Version 2.1
Combining two of the web worlds most popular open-source software applications, Cartage seamlessly allows you to run the Content Management System Joomla! and e-commerce shopping cart Zen Cart™ together, creating one powerful database driven e-commerce website that's easy to setup and use.
Please click the headings below for more information about the product.
Features and Benefits
- Single login for both systems, through either Zen Cart™ or Joomla!
- Integrate existing user databases (no user accounts lost)
- Display Zen Cart™ sidebox information inside Joomla! modules
- Use Joomla! menu items to display a specific Zen Cart™ page
- Utilise the full power of both Zen Cart™ and Joomla! to enhance your users experience
Products available (and cost)
Please note that the unlimited trial version will only work locally. That means that the URI used to access your local site must start with 'http://localhost'. Any other domain will require a licence key before Cartage will work.
The limited trial version will work for 30 days on any domain. During this time it will advise onscreen that it is running in evaluation mode and provide a countdown of how many days are left before the licence expires.
While testing the trial versions, Cartage retains full functionality so you can fully test out the product before purchasing.
Licencing information is available on our licencing page.
What is it?
Cartage at its heart is a user login bridge. It combines the user accounts of Joomla! and Zen Cart™ to provide a seamless login experience for your customers. It also integrates your shop products directly into your Joomla! site through the use of Cartage Modules.
It does this by displaying your Zen Cart™ store inside an iFrame using the built-in Joomla! wrapper function. You can then link to a particular Zen Cart™ page using the Cartage Component menu parameters, and assign Joomla! modules to specific pages.
How it works
Cartage integrates Joomla! and Zen Cart™ by using an iFrame in the Joomla! content area to display your Zen Cart™ store.
When a user logs into 1 system Cartage Component automatically logs them in to the other, creating an account on the fly if it needs to. This information is stored in a session, allowing both platforms to access all information they need.
Cartage Modules uses a list (in XML) to allow you to select which Zen Cart™ sidebox to display. It has all default Zen Cart™ sideboxes already listed, and you have the ability to add your custom sidebox by adding a reference to it in the Module XML file.
About the component
Cartage Component is the workhorse of Cartage. It takes the Zen Cart™ page and renders it inside a Joomla! iFrame. As a consequence, the URI of the page does not refresh to reflect the content automatically. This feature was added at the request of early beta testers.
To force a Joomla! refresh on a new Zen Cart™ product page, each Cartage menu item includes a parameter that allows you to decide whether to refresh the Joomla! page when a new product is selected in your store. Cartage will automatically refresh Joomla! in some instances, e.g. after a product is added so that the shopping cart can be refreshed.
It also (with the help of a Community Builder plugin) synchronises user accounts. It does this via the email address, so if this feature is needed on your site then you will need to ensure that a unique email address exists for each user.
Lastly, each menu item of type Cartage can have a different alias, allowing links in a menu showing a Zen Cart™ to have different Joomla! modules displayed, customising the look of your store in the Joomla! way you've come to expect.
About the module
Cartage Module is an optional (but extremely useful!) part of the Cartage product.
What it does is allow the output of any Zen Cart™ sidebox inside a Joomla! module. It comes with all the default Zen Cart™ sideboxes selectable.
You can easily add to this list, by editing the XML file for the module. This allows you to add non-standard sideboxes to the drop-down list, including custom sideboxes. For Zen Cart™ users, it will attempt to select your override sidebox file first, and then if it cannot find it will then use the default sidebox, in the same way the Zen Cart™ works now.
Additionally, the option is available to select the Cartage alias to use when a link is clicked. The module will use the current Cartage alias in use, and if none is available it will use the default alias. The Cartage alias is set in the menu item, and defaults to 'cartage'.
Cartage module requires that the Cartage Component is installed for licence handling, and is not a stand-alone product.
Requirements
Here's a quick checklist of what you'll need to get started with Cartage
- Joomla! 1.5.7 or higher
- Zen Cart™ 1.3.8a or higher
- Zen Cart™ installed in a sub-directory of Joomla!
- Both Joomla! and Zen Cart™ installed on the same server, domain, with their tables both contained in the same database
- Community Builder (CB) component is installed
- The Cartage CB plug-in is installed (bundled with Cartage)
- SEO settings switched 'on' in your Joomla! global configuration, and the htaccess file enabled
- Ioncube loaders must be installed on your server
- PHP 5.0 or higher
- The Cartage Component installed for Cartage Modules to work
Trial Versions
Cartage is available in 2 trial versions, as well as the fully licenced products. Please click the 'Products available' heading for more about how to run Cartage in trial mode and to download your preferred version.
The trial versions of Cartage retain full functionality.
Change notes
Version 2.1
- Admin: Step 7 now creates jscript folder if it is not already there
- Admin: Change history now displayed in Admin
- Cartage: Introduced option for 30 day trial period
- Component: Fixed "Login from ZenCart does not show Joomla's registered menu items. They do show when you login via Joomla." problem
- Component: Added javascript function to change the page title of Joomla to reflect Zen Cart page
- Component: Improved Joomla login session when user logs into Zen Cart
- Cartage: Added javascript file to ensure that the iframe is always framed in the Joomla page
- Cartage: Reorganised menu type options offered by Cartage to simpify choices and increase options
Version 2.0
- Cartage: Now accepts Cartage aliases that are subdomains due to menu placements
- Cartage: Joomla 1.5 Native version
- Cartage: Resolved MS-Windows backslashes issue
- Component: Defaults to not refreshing products, option is now available as a menu option
- Component: Improved working in https mode
- Admin: User errors are now reported in Joomla standard red text
- Component: Improved processing when user presses the Back button
- Meta-tags: Will use language specific file now
- Sideboxes: Now finds custom sideboxes in the custom directory, rather then the default directory
- Meta-tags: Joomla's meta-tags are replaced with the Zen Cart values on com_cartage pages
- Module: Notice: Undefined variable: user in administrator/components/com_cartage/cartage.class.php on line 592
- Admin: Cartage-Instructions tab not displaying information as expected
- Admin: Cartage-General tab not displaying information as expected
Upgrading
There is generally no need to upgrade Cartage if it is already working correctly on your site.
If you do decide to upgrade, ensure that you backup your files and database before starting. Keep a copy of your licence codes, as these will be deleted when the component is uninstalled.
Once you are ready to proceed, uninstall the Cartage component/modules, then re-install from the new Zip file. Follow the normal instruction steps as you are installing Cartage component/modules fresh.
To obtain a copy of the new software, simply download the unlimited trial version and install with the licence key you have been provided for previous versions of Cartage. Cartage will always be backwards compatible with existing licence keys.
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