Free osCommerce Prestashop Tomatocart templates

Here is a short installation guide for osCommerce 2.3

How to install free oscommerce and STS templates
Oscommerce was founded by Harald Ponce de Leon who comes from Germany. His idea was to create an E-commerce system where everyone could be involved to design and program the system. Under a license called the GNU General Public License which basically means that it is free for everyone to use osCommerce 2.3 and STS also for commercial use.

So in the beginning I went over from various java E-commerce system to this fantastic project that just exploded when users from around the world joined and wrote codes. I started programming seriously in osCommerce 2.3 and templates in 2002 Today I create free templates and do installations for customers around the world

Much has happened since then and those who design and program osCommerce 2.3 today has become much better, so the system is very stable and secure in my opinion. There are a lot of other systems that is very good as Prestashop Tomatocart and some other scripts Many of these systems uses osCommerce 2.3 as base and are so called Forks.

Disadvantages of osCommerce 2.3
Although osCommerce and STS is the best option for me and other coders that like full control it has some disadvantages when it comes to designing the store, it is not easy and you need good knowledge of the system. When a new similar E-Commerce script starts they often add great importance to the layout and therefore they weave it into a "Template" system, which makes it possible to change the layout without going too deep into the codes. osCommerce lacks this features and a small change may require an awful lot of coding.

There is a few contributions and our free templates you can install for graphics

STS (Simple template system) is a "Template" system for osCommerce. But since it was added afterward, it is not 100% compatible with the system which could result in certain modules not interact with a osCommerce STS system.

Today, similar scripts have a module manager that automatically install modules, osCommerce does not have this, so when it's time to install a new module, it can often require that you have very good skills in programming and database management, an example of this can be "SEO module" (search engine module) are very time consuming to install even for an experienced osCommerce user.

Advantages of osCommerce 2.3 and free templates

Is that when you learn the system you will be surprised of how much you can change. An osCommerce store can be customized down to the smallest detail, do you have an idea about how the shop should be, it is possible to arrange if you choose to build it with osCommerce. The reason for this is that it is hard coded and not embedded in the "Template" system, and other features which allows almost everything can be changed. This is only my opinion after working with the system since late 2002.

So how should we proceed? If you decided that you want to build your store in osCommerce and install a free template which is recommended, you should ask yourself if you want to learn the system or if you just want a simpler store to sell goods with.

Concentrate on selling
If you choose to concentrate on selling the goods, then you probably need help to get your shop running, but here is a quick guide to get started.

Although osCommerce is a complete system, it is far from complete for a non English market. After you install your store, you'll most likely need these modules to get started: (available to download from www.oscommerce.com)

1. Your language modules for both administration and shop.
2. "your language" mail order modules
3. set the currency, VAT etc.
4. "your language" personal number management
5. Customize enrollment for "your language" registration.
6. "your language" credit card modules

with this installed you'll be a bit along the way.

The next step is to work with someone who takes care of the layout or download a free template from us.

Learn the system
If you want to learn osCommerce 2.3, you have an exciting task ahead of you.
And I want to help you on the way with the installation and some good tips. First, familiarize yourself with the osCommerce website where you will find a very good forum where you can ask questions and look up the "Contributions" page, with may thousand modules that can be installed for your store, you'll also find many modules and free templates created by me "Mindsparx" modules and templates

When I wrote this guide the stable version was "Oscommerce Online Merchant v2.2 Release Candidate 2a". But now there is a 2.3 version witch is very promising this guide is mainly for the 2.2 version witch is included in some of my templates, anyway a 2.3 version is similar and this guide should work for that version too.

After you downloaded the program it should be installed. Here is a brief installation guide below.

1. You need a web hosting that supports PHP (programming language osCommerce is built by) and at least 1 mysql database (database used by osCommerce) most hosting providers have this, if not select another.

2. A domain name associated with your hosting, this is usually bought at your hosting company and is your www address for the shop.

