Data Feed Input/Output Introduction

  1. Introduction: Data feed service is a collection of contributions to allow you to updated your products and categories data remotely, and send that data to data listing services. It uses a number of contributions that have been modified to work better with small, medium, and large stores.

  2. Goals:
The typical store owner never needs to edit a code or define file directly.The store owner does not need a lot of support on how to use program.Combines the functions of moving data in and out of store is in one area. Make it flexable enough for small, medium and large store to use program effectivly. Move program files closer to OSC/Cre Loaded standerds for look and feel, and codeing.

  3. Parts of Data Feed Service:
Easy Populate Advance enhanced by Tom O'Neill
Easy Populate Basic enhanced by Tom O'Neill
Froogle data feed : Calvin K
 Salemaker for froogle feed: by Marcel van Lieshout
 Admin for Data Feed : Tom O'Neill

  a. Easy Populate: This is used to update product and category data, it allows you to updated data remotely on your local computer and upload to the data to your on line store.
    1. Easy Populate Advance
    Easy Populate Advance uses products_id instead of products_model to tie the rows in the Import/Export file to your database. This is significate since you now can delete items, asigning products to multiple categories, refine export files to select records you need to edit/update There also has been asignificant speed and record handling capibilities added to both Advance and Basic version. The numbers below are from recent test done, previously Easy populate could only handle 300 to 400 records max.
    2. Easy Populate Basic
Easy Populate basuc is for back ward compatiblity with EP 2.XX version of Easy populate. This is because EP used modle numbers to tie you file back to the database. Where in the advance version it used product_id.
   3. Increase in speed and record handling

     a. Using only stock products
export EPB ~ 32 records 0.173231 seconds file size 26kb
import EPB ~32 records 1.844497 seconds file size 26kb
export EPA~ 32 records 0.790210 seconds file size 26kb
import EPA~ 32 records 1.759426 seconds file size 26kb
     b. Using 2033 products in a single file
import EPA 89.927511 second  or 1 minute 30 sec file size 2.800 KB
import EPB 456.582260 second  or 7 minutes and 36 sec file size 3,423 KB
     c. Deleting products:2033 products added
delete EPA 68.877599 seconds File size was 2,875 KB
EPB cannot delete records. 

 b. Data feed:
  Data feed takes the data with in your catalog and prepares it for submission to a feed  service and send it to the feed service either automaticly or manualy if you need on completion of building the feed.
 
 c. For EP set up:

   The setup information for Easy Populate is stored in admin/epconfigure.php. This configuration is for both Easy Populate Basic and Easy Populate Advance.

  d. For Data feeds setp up:
Step 1
 To set up this modules data feed service, Review the 7 steps to your first feed. It outlines what steps you need to take to do a feed. It will take you through the configuration process to the uploading and checking of the feed.
 Step 2
The you will need to configure and run the data feeds this is described in the running doc/configureandrun.txt document The file feild_spec.txt describes the limitation of what can be placed into each felid

 3. Error and staus messages All messages except the result of an import will apear near the top of the for, Blue background is for normal messages, red back ground for errors.
Import result The Import result will now apear below the admin screen
Help while using the admin screens You will notice a through out the admin screens This is individual help for each setting or imput you could use. It will display a popup window with help.
   


5. Features added and changes to basic programs.
  
 Easy populate 2.75 Advance to 3.01:
   1. Removed the froogle feed from this contribution. The froogle function is now  handled by seperate code files.
   2. Moved EP from catalog side box to Data Input/Output System side box.
   3. Moved function file to admin/includes/function directory to follow OSC standerds.
   4. Moved most simple function to function file, export now has all functions removed . There is now only one function left in the EPA import file.
   5. Redid admin screens so it was more like the rest of the OSC admin. .
   6. Inserted tep form function rather then html form function.
   7. Added popup help for informtion on how to use EPA.
   8. Easy Populate Basic is for backward compatibility with older versions of EP
      EP advance will import all EPA files of previous version of EPA.
   9. Export screen and Import screen seperated into two seperate files
   10. Side box changed, so that sub titles are offset.
   11. Added date time to split so each group of splits will be unique and old splits will  not be lost or over written.   example EPA_Split1_2005Sep09-1010.txt.
   12. Program message, error, and output were place in one of three variable so they could be outputed with in the html output section of the files.

Easy Populate Basic 2.75 Basic to 3.01:

   1. Easy Populate Basic is for backward compatibility with older versions of EP
   2. Added date time to split so each group of splits will be unique and old splits will not be lost or over written.   example EPA_Split1_2005Sep09-1010.txt.
   3. Program message, error, and output were place in one of three variable so they could be outputed with in the html output section of the files.
   4. Removed the froogle feed from this contribution. The froogle function is now  handled by seperate code files.
   5. Moved EP from catalog side box to Data export/import side box.
   6. Moved function file to admin/includes/function directory to follow OSC standerds.
   7. Moved most simple function to function file, export now has all functions removed ..
   8. Redid admin screens so it was more like the rest of the catalog. and EPA
   9. Inserted tep form function rather then html form function (Inprogress)
   10. Added popup help for informtion on how to use EPB.

 Items fixed or enhanced from Ep 2.74 to 2.75 Advance:
 1. To add products the product id should be set to 0, there can be many 0's for product ID's.
 2. You no longer need to change the manufacturers table to change a manufacturers_id first manf id to 1 or 0
 3. No longer adds a empty product, caused by not treating the last line as not product.
 4. Added EP Basic, It cannot install any EP Advanced files since they start with EPA a error
    message will be displayed. It can install any file that strts wil EPB or older EP files
 5. EP Advanced set up so it can only read files that start with EPA , prevents reading older files.
 6. Delete has been added back into EP for products only.  This is implemented via a new column call v_action. You must type the word "delete" in this column to delete a product.
 7. EP basic was not showing on some site this was to an error in the install of the admin_files a new set of admin_files was added to the install.
 8. You can add your own product ID, If your product ID's are based on a system other than numbers generated by the shopping cart and autoincremented by one. You still cannot  use alpha character in product ID. This allows for compatibility with some external inventory management systems.
  9. moved configuration of EP to a seperate file called epconfigure.php

 Data Feed:
 1. Added language files
 2. Multiple configurations for multiple feed services now available through admin screen
 3. Configuration configured in admin rather then edit a file.
 4. Feed submission now A multiple step process.
 5. Switched to tep functions for data base queries.
 6. Split file generation and FTP code into two separate files.
 7. Combined Froogle, Yahoo and Bizrite into one package (Not all installed and adapted yet)
 8. added fields for advance feed to products database
 9. added separate sql file for additional info for froogle feed
 10. Builds Category strings before building feed file.
 11. Help popups added to admin screens.
 12. Added salemaker contribution pricing to price sent to price in feed.
 13. Uses tax zone from store.
 14. Add the feilds froogle_type, upc, isbn, manufacturer_product_id to products table and products edit screen.
  15. add froogle specific feilds for books, music, video to a seperate table.