (Cross Sell). This feature would work fine if you are adding a few products at time, and do not have many related products. However, in my case, I have about 4,000 items in my catalog. The products are mostly lighting fixtures, which for must companies have coordinating fixtures for each room. This would be a bit cumbersome to create all of the related items. This is why I decided to write a quick plugin to get this simple functionality back.The code works by simply selecting products that have the same products_family value from the products table. You will first need to add this field to your database.

The default products table is “zen_products”, and in your favorite MySQL editor add:

ALTER TABLE zen_products ADD COLUMN products_family VARCHAR(50);

Next, you will need to add values to your new field family_products. The easiest to do this is to use custom fields in Easy Populate. I added the code to Easy Poplulate for zen-cart to be able to add your own custom fields to the import/export file.

Now that you’ve got the fields added to the database, it’s time to upload some files. Download Zencart Related Plugins. Read the included readme file, and upload to your zen cart folder.

Open the file /includes/templates/CUSTOM/templates/tpl_product_info_display.php and find the block around line 463:

<!--bof also purchased products module -->
	<?php require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_modules_also_purchased_products.php', DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/' . 'tpl_modules_also_purchased_products.php');?>
<!--eof also purchased products module -->

Above that copy this into your file:

<!--bof also related products module-->
	<?php require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_modules_related_products.php', DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/' . 'tpl_modules_related_products.php');?>
<!--eof also related products module-->

You should now see products being displayed under the products description. You will want to add some CSS styles to the box to your liking. Default styles should be:

#relatedProducts	{text-align: center;}
.centerBoxContentsRelatedProduct	{float: left; margin: 1em 0;}