Product Description
Learn how to design, build, and profit from a sophisticated online business. Install, configure, and customize osCommerce Enhance and modify osCommerce Learn from a sample, fully functional site packed with useful features such as gift certificates and discounts, cross- and up-selling, RSS feed aggregation, enhanced product image handling and bug fixes. In Detail The book can be read from front to back, but each chapter is self contained so the reade… More >>
As someone who is not familiar with php, or any other programming I wanted a book something like one in Adobe’s ‘Classroom in a Book’ series. That is, a book that step-by-step takes you through the process of setting up and using a program.
David Mercer’s book does the opposite. He uses a lot of words and anecdotes that are of little/no relevance and make it hard to find the information you need (if it is there at all).
I bought this book because I needed to learn quickly how to set up osCommerce sites. Had expected that it would show me the process in a fairly clear and straight-forward manner, but found the explanations so confusing and lacking that I could have saved the money.
Ended up going to Zen Cart instead.
Which seems a lot easier to use, and has much better instructions.
Live and learn!
Rating: 1 / 5
I have been using OSC for over 2 years now, however, do not have the knowledge to fully customize the cart. I hoped this book would do that, but it did not. If you have never used OSC, this is a good book, if you know OSC, and are looking to improve on it most likely nothing is new. For example the contributions covered are the RSS feed, and Easy Populate. Talked alot about using Paypal, install and setup. However, I find very few good technical books, all of them are either A)Too Basic for my knowledge level, or in the case of O’Reilly book, assume you invented the computer, and are above my ability.
Rating: 3 / 5
I was very disappointed with this title. First and foremost, it, like the osCommerce project itself, is sorely outdated. While Magento is the sexy new blonde on the block with tons of quirks and baggage, osCommerce is the tried and true all-American girl. But with that, you get predictable, bland, and not a whole lot of control. I thought that this book being geared toward “Professionals” would teach you how to make osCommerce your own. Instead, it doesn’t tell you hardly anything about how to actually customize the app, and spends tons of time telling you how to add products and set variables, the kind of stuff that is self-explanatory and easily found in the FREE online user guide and forums. So why hasn’t anyone written a book on how to make osCommerce not look like your fat cousin. It literally looks like a website from 1994, and it takes tens of hours of work just to change whether or not there’s a right hand column. I was hoping for someone to have better ideas on how to make osCommerce actually look like a professional app and not just a canned eCommerce solution. But this book in no way does that. Is it any coincidence that the Customization chapter is the shortest one in the book? I doubt it. As soon as Magento gets the kinks worked out, osCommerce is headed the way of the dodo, and just one author could write a valuable manual and change that.
Rating: 2 / 5
I purchased this book to help me get my online store going for the artwork i create. In a few short weeks after reading the book and using it as a guide for my site i know have a fully functional online store that can be found through search engines. Check it out if you are curious. http://www.paintedphotography.com
Rating: 5 / 5