| This FAQ contains
the following information
Q. Can I get updates for my Ecommerce
Plus Template?
Q. Do I need a copy of Microsoft
Access to use the Ecommerce Templates?
Q. Do I need a SSL certificate
for my web site to use the Ecommerce Templates?
Q. When I open my asp pages in Dreamweaver
or Frontpage, I don't see the products that are entered in
my database, or DHTML menu, (where applicable).
Q. Can I use a Data Source Name (DSN)
to connect to my Access Database?
Q. Can I link directly to a product
category?
Q. I don't know if my host supports
ASP. How can I tell?
Q. I can't get my database connection
right. How do I find out?
Q. How about if my database
folder is below the web root?
Q. Can I change all the text that
the store generates?
Q. Can I change the order of my product
listing and have products side by side?
Can I get updates for my Ecommerce Plus Template?
A. Yes, we have built the Ecommerce Plus Templates
in a modular system with the ability to upgrade in mind.
You can get the latest updater here,
you can check the your version number in the main admin page
of you control panel. Updaters are cumulative so you will
only ever need to apply the latest release. For a full list
of features in recent releases, please check out our updaters
forum.
Do I need a local copy of Microsoft Access to
use the Ecommerce Templates?
A. No. All changes can be made via the online
administration.
Do
I need a SSL certificate for my web site to use the Ecommerce
Templates?
A. Not always, all credit card numbers are
usuallytaken at the site of the payment processor using their
SSL connection
with the exception of Google Checkout, PayPal Pro, Verisign
PayFlow Pro, Authorize.net AIM method and our own "Capture
Card" method.
When I open my asp pages in Dreamweaver or Frontpage,
I don't see the products that are entered in my database,
or DHTML menu, (where applicable).
A. To view ASP page dynamic content correctly, you
must use a webserver. You can use a local webserver such as
Personal Web Server to test, but you have to view the page
in a browser using a URL such as
http://localhost/mypage.asp
Javascript / DHTML content must also be viewed in a browser
to see it correctly, but doesn't necessarily need a web server.
Can I use a Data Source Name (DSN) to connect to my
Access Database?
A. Yes you can. Just change your connection string
to...
sDSN =
However, we don't recommend these for a couple of resons.
Firstly they are slower, and secondly, you normally have to
ask your host to set one up, and that can take time.
Can I link directly to a product category?
A. Sure. To find out the url that you need to link
to, set up your store and click on one of the product categories
from the categories.asp page. You should see a URL something
like this in the address bar in your browser...
http://www.yoururl.com/products.asp?cat=3
Just copy and paste this into your link and it will link directly
to your category.
I don't know if my host supports ASP. How can I tell?
A. Normally you can just ask your host, or look at
your hosting plan. Failing that, just create a simple page,
and in HTML view between the <BODY> and </BODY>
tags add this line of code...
<%=Response.write("Hello World")%>
Now give the page a extension of .asp and upload it to your
server. If when you view this page in a browser you just see
the text "Hello World" then you probably can use
ASP.
I can't get my database connection right. How do I
find out?
A. One way is to copy and paste this code into notepad.
<HTML>
<BODY>
sDSN =
</BODY>
</HTML>
Now save the file with the name test.asp
Upload this file to the database folder on your web and open
the page in your browser. You should see one line of text
such as...
sDSN =
Now you just need to paste this line into your db_conn_open.asp
file using notepad. Make sure there are no line breaks and
that all other entries in db_conn_open.asp are commented out
or deleted.
If you get an error that the test.asp page cannot be found
then it is very likely that the page cannot be executed.
In that case place the test.asp file in your images folder
and browse to yoursite.com/images/test.asp, copy the connection
string you get there, paste it into vsadmin/db_conn_open.asp
replacing the \images\ in the string with \fpdb\
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SECURITY TIP
The best place for your database is outside the web root. Most hosts provide
a special folder for this
with the database permissions already set. Using a folder outside the
web root will make it difficult for anyone to download
your database and gain access to your username and password. Otherwise
you must set the permissions on your database folder
so that your database cannot be downloaded. More information is available
here.
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SECURITY TIP
Rename your database from vsproducts.mdb to a name of your choice, (keeping
the .mdb extension of course).
Examples would be (though don't use ours) yourstore591.mdb or database2221.mdb
This will make it harder for anyone to find your database if your database
folder permissions are set incorrectly.
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How about if my database folder is below the web
root?
A. This is the ideal place for the database
really, but it is a tiny bit more difficult to set the database
connection. What you need to do is to perform the above test,
but in the web root. Most hosts have a structure something
like this for your hosting plan . . .
/htdocs - where your html files go. May be called wwwroot,
wwwdocs etc.
/database - where your database goes. May be called private
or similar.
/logfiles
Now, if the above test returned for instance . . .
sDSN =
. . . just replace the folder name for html files with the
database folder name . . .
sDSN =
. . . And That's It ! !
Can I change all the text that the store generates?
A. Yes you can, open the file vsadmin/inc/languagefile.asp
and search for the text there that needs modifying.
Can I change the order of my product listing
and have products side by side?
A. Both these options can be changed in the file vsadmin/includes.asp
- there are a number of tweaks that can be made and they
are outlined here. |
