text: How do you install contributions? - General Add-Ons Support - osCommerce Support Forum
  How do you install contributions?
  By jawproducts, May 20, 2005 in General Add-Ons Support
  Hi! I hope I am not being too much of a pain, but if someone can just point me in the direction --> I am new to oscommerce and people keep telling me that I can add contributions (trying to add the Master products M2), but I can't figure out how to do it. Is there a tutorial on 'how to install contributions"? I have searched and searched and can't find a step by step on how to do it. I see that i download the contribution, extract, but then I have no idea, do i copy and paste it? I am so clueless. Thanks so much
  In the contributions files there are instructions on how to add the files and what files you need to modify by hand. If you have a standard osCommerce install it should be no problems. Just look for an install.txt or html file or a readme.
  Unfortunately, there is no guide, other than the instructions included with the contribution. Since the contributions are written by any number of people, the way the instructions are set up varies from one to the next which adds to the confusion.
  For most contributions, there are two ways to install them: copy the files included in the contribution or edit your files to match those. The former is much easier but can usually only be done one time. Once you have installed one contribution, using the copy method may overwrite those changes so it won't work.
  To work with oscommerce, you will need an ftp program and an editor. There are free versions of both available on the web. You use the ftp program to connect to your site and download the files. You then use the editor to make the changes you need. Then upload the changed files with the ftp program.
  The first rule you need to be aware of is that you are probably going to make a mistake. So backup your files and database before beginning. You will need them. ;) Even better is if oyu can create a test shop to work on. Then it won't matter what happens.
  Installing contributions can be quite intimidating but it is not very difficult for the most part. The problem is that you are learning a lot of new things all at once so it can get very confusing, very fast. The solution is to not be in a hurry. Plan on spending a month or two coming to grips with the working of oscommerce.
  Everyone starts out the same way and, if they stick with it, they quickly learn how easy it is. Good luck. :)
  Wow thank you BOTH so much! I was planning on taking a few months to learn, yes, thanks SO MUCH for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  I must be a complete moron; i cannot understand still how to do this. Do I download the contribution, then find the original file and over write it?
  - Download the contribution to your computer
  - Download your shop to your computer from your server. Make a copy to keep as backup and one to work one.
  - Follow the instrructions in the contribution. You may be able to copy the files but there is usually other code changes to be made too.
  - When you are done with all of you changes, upload the files back to your server.
  - Be sure to apply any database changes that are required.
  - If you shop fails, post the error here. If you need to get it up right away, reload the files from your backup.
  I presume your trying to install this contrib?
  If so what you need to do is find a complete download that has all the files, if you select the very top addition it doesnt have everything you need.
  I havent/dont use this contrib but heres what id do.
  Download this version "3 Apr 2004 - Master Products - 1.1.5"
  This has all the info you need to get started.
  - Unzip the download to your desktop or somewhere.
  - The unzipped file (called Master_products-v1.1) has 4 files in it.
  -A folder called catalog
  -A File called Licence
  -A File called Installation
  -A File called Master
  You will notice that the installation and master files are simple text files that you can read.
  Read the Installation file. This tells you exactly what to do including the reminder to back up your site before you break it (and trust me you will break it many many times if you are installing contribs)
  I just read the installation file and basically all you have to do is if you have not made any alterations to the standard code is to overwrite the files on your server with those that are found in the catalog file in the download. Run the SQL file which will add a few things to your database.
  Sit back, take a deep breath and see if its worked!
  If it hasnt worked, re-read the installation files and check your work.
  If that doesnt work check it again. If that doesnt work check the forum to see if theres a support thread and read the whole thing from top to bottom (with the Paypal contribs theres 66 pages to read through!) chances are someone else will have had your problem.
  You can then go back to where you downloaded the file from and see if there are any updates you might want to use. ie there might be some extra functionality or security update or something you might wish to add, ususally this is as easy as replacing a file.
  Thats basically the process of installing contribs. As others above have posted you will need a ftp client (free) and also an editor. Why? Because as soon as you want to add another contrib in addition to the Master Products one you can just overwrite the files again as it will undo the work carried out for the Master products.
