Learn More About osCommerce Store Manager

If you are looking for a reliable, easy-to-use and powerful software to sell your products and services online. If you need to manage an existing e-commerce store or to build a complete new one, and you don't know how use all advantages of doing business online. If you're tired to customize your store database to your shopping cart software, when it has to be vice versa. You're looking for the powerful tool for your online store and it's too tiresome for you. You can stop your search now, the perfect solution for you is Store Manager for osCommerce. It is easy to use software with free technical help whenever you need it.

Store Manager is a powerful e-commerce tool, with lots of features to help you to create and support your own store. So, let's have a look at the main aspects of installation process and store connection opportunities below.

First of all you need to load archive with fresh version of Store Manager and to follow few steps of installation Wizard:

… to accept License Agreement
… to select Destination Location (where should Store Manager be installed)
… to choose which components should be installed (all, compact or custom)
… to select Start Menu folder (where to place program shortcuts)
… to perform additional tasks (optional).

After successful installation, you'll be able to enjoy the advantages of osCommerce Store Manager.

In order to start working with a specific store you need to setup store database connection. It can be done in preferences window, which appears automatically on the first start-up. The good thing is that all your previous settings will be saved if you want to install the latest updates over the old version.

Now let’s talk about various details of your store connection. osCommerce Store Manager requires direct MySQL database connection. Most of hosting companies allow direct connections to MySQL database. However in most cases you have to go to your control panel and add your home/office computer IP address or domain name to Access List - list of IP addresses allowed accessing MySQL port 3306 from outside. This option can be found under MySQL settings. Direct connection allows you to see all changes you make to your online store right away, no synchronization, no delayed updates.

If direct connection is not allowed by your hosting company, there is another way - secure SSH connection. Actually SSH is a kind of tunnel between two computers - yours and your server. You can use SSH as well as for FTP connections for MySQL database. The only info you need is SSH user name, password and remote port number - basically the same as for typical MySQL connection.

If neither direct MySQL nor SSH connections are possible PHP-MySQL bridge connection can be used. Bridge is just another way to connect to your database. Normally program uses direct MySQL connection to remote database installed at website or some other web server. In some cases this type of connection does not work - your hosting provider may not allow direct connections or your LAN settings/firewall prevent connection from being established. Bridge allows you to work with remote database without direct MySQL connection established.

While working through bridge you must store your temporary data in local database. Bridge is used only for two major operations - get data from remote database and post data to that database. You must understand the difference between bridge connection and MySQL connection. Bridge is not a connection itself, actually this is just a way to transfer files between remote and local machine and nothing more. To configure the PHP MySQL Bridge Connection to your remote database enable the corresponding check-box in the Store Configuration Section. PHP MySQL Bridge and Local Database Connection Settings Section will appear. But if you want to see changes you've made on your online store you have to post your changes to your remote database store. After you'll post all your changes, your store will reflect them. Also it is recommended to get Data from Web, before you make any changes locally to be sure you see the latest data.

Hundreds of additional features are included in Store Manager to simplify typical and more advanced tasks. Store Manager also provides multiple stores management; you can manage many stores and quickly switch between them. osCommerce Store Manager is compatible with Zen-Cart and osCMax. osCommerce Store Manager is developed as a powerful e-Commerce tool for small, medium and full-sized merchants as well as wholesalers. Do not hesitate! Try Store Manager for osCommerce right now: http://www.oscommerce-manager.com