3. The program that you download from http://www.oscommerce.com/solutions/downloads, purchased or free templates

You can and should build your shop locally as we do. We recommend Wamp server. To download and install it can be difficult, search for a tutorial on this.

What skills do I need?
To install a basic store or a free template does not require too much in addition to this guide but if you want to go deeper in to the codes, you'll have to have:

1./computer skills 2. Basic HTML knowledge

3. Basic PHP and database management

4. understanding of CSS

5. basic Java knowledge

6. understand what FTP means and how to set up rights (CHMOD) and sends the files in binary form (we go through this further down)

7. Manage programs that Dreamweaver and Photoshop

8. basic knowledge of brewing a pot of coffee

How does a script like this and our free templates work?
simply explained:
osCommerce is built on a free programming language called PHP, PHP is an extension of the traditional programming language HTML that is used when building websites, the big difference is that PHP is a server side script which is converted on a server (Web hosting) to HTML, so everything is written in PHP and when a visitor reaches your page the PHP codes converts to a HTML page for the visitor. The advantage of this is that the user can't read your codes that safely sits on a server as PHP.

PHP's best friend is named MySql, its a database handler that is free too. Together they are the cornerstones of the osCommerce, everything that is happening in your store when it is running goes into the database in the form of orders, reviews, and your products (except images that end up in the image folder in the server) which then PHP download and converts to HTML that the visitor sees.

Install osCommerce and free templates
Ok lets go to the installation of Oscommerce, first thing we need to do is to send the files to the server, start the FTP application (download FileZilla if you do not have an FTP program, it's free). When you send up your files it should this be done in binary form (go to settings in "Filezilla" for example). Send up all the files that are located inside the Catalog folder (Admin, includes, etc. about 50 visible files and folders)

In the meantime you can create a database (Often done in your Cpanel or PhpMyAdmin. When all files are up and the database is created, then navigate to your domain name eg www.mystore.com and follow the instructions.

1. The database server is usually localhost
2. Username is your user name for the database
3. Password is your password for the database
4. Database name is the name you have gave your database

Fix warnings (Only osCommerce or free template 2.2)
The first thing you see is some warning messages when you visit your store for the first time, a warning that the installation folder remains. Delete the entire folder with your ftp program.

The second warning is a bit trickier , configure.php file that is located in the includes folder is writable, which is not too good because others can access it, to lock it can be difficult depending on which Web hosting company you have. The idea is to give rights 444 to the file which means that it can be read only. This is also referred to CHMOD a file.

To do this, start your ftp program (Filezilla) and right-click includes index.php located in the server in the includes folder and select "file attributes", depending on which language you have, late change right to 444. If this fails, you need to get help from your hosting company, please contact them and please mention that you want to change a file's permissions and they should help you with that.

What you have now is hardly something we want to sell from (If its not a free template from us). I recommend you to install the modules I mention above.

Before you begin to fill your store with modules you should download the modules you want and then see which ones are the most complex to install and then start with it, which saves lots of time.

Keep in mind that the more modules you install, the more difficult it will be because you often change the same files, and the more you change the harder it is to follow the instructions when everything is nested. And believe me you dont need all the features you are planing to put in, a customer wants a peaceful experience when the are shopping not circulating products and flashing texts, many fill their shops with so many modules that the customers think it will explode if pressing a link All the complex features should be in your administration for you, so that you can process all orders.

If you want SEO tools (search engine optimization) you should install those module first, it is fairly complex and affects a huge part of your store.

Some other complex modules are:

Discount coupons
Extra images
Shop without account
Master products
STS system
Then, you should install our module Mindsparx_Admin for better administration, it can be found here: http://addons.oscommerce.com/info/6440

Another thing you should be aware of is if you're designing your shop on your own, buy or download a free template from us then the template should be the first to install because it becomes much more complicated to install a template on a shop filled with modules.

Good luck!