  In most cases the installation file will say something like.
  add "X, Y, Z" just after line 246 which reads "dfgdjfgjfd"
  You will need to download your current file via ftp, make the changes in the installation file with the editor, then reupload the changed file(s) via ftp to replace the ones on your server.
  PS Remember to back everything up before you try anything. An important point to remember is that the contributions MIGHT not work, theyre kindly coded by the likes of Jack above and MIGHT have errors, bugs, etc in them.
  Wow you guys are amazing thanks so much! I will do this as soon as i get a free minute (So busy lately!)
  but thanks you guys, I started to do the attributes sets one yesterday and i didnt get any errors yet when i clicked on the "product attributes" link in my catalog admin, it was blank so i have eto figure that out. Does anyone know what this means though, on the attribute sets contribution, the very last line in instructions says this, and i was good up until this last statement, and this statement is foreign language to me :-( it said:
  "for debugging the database functions,
  this is difficult to do w/ out a debugger, what i did was intentionally break the sql query which would stop the program and display the sql query. I would append or prepend variables to the sql query and by doing this you could verify the values being passed in, such as the $action variable"
  Is this something I have to do, i have no idea what this means? im sorry i am new to this!
  I wouldnt worry about that, as long as it works.
  If it doesnt work then you have to find out why, and the debugger mentioned is one way.... as long as you understand it.
  Most contribs work fine, and if they dont then its probably the installer thats made a mistake somewhere along the line, especially if its not a newly contributed contrib.
  oh thanks so much! i am getting a blank page still though wheni click on "product attribute sets" ....not sure what that means but ill try to figure it out. thanks!
  Im not familiar with this contrib as we dont use product attributes but by the sounds it looks like something hasnt worked???? Maybe.
  Time to check that installation, then the updates, then the forum thread... then learn about the debugging code I guess?
  Thanks hon!!!! im brand new to this so im so overwhelmed, I feel like ill NEVER LEARN IT Lol
  Real fast though, do you understand how to use "my sql" and myphpadmin? here is what it says on one forum:
  says: to make the tables, just drop the sql file into your sql program. I use myphpadmin"
  Lol am i out of it, I dont even know what that means. i bought all the books for this oscommerce too and thers nothing in there about this, so weird! thanks for your help though!
  Oh and then she put "Once you do that, the tables are automatically created. "
  LOL Seeing as im a hon (whatever that is.... short for honey I hope?!) I`ll help explain this too so hopefully someone else will come across this later and it might help them too.
  myphpadmin is an administration tool for mysql databases (bet youd never guess by the name! LOL). Most Linux hosts will have it in CPanel (if you dont use a linux host this will mean nothing to you).Im certainly no expert in how it works etc but all you really need to know is how to select your oscommerce database tables from the database drop down list on the left (for example there are 70 tables in mine, a few more than the standard install because of the installation of some contribs).
  At the top are some headings, the second reads... SQL
  You then have 2 options to achive the same result.
  Either Cut and paste the sql into the top box and click go
  or locate the file on your hard drive using the box at the bottom and click go.
  Assuming everythings ok you will get a confirmation of what was done.
  Generally I leave the database tables alone as much as possible, playing about in there is dangerous and you can easy delete all of your customers orders with one click, delete whole tables with one click, and much more.
  Heres the manual if you want to read it please feel free. Once you have if you could just paraphrase all 30 chapters into a page of easy to understand A4 that would be great :blink: :D
  You are smart! Thank you, I won't bug you anymore! I printed what you said , thanks so much! i feel like such a dope! i am going to try to read up and learn thanks so much !!!!!!!!!!!!11
  you have no idea how much you have helped me!
  (means your welcome in Japanese) :)
  PS im not clever, I just tried things slowly, broke them and learnt to use the search facility on this site. Thats how I learnt about how to use myphpadmin etc its all on this forum, you just have to find it. The search is your friend (read the advanced help info), as is google.