Importing / Exporting tips & advice

Hi Guys

Ok, I am interested in this ever since starting up my first opencart store. The whole process of importing and exporting products.

This isn't a direct question to a specific problem i have, but more about future proofing my knowledge with different scenarios and maybe other newbies will find this thread helpful.

I will try list every possible problem scenario and you guys can maybe say what your best solution is to each one.

1. Customer has already got an opencart store but its a different version number?
I ran into problems when using the free import / export tool. I guess because the different opencart version have different product structures

2. Customer doesn't have any web-store and can only offer you pictures, descriptions and prices?
I made one product and used the free import / export tool to export it to excel. I then added lots of products using the same structure. I'm sure there will be a cleaner and easier option to do this

3. Customer has a webstore that ISN'T opencart but wants to move across?
I haven't done this one before, but id imagine i would export the products from their store... then have to copy & paste cell by cell into the free import / export tool to keep the correct structure

No matter what you do, you will ALWAYS export first from the OpenCart store so you have the right structure. Also save a copy of the export in case you trash it. Next, you may have some data clean-up to get the data into the exported file. It's still easier than typing one product at a time. Have plenty of backups.

For your specific questions:

1. You can't go from one version to another.
2. I usually export the file then email the file to the customer to fill in. Remember to back up before importing.
3. Same as #2 but you will probably be doing the copying and pasting. There are also services like http://www.shopping-cart-migration.com/

Hope that helps.
Merry

Hi

Thanks, yes it does help

Id like to know more info on number 2. You say you would export the file and get the customer to fill it in. Which program do you use to export and do you make the file more user friendly (hiding certain rows/columns)?

Ive only used the free import export tool... and its a mess even for me to look at and edit. Couldn't imagine a user being able to fill it in.

It's an Excel spreadsheet. This is for a motivated client, I mean one who really wants to save money by doing it themselves and who is unafraid of a spreadsheet.

1. I'd set up some test products that will have the options etc. that the customer needs. Really, a variety of up to 10 products so you get enough data.
2. Export the .CSV file, and you'll see the 10 test products in there. Be sure to save a backup right now.
3. I'd open and save it in Excel format, hide bunches of columns, and do a few example rows for them. Often on Row 2 I will put explicit instructions about what goes in that column, set format to wrap text etc. that will get stripped out later.
4. When they return it, I'll clean up all the data, do a search for apostrophes, fill in the stuff they could not or stuff they missed, save as .CSV and upload it.

Hope that helps!
Merry