Items filtered by date: December 2014

If you are getting this error, that means your configuration.php has not got the database details.

Just edit that file and enter the correct db details. Thats all.

A surprise with Joomla 2.5.2 , All HTML is filtered out of content items.

Go to Global Config - Text Filters. All filters have been reset to Blacklist. Trying to save a new setting does not work - Blacklist remains. Have tried this on two sites so far on different servers with same results.

I have noticed with IE & FF that if caching is on in Global config that the changes to the text filter are not recognised. But with other settings in Global config settings can be saved with cache on( conservative and progressive).

• With cache off, Alter a setting in Text filer and save ... Success
• Set cache on (conservative)
• Alter a setting in Text filer and save ... No Avail
• Alter settings in other tabs ( like site off line) and save ... Success
• Set cache off
• Ctrl+F5 (clear Browser cache for that page)
• Alter a setting in Text filer and save ... Success

Same with cache Progressive

Tested on Joomla 2.5.3,

Quick Version, turn off Joomla's cache and then the changes will stay. You can then put the cache back on.

If you are getting 404 Page not Found Error on your Joomla Administrator login, then here is the fix.

• Just goto configuration.php file and edit it.
• Just remove the data from live_site variable and save the file.
• Now clear the cache folder and refresh the website and administrator login page.

I am working with Magento but i didn't find a very good way to debug my modules. For example, many time, i got a blank page with no php error and no apache error. For example, in backend, if one grid controller isn't well set, i don't have an error.

How to debug Magento module?

It sounds like you want to enable Developer mode. Add this to your .htaccess file:

SetEnv MAGE_IS_DEVELOPER_MODE "true" 

You may also want to enable display errors in index.php:

 ini_set('display_errors', 1); 

The best way I have found to debug is with X-Debug in a local environment. You can also use log files to help debug in a production environment, if your unable to run X-Debug in the environment.

I've got a more detailed posting here:

http://www.molotovbliss.com/debugging-tips-and-tricks-with-magento-commerce

Consider also install XDebug

Normally, we will use a built-in download manager for installing Magento Extensions (add-ons) directly from their Magento Connect service. However, it may not always be available or be the best option because you want to test the extension first or you are installing it on a development site which does not have internet access. You should never really install extensions straight on to a live site.

This article is a collection of tools and instructions that allow you to download the magento extensions as zip files, either in their orginal format or in a zip file that is ready to FTP or copy and paste into your site. The tools are required because getting the extensions is normally a closed system through Mageno Connect so there is no direct access to the files otherwise.

• How To Install Magento Extensions – Magento Extension Installation Guide - This is an article on how to install extensions the normal way
• Download Magento extension directly (Mirage Design) - easy to follow instructions and tool
• Download Magento Extension (Freegento) - this tool does not seem to be updated anymore and does not created ready to paste zips
• Direct Download Magento Extension Without Pear - this tool works but does not support ready to paste zips

Unfortunately Magento does not have the function built into its setup to allow you the option to change a products attribute set once you have created a simple product.

So you need to either create the configurable product you want in the first place or alter Magento so you can change a products type

Solution 1

With the following coding updates, you can add the functionality to change a simple products attribute set directly on the Catalog > Manage Products page:

Click here for article and code

This code is untested but seems like a lot of people use it.

Solution 2

Use an extension which has all the code alterations done for you. The reduces the risk of damaging you site. THe follwoing Extension does just that.

Flagbit Change Attribute Set

Case Study

Question

I have inserted many products (T shirts) as simple products , without entering any special attributes. i now want to create configurable products for various T shirts so that customers can pick a color ( various t shirts come in various color options ).

• can i add new attributes to these simple products.
• I have tried using the add new attribute but , it added the attribute to all products in the shop , and also did not appear when i created a new configurable product.
• i read the tutorial that explains how to do these ( 1. create attributes 2. create simple products 3. create config product) , but is it possible to do it in a different order.

if it is not possible , than what happens if in the future i have another attribute i need to add to the config product (v neck vs regular neck)?

Answer

Yes you can always add attributes to a product once it is created, but remember attributes are assigned based on an “Attribute Set” not on a per-product basis, so if you’re products are all using the Default attribute set and you add an attribute to that set it is also added to all the products in that set.

NOTE: If you want an attribute to be available when creating a configurable product, “Only attributes with scope “Global”, input type “Dropdown” and Use To Create Configurable Product “Yes” are available.”

