OpenCart Europa 1.5.4.1 - Installation and Setup

OpenCart Europa is an OpenCart installation package intended for European countries.

Details: http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=84042
Download: http://www.opencart.com/index.php?route ... on_id=8205

INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS

These instructions are for FRESH install only.

If you want to upgrade your existing shop, please read http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84045 instead.

Requirements

1. Web Server (preferably Apache)
2. PHP (at least 5.2)
3. MySQL
4. Curl

Install steps

1. STEP 1
   Create a MySQL database and assign a user to it, so that you have hostname, database name, username and password.
2. STEP 2
   Extract the contents of opencart_europa_v1.5.4.1.zip to your Desktop
   You might need an archival program like http://7-zip.org/ or http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm Or, if you are using Windows Vista or later, then you can just right click on the file and click Extract All.
3. STEP 3
   Upload all contents of the "Upload" folder to your webserver
   e.g. to /public_html or /public_html/shop
   You may need an FTP program like Filezilla http://filezilla-project.org/
4. STEP 4
   Ensure that the following folders on your server are writable (0755 or 0777)

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   image/
   image/cache/
   image/data/   
   system/cache/
   system/logs/
   download/

5. STEP 5
   Ensure that the following files on your server are writable (0755 or 0777)

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   config.php
   admin/config.php

6. STEP 6
   In your browser, visit your shop home's install folder,
   e.g. http://www.myshop.eu/install/ or http://www.mysite.eu/shop/install/
7. STEP 7
   Follow the onscreen instructions (you'll have to accept the license agreement and provide details of the database that you created in Step 1)
8. STEP 8
   (Switch to your FTP program and) Delete or rename the following folder on your server

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   install/

9. STEP 9
   (Switch back to your browser and) Install vQmod. Visit your shop's vQmod install folder,
   e.g. http://www.myshop.eu/vqmod/install/ or http://www.mysite.eu/shop/vqmod/install/
   You should almost immediately see an installation success message.
10. STEP 10
    Log into your shop's administration and set up your shop

SETUP INSTRUCTIONS

Now that you have installed OpenCart Europa, it's time to set up your shop.

Setup steps

1. STEP 1
   Log into your shop's administration (hereafter referred to as AP - for Admin Panel),
   e.g. http://www.myshop.eu/admin/ or http://www.mysite.eu/shop/admin/
2. STEP 2

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   AP > System > Localisation > Languages

   You will see all European languages listed there. Only English is enabled by default.
   Click Edit in front on the languages you want to have in your shop, and on next screen change status dropdown to Enabled.
   Once you have enabled all the languages you want, check the checkboxes for the languages you do NOT want, and click Delete.
   

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3. STEP 3

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   AP > System > Localisation > Currencies

   You will see all European currencies listed there. Only Euro and US Dollar (yes, I know Dollar is not European) are enabled by default.
   Click Edit in front on the currencies you want to have in your shop, and on next screen change status dropdown to Enabled.
   

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4. STEP 4

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   AP > System > Settings > {Edit store}

   

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   You will see multiple tabs, the default being General.
   Fill out all required information (store's name, store owner's name, address, email, telephone) on General tab.
   

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   On Store tab, fill out the store's name once again.
   

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   On Local tab, fill out your country, region, store front default language, AP language, default currency, and select the units you want to use for dimensions and weight.
   

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   On Image tab, upload your store's logo and set the sizes for images that will be used in your store.
   

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   On Mail tab, fill in your mail details and preferences.
   

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   On Server tab, say YES to use SEO URLs.
   

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   Click Save button.
5. STEP 5

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   AP > System > Localisation > Stock Statuses

   You will see all Stock Statuses listed there.
   Click Edit in front on each Status and verify the translation for each language.
   

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   If you think there could be a better translation for a status, please suggest it at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84000
6. STEP 6

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   AP > System > Localisation > Order Statuses

   You will see all Order Statuses listed there.
   Click Edit in front on each Status and verify the translation for each language.
   

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   If you think there could be a better translation for a status, please suggest it at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84000
7. STEP 7

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   AP > System > Localisation > Returns > Return Statuses

   You will see all Return Statuses listed there.
   Click Edit in front on each Status and verify the translation for each language.
   

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   If you think there could be a better translation for a status, please suggest it at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84000
   Do the same for Return Actions:

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   AP > System > Localisation > Returns > Return Actions

   Do the same for Return Reasons:

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   AP > System > Localisation > Returns > Return Reasons

8. STEP 8

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   AP > System > Localisation > Length Classes

   Length Classes means basically the unit to measure dimensions. You will see all Length Classes listed there.
   Click Edit in front on each Class and verify the translation for each language.
   If you think there could be a better translation for a class, please suggest it at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84000
   

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9. STEP 9

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   AP > System > Localisation > Weight Classes

   Weight Classes means basically the unit to measure dimensions. You will see all Weight Classes listed there.
   Click Edit in front on each Class and verify the translation for each language.
   If you think there could be a better translation for a class, please suggest it at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=84000
   

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10. STEP 10

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    AP > System > Localisation > Geo Zones

    Geo Zones are OpenCart's way of lumping together territories with the purpose of assigning taxes, shipping or billing information. Read more at http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7099
    OpenCart Europa comes with following pre-built geo-zones: 1 VAT zone per European country, EU shipping zone, Rest of the world shipping zone.
    Check if these are appropriate for you. You can have more than 1 zone within a country and more than 1 country within a geo zone.
    

