Thread: woman needs assistance

Hello All,

It's been a while since I showed my ignorance of all things tech related BUT here I go again....hehe

COuld soem one please tell me in baby steps how to edit the stylesheet for oscommerce so it looks like the website i'm working on....AND yes I have gone over the tutorials here and at the oscommerce forum site and afteer seaching and reading like agazillion psot feel extra stupid....lol

SO please any help will be appreciated....

Bee ... you are too funny ... you have been reading too many threads and responding to the Heelllppppp ..... you really think that works now ...

lmao

Sorry Miss Desperato ... I cannot assist, I could offer you a cookie ... lmao

I'll take hte cookie...at least tthe comfort will pull me through the night...lmao

And I could offer you fudge - homemade - the best :)

I haven't used OSCommerce - upped it once - played in their forum and decided it wasn't for me at that point in time - however, we know others have and you will find your help!

Originally Posted by beegud2

I'll take hte cookie...at least tthe comfort will pull me through the night...lmao

Okay Bee ... I'll send the whole bag ... but, someone will be here to rescue you soon, I'll just keep you company until then ....

Did you want some milk with those cookies, they are peanut butter chocolate chip and they are to die for .... and of course freshly baked today by none other than Sobeys themselves, lmao

Ok...Bethers thanks for the fudge and LE that bag of cookies with milk sounds like it should keep me sane until someone pops by ....thanks for the company ladies....:)

Where are the big guns when ya need em...hmmm...probably on vacation or sleeping...sigh...woe is me...(munching on peanut butter cookies and fudge and gulping milk...waiting for HELP)

Originally Posted by Bethers

And I could offer you fudge - homemade - the best :)

I haven't used OSCommerce - upped it once - played in their forum and decided it wasn't for me at that point in time - however, we know others have and you will find your help!

lol Beth ... seems we'll fatten her up if nothing else ... what kind of fudge is that anyway ... lol ... peanut butter chocolate ... can we add some coconuts ... lol ....

No ...no coconuts...that'll make me more nutty than I already am...and OMG...i think my butt just expanded..hope help gets here soon...where is Vasili when you need him..he usually knows this stufff...lol

Originally Posted by beegud2

No ...no coconuts...that'll make me more nutty than I already am...and OMG...i think my butt just expanded..hope help gets here soon...where is Vasili when you need him..he usually knows this stufff...lol

lol Bee ... well, that's why I added the coconuts - for Vasili to come in here ... yeah they are for him ....

LOLOL about the coconuts.

My fudge is chocolate - ALL chocolate - no nuts - no coconuts - and very, very, very rich. Is an old family recipe - and, if I do say so myself - it's to die for. I can make it with nuts - but I don't want them - so when I'm making it where I'm going to be eating it - no nuts LOL Well, just the ones eating it :)

And - it's got lots of dark chocolate in it - so it's really healthy, right?

Wish I could help with OsCommerce Beeez - but instead, I'll feed you and Holly fudge - and we'll just pass the time. (And I'm stealing one of those cookies - but you can keep all the milk.)

So........wazup???

What are you trying to actually do???

Yeaaa...finally...I'm trying to make the shopping cart in oscommerce look more like my friends site ...I've manged to get the logo on top but I want to center it and also use the same background etc. I would also liekto know id there is a way to import the product list to the cart and add it via CSV or do i have to do everything one at a time...

Sharing cookie and Bethers fudge for help....:)

Originally Posted by Bethers

LOLOL about the coconuts.

My fudge is chocolate - ALL chocolate - no nuts - no coconuts - and very, very, very rich. Is an old family recipe - and, if I do say so myself - it's to die for. I can make it with nuts - but I don't want them - so when I'm making it where I'm going to be eating it - no nuts LOL Well, just the ones eating it :)

And - it's got lots of dark chocolate in it - so it's really healthy, right?

Wish I could help with OsCommerce Beeez - but instead, I'll feed you and Holly fudge - and we'll just pass the time. (And I'm stealing one of those cookies - but you can keep all the milk.)

Well no nuts is fine Beth, because I just so happen to have a can open on my desk right now, so I can dip, and Beez is probably full of nuts too ... oh totally sounds healthy .... right ... and the cookies are healthy too ... Vasili you get all the coconuts, bet you are in your glory with that one ... lol .... we're all nutty!! lol

Sizing headers is a problem, unless you are using a "static" template: php reforms across the whole browser according to the user settings. Static templates often have a set width, thereby making it easier to size an image for universal viewing. The only way around this would be to create a dynamic header, in Flash or some equivilent.
>> Or, like I do for things like this (forums, etc.) is to have headers sized as large as possible along the max width of 800w with a white background (transparent if made in Paint), so when the rest of the page reforms, the header does not change size and invisibly "floats" in the neutral area. This is an example of why I used a template... and this is what it looked like before I tweaked it

As far as loading product, the CSV processing is proven, but if you schlogg through the osC forum/site, you will see MANY add's and plug-ins to help with this: I found a few scripts, but they either help me part way or too much.....it's all about how many attributes are associated with each product (even though not all are displayed on the page, columns that help to organize mdse and in the "Search" are all treated as another "aspect" to be loaded).

Any good there?

Ya I noticed a lot of suggestions on the osc forum but it was mindbogglingly confusing and I tried the importing but I'm messing up somewhere...does adding the list actually generate the catalog....ummm..not sure if I'm wording that correctly...

