1. Quick Start Guide

This chapter describes how to perform product installation, registration and how to setup database connection. The following topics are covered:

  • Installing Store Manager for OpenCartt
  • Product Activation
  • Connecting to Store Database
  • Setting up FTP Connection

1. Installing Store Manager for OpenCart

IMPORTANT: Store Manager is a Windows application (not pxp extension) and should be installed on your computer.

If you haven’t already downloaded the product, use a download link from your order confirmation e-mail or download Store Manager from your license account.

You have to close all Store Manager applications before starting the installation procedure.

Store Manager for OpenCart setup wizard will guide you through software installation steps:

  • accept License Agreement
  • select Destination Location (Some people when installing like to place the software at other places in their computer, other than suggested by default)
  • choose which components should be installed (all - full installation is recommended; compact; or custom)
  • select Start Menu folder (where to place program shortcuts)
  • select additional tasks (optional)

The Wizard will inform you about successful installation.

2. Product Activation

Once you are done with installation, you will be asked to provide license data to register application.

Specify your License Number (as it appears in your license account).

Store Manager licensing presumes that you can install, register and use one copy of software per license. Purchasing full version (Store Manager for OpenCart Full License) you get one primary license. If you want to install and use program at other places you have to buy Additional licenses for every installation (registration). If you have any issues with registration, please check the following article: Registration problems. I'm unable to register Store Manager application, what's wrong? Also here you can check what is primary license, additional license and trial license? What is the difference between full version and demo version?

3. Connecting to Store Database

Once you are done with installation and registration, you will be asked to connect to database to work with. You can either provide connection settings to your live store to start working with your live store database or to use Embedded database allowing you to see around and check all features with default temporary database created locally. So, on the first startup you will see the following form:

If you want to play around and not to apply changes to your real store, select "Yes" and you will see embedded database with sample data.

In order to connect to your live store, please select "No" and specify your database connection settings in Preferences form (F12). If you do not see preferences form, go to Tools -> Preferences -> Database connection tab and follow few steps:

1. Create new or select any configuration name used to save connection settings. Preferences form allows you to create, edit or delete configuration (connection settings), create multiple configurations and switch between your stores. Please check Configuration Name chapter for details.

2. Setup database connection. Database installed with Store Manager is a kind of temporary database created locally for different purposes. It can be used for testing Store Manager functionality or to work with your store using PHP MySQL Bridge connection. If you use free demo version and you just want to run software to see how it works, please use embedded configuration with default database. The following types of database connection can be used:

  • Direct Connection to MySQL Server. 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 to access MySQL port 3306 from outside. This option can be found under MySQL settings. Feel free to ask your hosting support to assist you in enabling direct MySQL access, they must help you since it is trivial task.
  • If for some reasons direct connection via port 3306 is not allowed, there is another way - secure SSH connection. Actually SSH is a kind of tunnel between two computers - your and your server.
  • If neither direct MySQL nor SSH connections are available, PHP MySQL bridge can be used. Bridge connection allows you to use your local database to store your remote database inside it, make changes and then just synchronize it - make changes locally and then upload them to your live store database.

3. Finally you can either use Autodetect to detect your charstes automatically, to use the Force use Unicode feature or specify your own Charsets. Try to switch between options if you have any issues with special symbols.

4. Setting up FTP Connection

In order to be able to manage, view or upload images using Store Manager you should specify FTP connection in Tools -> Preferences -> FTP. Please check here for details.

Now you're all set to enjoy the advantages of Store Manager for OpenCart.

By eMagicOne Inc.