top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

[JoeVodkaSauce]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

How do you use it for new arrivals Val? Just wondering.

[wcw]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Use the "last" function. See your tool kit admin screen for an example of it. If it is not there, you need an update. Contact me off list for update.

[JoeVodkaSauce]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Too funny! I already use that function! oops! I guess I should concentrate on my Gift Baskets now and stop this website stuff. Thanks Bill!

[Val]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

I guess Bill already answered.

[papi34]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

got it earlier this week. so far...

1. created mini basket
2. rounded weight to integer
3. added previous | next to product pages

The previous|next was the only feature I needed from an expensive product template mgr module I had my eye on.

Toolkit is well worth the money...Bill is the man!

[anythingformycel.com]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

We use it for integration of the iDEV affiliate program - which is far superior then any other affiliate program ( at least I think so).. we plan to use it much more though!

[wcw]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Here's one you can do with the most recent version of the Emporium Plus tool kit. Click this URL http://www.pinemporium.com/mm5/merch...&Store_Code=PE
It has Product_Code=OLDPRODUCT which does not exist. So let's say you want to find out what expired products are still being requested. The following code is placed on the prod page template at the very beginning of the product display layout sub-template.

<mvt:if expr="ISNULL l.settings:product:code">
Product has been removed from our catalog
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="export|product_error.dat^|^g.Product_Code,remote_addr,http_referer" />
<mvt:exit>
</mvt:if>

The first part of this code displays a decent error message when a product is not found. The tool kit line then exports the product code, IP address, and the referring link to a flat file in the export data directory called product_error.dat. You don't want to view that file with a browser since the data is not encoded (hacker issues). But you can FTP the file and analyze it in notepad or other text editor.

[NinaLeon]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

we use it to:

• calculate and format savings
• show items that customers who purchased this also purchased (from a custom product field which is a comma delimited list that was manually created from multiple sales venues)
• in the basket, show how much more a customer needs to buy to qualify for free shipping
• create an easier to update storefront with a mini page using render so featured products and home page graphics that change frequently can be updated through a category instead of through the storefront message.
• create a "feed" feel to the New in News and Articles on our homepage pulling the most recent products added to News and Articles category
• the developer who originally set up the site used it for a few other features as well

They have all been so hard to set up, I always feel like I'm ready to take over the world once they are set up and work - frequently with help from Bill and this forum. Thank you so much.

[papi34]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Here's one you can do with the most recent version of the Emporium Plus tool kit. The first part of this code displays a decent error message when a product is not found. The tool kit line then exports the product code, IP address, and the referring link to a flat file in the export data directory called product_error.dat.

Very Nice...works like a charm. Thanks Bill.

I love this thread. Are there any other cool applications for tool kit that someone wants to share?

[wcw]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

You asked, so here's another one. This is a SEO usage of the export function. As you probably know, my Power Search module has a feature that exports the search terms to a file that you can analyze. That allows you to identify search terms people are using. You can use that info to improve your keyword and metatag usage in your store and potential adword purchases.

Well, not everybody has the Power Search module. So if you have the Tool Kit, you can do something very similar. In the SRCH page template code locate the section where it checks to see if any Search terms were found. You'll see a message of none found. Just after that you will see an <mvt:else>, then the product_list item/token. So you can use this section of code and put the following:

<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="export|search_none.dat^|^g.Search" />

<mvt:else>

<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="export|search_found.dat^|^g.Search" />

This example is only tracking the words searched. You could add the IP address or other bits of data if you want. Then periodically go to the data directory Merchant5/s01/export/ and FTP the two dat files for analysis. Delete the two dat files from the server and they will start over.

[anythingformycel.com]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

in the basket, show how much more a customer needs to buy to qualify for free shipping
create an easier to update storefront with a mini page using render so featured products and home page graphics that change frequently can be updated through a category instead of through the storefront message.


These are some great usage tips. We currently use the Latu Widgets for the second tip but we might switch just because it would be easier to update. Very interesting!

[wcw]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

create an easier to update storefront with a mini page using render so featured products and home page graphics that change frequently can be updated through a category instead of through the storefront message.

Did you see the random product image display I put on a couple different pages? This puts a different graphic (and text) each time the page is displayed.

1) At the bottom of the storefront center at http://www.pinemporium.com/mm5/merchant.mvc
The code doing this is:

<br /><center>
Tool Kit random display from a list of 7 products
<br />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="sassign|codes|SR_00013#1S_00001#LCS00002#LC_00001#LC_00002#1S_00002#TC_00008" />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="sassign|one|1" />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="random|nrandom|6" />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="math_add|thisone|nrandom|one" />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="vgettoken|codes,#,thisone|select_product_code" />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="vproduct_find|productfound|select_product_code" />
<img src="&mvt:key_product:image;" border="0">
<br />
&mvt:key_product:name;
<br />
&mvt:key_product:formatted_price;
<br />
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="custom|company|l.all_settings:key_product:id|company" />
&mvt:global:company;
<br />

2) Just after the category description at any of the 17 pages in this category http://www.pinemporium.com/c/1S_/One+Sheet.html
This uses the vrandom and other functions as shown under item 36 at this page http://www.emporiumplus.com/go/wcw/PROD/1AA/1AA00223

[anythingformycel.com]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

That is cool, the random images in category. I didn't see an example of random text?

[wcw]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Random text: name, price, custom fields, description etc of that random product.

[anythingformycel.com]

Re: top ten uses for Emporium Plus Tool Kit v5 ?

Speaking of random text since the toolkit only will do assigned "fields" of products has anyone used latu widgets or scot's banner module for random text? I can't for the life of me figure out latu widgets random text feature - since there is NO support.