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11. STEP 11

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    AP > System > Localisation > Taxes > Tax Classes

    Tax classes essentially tell OpenCart whether a product is taxed, and if so what type of VAT rate applies, e.g. In Hungary most products are taxed at 27% but books are taxed at 5%. So if someone is selling books and other products they would need 2 tax classes. If someone is only selling books, they will need just one tax class.
    

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12. STEP 12

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    AP > System > Localisation > Taxes > Tax Rates

    

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    Verify that the tax rates are appropriate and accurate for each tax zone.
13. STEP 13

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    AP > Catalog > Categories

    Finally you can create product categories. Click Insert.
    

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    You will notice that there are 2 levels of tabs. On top level, the default is General tab. Within the general tab, there are tabs for each installed language. If you have a lot of languages this can be quite intimidating, which is why we removed unwanted languages in step 2.
    On General tab, provide Category name and description for each language (if you don't then the category will not appear for that language).
    

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    Om Data tab, you can put the category in hierarchy by selecting its parent category, you can upload an image for the category, and you can specify SEO keywords (really OpenCart's word for URL slug)
    

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    Click Save button.
    Repeat the process to create all categories you need, complete with the desired hierarchy.
14. STEP 14

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    AP > Catalog > Options

    OpenCart uses the concept of global options. So you can create options once and use for multiple products.
    Think about the options you want to provide (16GB or 32, Red or Blue, XL or L, etc).
    Click Insert to create Option.
    

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    You will have to provide the name of option in each language (e.g. memory, color or size)
    You can select what the option selection mechanism will be (dropdown, radio button, checkbox, image, textbox, textarea, file upload, date, time, date & time)
    If you chose to have a closed-ended type of option (dropdown, radio button, checkbox, image), then you must create option values (e.g. red, blue, green, yellow, pink, etc)
    

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    Click Save button.
    Repeat the process to create all options you need.
15. STEP 15

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    AP > Catalog > Attributes > Attributes

    Like options, you can also create attributes and attribute groups.
    The difference between options and attribute groups is that attributes are fixed for the product while customer gets to choose options.
    Create all attributes you need.
    

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    Create all attribute groups you need:

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    AP > Catalog > Attributes > Attribute Groups

    

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16. STEP 16

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    AP > Catalog > Products

    At long last, you can create products. Click Insert.
    

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    You will notice that there are 2 levels of tabs. On top level, the default is General tab. Within the general tab, there are tabs for each installed language. If you have a lot of languages this can be quite intimidating, which is why we removed unwanted languages in step 2.
    On General tab, provide Product name and description for each language (if you don't then the product will not appear for that language).
    

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    On Data tab, provide all required information (model, price, tax class) and upload the primary photo. Also provide SEO keywords (URL slug). If you calculate shipping based on size or weight then provide these details as well.
    

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    On Links tab, you can assign products to categories (yes, plural).
    

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    You can select the options you want this product to offer, and the attributes it has on the respective tabs.
    On Image tab you can uplaod additional product photos.
    

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    Click Save.
    Repeat the process to create all products you need.
17. STEP 18

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    AP > Extensions > Information

    Click Edit next to each information page
    

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    add the info you want to provide for each language and save.
    

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18. STEP 19

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    AP > Extensions > Shipping

    Click Edit next to the shipping options you want to offer. On next screen, select status Enabled and click Save.
    

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19. STEP 20

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    AP > Extensions > Payments

    Click Edit next to the payment options you want to offer. On next screen, complete the details, select status Enabled and click Save.
    

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This should get you started. Of course, you will probably want to customize a lot more. We strongly recommend browsing and searching these forums http://forum.opencart.com/

Good luck! Success!

If you'd like to donate, please PayPal to top-mba@gmx.com

Hello,
we have made a clean install from "OpenCart Europa 1.5.4.1", but after installing of the opencart, to the vqmod/install/ we receive the error "ONE OR MORE FILES COULD NOT BE WRITTEN".What have we made wrong?

It usually happens when something like index.php is still being written. Try to install vqmod again, and it should work.

This is an interesting concept - I couldn't see any mention of capturing customer VAT numbers for BtoB transactions - is there a summary of features anywhere ?

cmrdirect wrote:is there a summary of features anywhere ?

Opencart Europa has all features of regular OpenCart, just the installation comes prepackaged with European localizations. You can check out OC features at http://www.opencart.com/index.php?route=feature/feature

cmrdirect wrote:couldn't see any mention of capturing customer VAT numbers for BtoB transactions

This is an OC standard feature, so included in OpenCart Europa too. You can edit customer groups and there you can tell OC to get customer VAT number. OC can even check whether the VAT number is valid - the setting for that is in Settings, not in customer groups.