Yes.....you need to first set up your structure of the "catalog" (categories, subs, etc.) which you should compile from the very "columns" of your product lists in Excel (or CSV).
It does take time, Bee.....in my case, I am overwhelmed (80,000 products) and will need to resort to reliance on those more proficient than I (like Karen).

Take a look at my edited post above for sample images.

A question - if the header image is centered onto a background - then when the page changes size - the header image does not - but just remains centered with more of the background on either side. Is that what you meant by floating?

The reason I say this is because my previous sites - before coming to Voda - used fluid templates - and Soho has them - Karen's http://www.grannyscountrynook.com/ is an example - and couldn't this be done with OsCommerce without a problem?

Like I said - this might be what you call floating - but when I used Soho and in my previous program - I just was able to insert the header picture and call for it to be centered - and it worked.

(I'm trying to learn here also.)

Actually I have done the categories and I want to do wht you have done with your site...how do I do the whole background thing etc....baby steps please..no tech jargon...goo goo ga ga..please

B & B....(that's cool!)

Say you used the php forum....the space above is "reserved" as a field for objects to be placed, and although the field itself (height and width) reforms to the screen, the objects themselves are protected by position commands -like you mentioned Beth- and wil remain in the field as you specify.....even on this VH forum, you can see that is why they used 2 images that when stacked horizontally edge to edge they are only 790w...and that is why one reforms right, the other left. Were visitors capable of seeing only 800w, they would be closer together with a small space between them.

I used a template.....static.....as you can see, it's quite narrow. My first of many compromises.
But...it allowed me to insert a properly sized graphic that I absolutely needed to be *******ted (coming from my already proven "brand" image that has been seen everywhere and is recognizable). It was not that easy choosing a color-complimentary template that had the basic layout that would work for me and still have the features of even the generic osC package.......
It really is a case of going through the logical planning with a fine tooth comb.....I even made sure that I had applicable add-ins available (for this template) should I need to "upgrade" the cart.
Presently, I am stuck trying to load the cart efficiently.....(more like have the spare cash to get someone else to do it for me! LOL)

Ok..gonna try a few things you have suggested and then post back so others won't have to go through this ...lol...can I also e-mail you please with my REALLY stupid questions ....lol

If this works out I'm gonna do screen shot tuts. on this thing....lol....

And...."customization" seems erasier when using a template....somehow they have a greater parameter to swap out images and such.

Bee....swapping out image headers and stuff is as simple as opening the files (in FTP) and replacing them with your own....you have to be sure they are formatted exactly as the original however (.gif -lower case- and width). Two ways to find out the files to swap: via "View Source" and reading the HTML, and by right-clicking Properties and noting the file extensions, size, etc.

It's not really too hard, but first go takes extra time.....but you know that....

Where did you create your template...wht program did you use...?

Thanks a lot General..I knew I could count on you...I'm gonna try one thing at a time (as usual and see what happens and will psot back tommorw)

Can't even think anymore...probably still need help with the csv importing....

A new learning expereince

Anyhoo...thank you all for helping.

BETH....

Here is the best example I have of how an image will "float" in a "protected field" in a phpForum.

You can see that the field itself will reform at whatever height is needed, and when set to center, it will not interfere with how the forum itself reforms to the browser width settings....



BEE....

I bought the template via the vendor provided from the VH Template site...(it's their affiliate site)....they have all sorts of templates (WordPress, phpBB, etc.) mine cost $175 I think....and I must give Gen.Race the credit for helping me out to actually effect the changes. It's all done via the BV-FTP, notepad, and whatever image tool you use.
I was (and still am) completely slammed, and can't even finish my mesley BV sites....

Okies - I never called that floating - as that's what my headers did - however - they were my own static images - the only thing that changes is the amount of space on either size. I have seen templates that stretched the images when the page stretches- and that I would never allow my headers to do.

Just as with most things in my life - I'm not strong on the correct terminology - I really, really do use the word thingamajig - and often :)

And this from a person who loves the English language and loves words LOL - and does have a very vast vocabulary - but not for names - of people or things.

Beez - good luck - and, as Vasili mentioned before, Karen is excellent with importing products using csv - so if you run into problems there, I'm sure she'd be willing to help. She'd just had enough of her computer tonight :)

And, on that note, good night!

THanks Vasili and Beth and LE for sticking with me and I hope to get a hold of KAren tomorrow and see if she can assist with the other thing. Good night all and once again I greatly appreciate the assistance.

PS...anyone else out there with an easier way...I'm all ears...LOL...probably not but any other suggestions or snafus to avoid also appreciated.

Originally Posted by Bethers

Okies - I never called that floating - as that's what my headers did - however - they were my own static images - the only thing that changes is the amount of space on either size. I have seen templates that stretched the images when the page stretches- and that I would never allow my headers to do. !

Right....the only variable is how the field will automatically adjust to accommodate the height for your image......and will not distort it.

Since a static image is placed in a field, and centered, the only aspect to concern yourself with (as mentioned above) is that your main image -or combination of images- does not exceed your max width of say 775-800w. Templates require exact pre-sizing to the established width of images being swapped....height will still automatically adjust in height, as seen in my site examples.

I'm done. Good night, Ladies!

Ok..guys still pluggin away..but if anyone else has suggestions...i'll be forever grateful.