Setting up Categories

[benwiggy]

I'm just about to start setting up my Categories in PS 1.6. Previously, importing Categories has always destroyed the database, or entering them manually causes PHP errors. (1.3, 1.4, 1.5).

 

1. PS is currently assigning category numbers in the 20s, even though I've deleted all the test data. Any way to reset the count?

2. If I import categories with ID numbers, do I need to be careful about assigning ID 1 to Home, or anything like that?

 

As said I've never got much beyond this point for years, so any help would be grateful.

[benwiggy]

I've imported a csv file of Categories. None of them show up in "Catalog > Categories", but if I create a new category, they are all there in the list of possible Parents.

I've got a Categories block on the shop, but they're not showing there either. 

The csv file was very simple: ID, Active, Name, Parent. I get no error messages when I import. (I don't get any "file imported" comment either.)

Edited April 17, 2014 by benwiggy (see edit history)

[HavanA]

I'm just about to start setting up my Categories in PS 1.6. Previously, importing Categories has always destroyed the database, or entering them manually causes PHP errors. (1.3, 1.4, 1.5).

 

1. PS is currently assigning category numbers in the 20s, even though I've deleted all the test data. Any way to reset the count?

2. If I import categories with ID numbers, do I need to be careful about assigning ID 1 to Home, or anything like that?

 

As said I've never got much beyond this point for years, so any help would be grateful.

 

I have been struggeling with importing categories as well, but you can use StoreManager to do it the easy way. I will save you a truckload of time and annoyances. http://www.prestashop.com/forums/topic/319400-how-can-i-import-category-and-its-subcategories-with-csv/?do=findComment&comment=1616864

 

P.S. don't worry about the category numbers, it does not matter.

[benwiggy]

Category numbers do matter, as I already have a CSV file from my previous shop with all my products and their category numbers!

I could go through them all, changing them, but I'd rather not. It may come to that.

 

The first category I create is always invisible! It doesn't show in the Back Office list, though you can alter the ID number in the URL and Edit it.

Categories don't show in the Front Office Categories module area, either.

 

Thanks for the info about StoreManager. $199 for a module? Prestashop themselves said they would install my shop for £179. Looks like Prestashop isn't free software after all, if you can't get it to work without paying. I might try the 30-day trial, but I don't want to become dependent on something that costs.

 

Though I'm having such basic problems with PS that surely everyone else must be having similar experiences? I've never managed to get Categories working in 1.4 or 1.5. Several attempts over a few years!

All I've done is delete all the demo data and add a category. And it doesn't work.

Edited April 19, 2014 by benwiggy (see edit history)

[HavanA]

You may find StoreManager here: http://www.prestashopmanager.com/  They offer a full functional trial. You could use it to export your categories from your old shop and import them into you new shop. Numbers should not matter then.

[benwiggy]

PS Manager downloads as an .exe file. That's no use to me. I'm not on Windows.

[HavanA]

I see you have opened another topic regarding this matter http://www.prestashop.com/forums/topic/325541-categories-csv-doesnt-work/.

 

If you need to "renumber" those categories you may use the "find&replace" function in spreadsheet: copy the column of those categories first and renumber them to the desired number and copy the renumbered column back to your original file.

 

Or you could use a Windows PC and use the trial for that program as I mentioned. You could even set it up using a virtual machine on your Linux or Mac.

 

I have also added two files (rename to .csv) that I think were the last formats I was able to import in the BO of Prestashop. Maybe you can use them. I also noticed that you add "home" as category. I am not sure if you need to add that one because it may already exist? Maybe you can try importing without and maybe other forum member can shine a light on this matter?

category.txt

products.txt

[benwiggy]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I could renumber each of the 200 products to alter the category number in a spreadsheet, but I'm hoping to avoid that for the time being.

I'm not installing Windows just to run a module...!

 

Your files just have the headers in. You've seen my other thread with my csv file? I've got the headers in, just like that.

 

I still don't know whether I should be creating a Home category. There currently isn't one after I deleted the demo data. There was a Home category in the Demo data.

If I manually try to create a new category, then "Root" is always offered as the parent. But the first category I create will never show up in the BO categories list until a second one is added.

I don't understand why adding Categories -- the basis of starting to populate a shop -- is so difficult and prone to error. Either I'm doing something very wrong, or Prestashop is.
When I created my shop in 1.3, I didn't have this problem.