The key here is to set up good attribute sets before creating your products because, to my knowledge, you cannot change a product’s attribute set after the product has been created. Hope that helps.

However as we now know we can actually change a products type with the methods laid out above.

Magentos search feature sucks. This is a collection of articles that will help you understand how to configure the search and get the best out of it.

1. Improve Magento Sales With Better Search Results
2. Improving search results in Magento
3. Improving Search on Magento - Video
4. Magento Basics - Setting Up Google Analytics (Including eCommerce Tracking + Site Search)

Method 1

This is the normal way of disabling SSL if you have access to the admin section

1. Login to the admin site of Magento.
2. Go to System / Configuration
3. Choose the Web from the left tabs
4. Open the Secure settings.
5. Change any https:// you see to http://
6. Set Use Secure URLs in Frontend to No
7. Use Secure URLs in Admin to No
8. Clear the Cache from the admin

Method 2

If you do not have access to the admin section, perhaps because you have just moved domains or server you can use the following

1. Go into the database and in the table “core_config_data” update the record with the “path” of “web/secure/use_in_admindata” by setting the “value” field to 0.
2. Repeat this process using the record with the “path” of “web/secure/use_in_frontend” and again set the “value” field to 0.
3. Using SSH, log into my hosting account, and issue a “rm -rf ~/public_html/magento/var/cache” command, or you can use FTP to delete the same cache files

The last step is required because the “cache” cannot be cleared from the admin backend, since you can’t log into it. This does it manually.

Method 3

This is an untested method looks good and might also fix other issues.

This will set the same Base URL for secure links as it it for unsecure.

Run the following command in PHPMyAdmin or your MySQL command line.

One of the things that you have to get used to when running Magento is dealing with the indexes that it relies on. Usually you can do this from the admin panel by going to System -> Index Management.

These articles are about rebuilding the indexes from the Magento Admin

• Fixing URL Rewrites with Magento

When Reindexing in Magento Admin Fails, Use The Command Line

Another failing of Magento is that when a shop gets to a certain size the rebuilding of the indexes cannot be successfully rebuilt from the Magento Admin.

The following article gives all the reason why Re-Indexing fails. The main one is still the size of the shop.

• Catalog Search Index refresh running slow or halting/freezing (This article also described what the Indexes do)

When indexing fails from the admin panel you get a message saying that it failed with no reason why it failed. Now in most cases you cannot ignore this. You may find that most (if not all) of your products has disappeared from the front end of the website.

How To Re-Index from the command line

The following articles show you a variety of articles of rebuilding the index from the command line. Rebuilding the indexes from the command line requires less resources and allow the task to complete successfully. A CRON job is a scheduled command line command.

• Executing Magento Indexer From Shell
• How To Run Magento Indexer From Command Line
• Rebuild the Indexes VIA a CRON job

Magento 1.4+ includes a nice feature that allowed you to throw the store into “maintenance mode” if you need to do/work or make changes. Which is great, freeze people out of the store while you work or make changes.

just create a file in the root of your store called maintenance.flag

The only problem with the method above, is it also freezes YOU out of the store so you can’t make the changes you need to. So here is a little bit of code, that allows you and other you set to work on the site while everyone else sees its maintenance mode.

All we need to do it edit 3 lines.

Open: index.php in root and above line 57 add (remembering to edit the ‘allowed’ array to contain the IP’s you want to be able to access the site);

$ip = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$allowed = array('1.1.1.1','2.2.2.2'); // these are the IP's that are allowed to view the site.

then change the line

if (file_exists($maintenanceFile)) {

to

if (file_exists($maintenanceFile) && !in_array($ip, $allowed)) { 

Simple. Now you can access the site, while others see its maintenance mode.

Conversely

“Service Temporarily Unavailable” – disabling maintenance mode in Magento – maintenance.flag

If you’re seeing the “Service Temporarily Unavailable” screen when you attempt to load your Magento store (there’s a somewhat related thread here on magentocommerce.com), the most likely cause is you’ve made some updates to Magento recently, and the maintenance.flag file in your Magento root directory wasn’t successfully removed by the Magento Connect tool.

Fixing the Service Temporarily Unavailable error in Magento

Nice and simple fix for this one! Remove the maintenance.flag file in the root directory of your Magento installation.

This can be triggered by running updates or installations of extensions in Magento Connect; the file is removed on successful completion of the upgrade or installation, so if it fails for any reasons, you’ll see this screen.