2. Exporting Categories

This section will help you in exporting your categories from osCommerce to comma-separated values file (.csv), which can be easily opened in MS Excel or other application for detailed analysis.

To export categories from osCommerce follow a few steps:

1. Go to Tools -> Import/Export -> Import/Export osCommerce Categories and in the Import/Export osCommerce Categories Wizard select "Export" and click "Next >" to proceed.

2. Store Manager can export categories from osCommerce to .csv file. You should enter any file name or select one to replace the current name.

3. On the next page you will see some general export options:

Categories you'd like to export - Default setting for this option is to export all osCommerce categories to current store. If you wish to export products only from osCommerce category shown below, select Only from current category and it's subcategories option. If you wish to export products only from specific osCommerce category, you'll have to make sure that osCommerce category is open before you run the osCommerce Category Export Wizard.

  • Export image name. You have to select whether to export image names as they are in osCommerce categories (database): some_image.jpg when AS IS option has to be checked or if you select Full option, image name field will contain URL that can be opened in a browser.
  • Group fields by language option can be used if your store is running in more than one language and Export only current language option is unchecked. This option will group fields in export file by language: all fields in current language will be listed at the top and after them the Fields in second (third, etc.) language will be placed.
  • Export only current language option is useful if your store is running in more than one language. You can switch languages by pressing [Ctrl]+[L] key combination or in Tools->Store Language. If this option is unchecked, all the languages will be exported.

4. Fields delimiter and quote character step settings are of great importance. Check them to ensure proper configuration.

  • Delimiter Character. Most popular delimiters are comma (,), semicolon (;) and tab character ( ), however other symbols can be used as well. Export file is usually generated for further import.
  • Quote string values are used to separate strings in CSV file.
  • osCommerce Category Delimiter - is not native .csv setting, it is used only in Store Manager.
    • As you know osCommerce categories are organized in a form of tree, where one osCommerce category contains one or more subcategories, which in their turn may branch into other subcategories of lower-level. OsCommerce Category delimiter character is used to separate osCommerce category names and specify full osCommerce category tree path for given product. OsCommerce category path is very similar to directory path, used to specify full file name in Windows, where every directory separated by backslash (\) character, like shown in the following example C:\Program Files\eMagicOne\Store Manager for osCommerce.

5. Select fields you want to export:

Enable Export field names as first row if you need one.

All available fields are listed in left pane. Select fields you want to be exported and click ">" button to move them to the right pane. If you'd like to export all fields simply press ">>".

Tip: The order in which columns will be saved in .csv file can be changed. To do this you can move exported columns up and down using corresponding buttons.

6. Preview Export. On the last page of Export Wizard you can preview the result.

Note: When you press "Export" Button, export process will start! This process will take some time.

If you don't want to perform any action after saving export data, use "Just close this window" option and Wizard will be automatically closed when you press Finish button. If you choose to open a directory containing result file, check corresponding option. Open result file option allows you to see export file opened in Excel.

Now your osCommerce category export procedure is finished.

By eMagicOne Inc.