Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I have recently launched an online e-commerce site; it has been extremely profitable in its infancy months. As orders and clients grow we realize we need a better way to track customer info and update the website with more ease.

dilema -
we are interested in loading 125 products into our MySQL database - via phpmyadmin (1and1 hosting). i have created the database & i am currently working on the tables. the goal is to finalize the database and link it to ecart4 via dreamweaver. this is best instead of building static pages for each product (which can be time consuming).

question -
i am wondering is there a program out there that will interface with phpmyadmin/MySql that allows a more user friendly way to upload data and run queries to MySql? I am by far a web developer -- and learning as i go.

Any help or knowledge of good nuts and bolts tutorials `in english` would be great. :)

The open source ecommerce programs osCommerce and Zen Cart use such a database and (like most ecommerce solutions) you add, edit, delete, manage your products through an admin login of the ecommerce programs ( you do not use phpmyadmin).

~Roland

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Web Design | Best Beef Jerky | ecommerce articles | Follow vwebworld on Twitter

You really need to know what you`re doing or you`ll scotch the whole thing. My advice would be: backup your databases very often. As often as possible, even several times a day, would be good, at least while you`re learning.

phpMyAdmin will let you input large queries, as well as different layouts of data. It`s an easy to use interface once you know the basics.

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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

thanks for the replies. I am using e-cart - which is a dreamweaver extension. Instead of building 100 static product pages I am building a database to upload into mysql so it can pull once I finalize my e-cart shop.  I have done quite a bit of research and I want to ensure I am building the database correctly - so I can run queries to refer similar products once a user selects an item, etc.

At this point -

- I have built the table
- Created an excel/csv file with data
- does anyone know how I should build the table so that it will respond to record set filters that suggest similar items.

For example -- user selects product A; I would like to suggest product B & C as well with this product - showing images and so forth. How would I construct my table so I could script this information on my site?  This may be a bit too technical -- but hopefully someone knows of some good tutorials for newbies to databases in general.

Thanks. :)

Can I ask one silly question??

 Why are you trying to re-invent the wheel

If I may make an un-solicited suggestion .... follow this link ... here`s a data base / shopping cart that has everything you are looking for.

http://www.spads.com/applecartdb.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page and you`ll find exactly what you are looking for ... and its fully tested. It really does work .. and its ALL off-line ... just what you are looking for.

VictoriaBella,
Why go through all the hard labor intensive MYSQL administration. My suggestion would be to go with OScommerce an open source shopping cart that can do just exactly what you want to do... When a person purchases an item, it will tell you something like "the people who purchased this item also purchased these" and it displays the items purchased.
Dealing with a MYSQL database without the proper too to interact with the DB itself is "critical", One should never touch a DB once it`s set up and information is being stored "Unless you are backing it up" but with the OSCommerce Application you don`t have to back up via the database. You back up through your Admin Control panel under Tools..



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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

Sorry to say, but you`re going about this in the most back-asswards way possible. Not only that, it`s dangerous! What happens if someone accidentally hits "drop table"? You seriously need a tool with a web-based front end. (that`s not phpmyadmin)

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Check out my blog: Upstarter.net: the simple habits of successful entrepreneurs

And my startup: ChatSpring Live Chat Software for Sales and Customer Service

Starrhorne... you do have a point there... Just imagine that? 200 products into your development and you hit the drop table button?
So much for your shopping cart. I know you`re trying to beat corners... But! Oscommerce is "FREE" it all depends if your hosting company offers it... Most of them do...
E-cart is for small projects... 10 to 15 products... and even at 10 products... thats alot of work.. entering everything in if your DB crashes.


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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

I had a customer that used to be on e-cart and moved him to X-Cart.  This is an excellent product for shopping carts and has outstanding service 24/7.

I don`t use Zen Cart or OSCommerce mainly because of the lack of 24/7 support and because of all the in-fighting in the OSCommerce community.  There hasn`t been a major release of OSCommerce in over three years so be warned.

Also, if you hosting company doesn`t have a good interface to your database you may also want to consider changing hosting companies.


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Aaron Wood
CEO
San Diego Dream Weavers
http://www.sddreamweavers.com
awood@sddreamweavers.com

New and improved! Now with blogging goodness!
http://www.sddreamweavers.com/san-diego-seo-marketing-blog/