Making 'MyStore' ... 'YourStore'

Now we can move on to the database files. This is where you get to the fun part: entering your own product information. Don't worry, as long as you follow the directions carefully, you should have no problems. If you do make mistakes, your store will not function properly; however, since none of the saved files go back to the Templates folder, you can always get a fresh document to work on. It is suggested that you create sample versions of your database files (just a few entries) to try out first before spending a lot of time doing it wrong.
First an overview
It's probably a good idea to get some insight into how YourStore functions before jumping into the details.

There are actually three types of database files in YourStore. Each file serves a particular purpose which we consider distinct from the purpose of each of the other two files. By having the files separated, your customer gets a fast response to a query and you get a simplified way of entering data. (You had to know it was just a matter of time until we used that 'query' word.)

  1. The first file type is called the category_db file. Its sole purpose is to provide information to a search engine so your customers can rapidly locate the desired product category and jump to a relevant page. There is only one file of this type. It is in the Database folder. Remember, a category can be generic, such as: "This week's sales".
  2. The second file type is called the product_db file. There are as many of these files as there are product categories listed in the category_db file. Each product_db file is maintained in a separate folder for ease of viewing and editing. One of these files is loaded in response to your customers' action at the search page. After loading, the file is read by our proprietary generic reader and the contents displayed in the center frame of YourStore in the form of drop down select lists. Your customer can select items, select quantity, view the total price, and add selections to the shopping basket from here.
  3. The third file type is called by the name you give a particular product type. There are as many of these as you want, usually one for each product type that you want to show a picture of, or give other detail information. This file is called by your customer in response to a 'more info' request from one of the select lists described above. Again this page allows your customer to add items to the shopping basket.

We think you'll find this hierarchical database structure a whole lot better than using one giant database. It allows you a logical format for editing and working on smaller individual files and it results in fast responses to your customers' requests.

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